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Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday\/Saturday on <\/em>C-U Blogfidential<\/span><\/strong> and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!<\/strong><\/p>\n 8\/1: Jed Brian (actor, FLESH EATERS, Moonlight Films, Linton, IN) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s rare we get to talk about the stuff<\/em> of the movies of Champaign, Urbana<\/strong>, and the cities beyond, but today\u2019s a day we can show as much as tell! Other than the typical and often perishable items that film producers will make to promote their work at screenings, festivals, industry events, and the like, officially licensed merchandise keyed in to a specific title du C-U is an uncommon commodity. (We\u2019re excluding the customized and made-to-order variety of swag offered by companies like Caf\u00e9 Press<\/strong> and Printify<\/strong> for the sake of this argument.) And yet, we\u2019ve now seen cool pictures of relevant merch in our Facebook<\/strong> feed several times during the last few weeks that reference projects we\u2019ve discussed recently on CUBlog<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n \u201cAnalog\u201d and \u201cretro\u201d are the relevant terms for most of the collectibles in question. First, we\u2019ll look at the upcoming cassette tape release of the soundtrack music composed by Alex Cuervo<\/strong> for REVEALER<\/strong>, the apocalyptic thriller co-produced by local studio Shatterglass Films<\/strong> and released last year by Shudder<\/strong> and RLJE Films<\/strong>. An indie label based in Brooklyn, NY<\/strong>, called Ship to Shore PhonoCo<\/strong> is issuing it along with another featuring Cuervo\u2019s work for RLJE\u2019s SCARE PACKAGE<\/strong> films; you can pre-order REVEALER<\/strong> through this page<\/a><\/span> and find SCARE PACKAGE I & II<\/strong> easily if you\u2019re interested. In this interview with Aaron Vehling<\/strong> on the Vehlinggo<\/strong> website<\/span><\/a>, Cuervo talks about working with the filmmakers behind both, including CUBlog<\/span><\/strong> friend and REVEALER<\/strong> director Luke Boyce<\/strong>, and shows a genuine enthusiasm for his craft. Given that REVEALER<\/strong> is set in 1987, a mere five years after CD albums were introduced, the tie-in makes sense. You\u2019d better run a head cleaner tape on that vintage cassette deck before popping it in!<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Into the Night Motion Pictures<\/strong> of Normal<\/strong> has arranged with a cassette and streaming label, littleHEADbutt<\/strong> Studios<\/strong> of Chicago<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, to unleash their own soundtrack tape with the score by Ryan Aldrich<\/strong> as heard in their forest horror, HUNTING FOR THE HAG<\/strong>. It will debut at the August 9<\/strong> show of HAG<\/strong> at the Music Box Theater<\/strong> in the Windy City and then be made available for purchase through littleHEADbutt\u2019s Bandcamp<\/strong> account<\/a><\/span>. Above, you\u2019ll see the package design with a witchy sketch that may<\/em> or may not<\/em> be of the Hag. As an avid physical media collector, HAG<\/strong> director Paul A. Brooks<\/strong> simply has<\/em> to be thrilled about this.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n While maintaining that cassette deck, you might want to freshen up the playback on your video deck as well. April 9 Entertainment<\/strong>, the Los Angeles<\/strong>-based producer of the documentary BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN<\/strong>, revealed two weeks ago that a limited-edition VHS cassette of their latest will be offered soon by a collector\u2019s label, Retro Release Video<\/strong> of Baltimore, MD<\/strong>; you can visit this page to pre-order<\/a><\/span>. As seen above, their slipcase design features the key art used for the general release of DRIVE-IN<\/strong> by Uncork\u2019d Entertainment<\/strong>, while the film itself shares the stories of a dozen surviving venues including the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in<\/strong> of nearby Gibson City<\/strong>. Fans of filmmaker April Wright<\/strong> and her Americana brand \u201cGoing Attractions<\/strong>\u201d<\/a><\/span> may delight in displaying this tape front and center on their bookshelves.