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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 11\/28: Robert Patrick Stern (cinematographer, BROOKLYN 45, Shudder\/AMC Networks, New York, NY) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n If you happen to be looking for something to occupy your attention over the next few days that is not a sports broadcast, holiday parade, too-soon Christmas<\/strong> movie marathon, or political debate at the dinner table, may we remind you of our exclusive guide to local and \u201cEbertfest<\/strong>\u201d film goodies available to stream for free on Tubi<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. Earlier this year, we expanded the list greatly from the one we first compiled in 2020, and this week we\u2019ve added a handful more relevant titles that have become available to view since then. Click above to review our findings and, if you\u2019d like to zero in on the fresh flicks, scroll the post and look for:<\/p>\n BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN<\/strong>, April Wright<\/strong>\u2019s well-reviewed sequel to GOING ATTRACTIONS<\/strong> about the challenges facing drive-in theaters and their owners, including the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in<\/strong> of Gibson City<\/strong>, as they continue on from the COVID-19<\/strong> pandemic into an uncertain exhibition future;<\/p>\n BAKING UP LOVE<\/strong>, the small-town romantic comedy filmed in Morton, Illinois<\/strong>, by indie director Candice T. Cain<\/strong> for her New York<\/strong>-based company, Gemelli Films<\/strong>;<\/p>\n A new edit of A BEATLE IN BENTON, ILLINOIS<\/strong>, the documentary by Bob Bartel<\/strong> of Springfield<\/strong> about the holiday George Harrison<\/strong> spent with his sister Louise<\/strong> in downstate Illinois<\/strong> right before Beatlemania<\/strong> conquered the world, timed to the 60th anniversary of his visit;<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n BEGINNING OF THE END<\/strong>, the Bert I. Gordon<\/strong> drive-in staple involving oversized locusts migrating from central Illinois<\/strong> to Chicago<\/strong> and laying waste to crops and B-movie actors on the way, albeit the jokey MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000<\/strong> episode of it (tra-la-la!<\/em>) that premiered 30 years ago this week on Thanksgiving<\/strong> \u2013 Thursday, November 25, 1993<\/strong> \u2013 according to Wikipedia<\/strong><\/a><\/span>;<\/p>\n WHERE ARE YOU, JAY BENNETT?<\/strong>, the documentary about the eponymous local musician and former member of the band Wilco<\/strong> who passed away too soon due to medical issues; and<\/p>\n YOU\u2019RE OUT!<\/strong>, the dads-on-a-road-trip-because-sons-and-baseball comedy filmed partly in east central Illinois by Chicago director Katharin \u201cLadie K\u201d Mraz<\/strong> and producer\/writer Sandy De Lisle<\/strong> two years ago.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll notice that we didn\u2019t link the individual films here to their Tubi landing pages as we might normally be prone to do. Take the hint, dearest viewers, and go investigate<\/em> using our post as a guide. These movies bring our directory up to almost 100 features and television episodes that may be worth your while. We\u2019ll also use this as a teachable moment in regards to taking advantage of streaming content while it\u2019s actually streaming; we predicted months ago that SHOT<\/strong> would be removed from commercial avenues after its five-year distribution window with Vinegar Syndrome<\/strong> expired this fall and, well<\/em>, we\u2019re right. Note this placeholder card up now in lieu of the actual film<\/a><\/span> with a screened-out Chuck Russell<\/strong>, future director of THE MASK<\/strong> and THE BLOB<\/strong>, now frozen in time. If you haven\u2019t picked it up on physical media, this weekend\u2019s Black Friday sale by VS might just be your last shot to get it<\/a><\/span>. So, go get it.<\/p>\n We did add one other title under the MICRO-FILM<\/span><\/strong> category on our Tubi itinerary, the direct-to-video sequel WITCHCRAFT XIII: BLOOD OF THE CHOSEN<\/strong> produced by Chicago suburban natives Michael<\/strong> and Jeffrey Wolinski<\/strong>. The brothers, who made a couple of other no-budget features and launched a short-lived independent film festival prior to this effort, moved on from the movie business not long afterwards. At least they left us with a solid article on the making of WC13<\/strong> that you can still read here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History<\/strong><\/p>\n 50 Years Ago<\/strong> \u2026 Friday, November 16, 1973:<\/em> Television and movie actor Ross Hagen<\/strong> makes a personal appearance at the Orpheum Theater<\/strong> in downtown Champaign<\/strong> at 7 p.m.<\/strong> to promote the regional opening of his newest picture, BAD CHARLESTON CHARLIE<\/strong>. Based loosely on the life of 1920s coal miner