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n To wind down, your humble editor decided to take advantage of the Criterion Collection<\/strong> half-price promotion at the Barnes & Noble<\/strong> bookseller in Rockford<\/strong> while in the city on Thursday. He didn\u2019t walk away with the discs he originally wanted, save for the essential independent film learning tool that is NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD<\/strong>, but he did<\/em> luck upon a single copy of what may be the closest thing to a \u201clocal film\u201d in the Criterion catalog<\/a><\/span>: MINDING THE GAP<\/strong>, a well-received documentary made by Bing Liu<\/strong> that follows the struggles and maturation of two young men living in Rockford who find common ground in skate culture and parallels with the life experiences of the older filmmaker. We hope this B&N will keep it in stock, and we’re now struck further because this movie, shepherded by the social issue-minded folks at Kartemquin Films<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, is most likely the only one from them to inspire an analog keepsake, sold here<\/a><\/span> by the slab-savvy cool cats at Lunchmeat VHS<\/strong> of Elmer, NJ<\/strong>. The minimalist cover art on both releases is quite unusual and refreshing.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n YOU\u2019RE OUT!* U.S. Streaming Release:<\/strong> Friday, July 28, via Gravitas Ventures, Cleveland, OH\/Ladie K Productions-Stay the Course Productions-Paper Star Entertainment, Chicago\/Evanston, IL<\/p>\n @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area<\/strong><\/p>\n @ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL<\/strong> @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong> @ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ Redbox (streaming), Champaign-Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ Toalson Park, Champaign, IL<\/strong> @ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL<\/strong> Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional \u201cNow Playing\u201d and \u201cComing Soon\u201d listings appear after the jump!<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n @ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL<\/strong> @ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL<\/strong> @ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL<\/strong> @ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL<\/strong> @ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL<\/strong>
\n8\/2: Jeff Kacmarynski (writer\/director, ESSENCE, Refractive Error Media, Champaign, IL)
\n8\/3: Laura Richter (production manager, FIELDS OF GOLD, Spencer Films, Springfield, IL)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nChampaign Movie Makers* 48 Hour Film Fest (7\/28, 8:30 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nTHE FIRST SLAM DUNK (anim\u00e9), HAUNTED MANSION, TALK TO ME, BARBIE, INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR*, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE \u2013 DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE, NO HARD FEELINGS*, OPPENHEIMER, SOUND OF FREEDOM (7\/28 on), CIRCUS MAXIMUS (Travis Scott music documentary) (7\/28-7\/31, 10:15 p.m.), THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS (animation) (7\/28, 8\/2, 12 p.m.), TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (animation) (8\/1 on), The Hiding Room<\/span> stage performance (8\/3, 7:30 p.m., filmed), MEG 2: THE TRENCH (8\/3 on)<\/p>\n
\nHAUNTED MANSION, TALK TO ME, BARBIE, ELEMENTAL (animation), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE \u2013 DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE, OPPENHEIMER, SOUND OF FREEDOM (7\/28 on), UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje, more (mixed martial arts) (7\/29, 9 p.m., simulcast), NO HARD FEELINGS (7\/29-7\/31, 9:45 p.m.), TOP GUN (7\/30, 3 & 7 p.m.; 8\/2, 7 p.m.), HEATHERS 35th anniversary (7\/30, 4 p.m.), TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (animation) (8\/1 on)<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cSummer Films on the Quad\u201d feat. FAST X (8\/3, 9 p.m., free)<\/p>\n
\nFAST X, THE FLASH, GOD IS A BULLET, RUBY GILLMAN: TEENAGE KRAKEN, SHRAPNEL, more! (7\/25 on) Online rentals<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nChampaign Park District presents \u201cThursday Night Flix\u201d feat. BACK TO THE FUTURE (8\/3, dusk)<\/p>\n
\nNo movies this week!<\/em><\/p>\n
\nHAUNTED MANSION, BARBIE, OPPENHEIMER (7\/27-7\/30)<\/p>\n
\nNo movies this week!<\/em><\/p>\n
\nBARBIE (Screen 1), HAUNTED MANSION (Screen 2) (7\/28-8\/3)<\/p>\n
\nPrivate parties and \u201cFamily Movie Packs\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHAVE YOU GOT IT YET? THE STORY OF SYD BARRETT AND PINK FLOYD (music documentary) (7\/28-7\/29), Union Avenue rockabilly music concert (7\/29, 8 p.m.), FROZEN (animation) (7\/30), ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS: THE MOTION PICTURE (concert film) (7\/30), AFIRE (8\/3)<\/p>\n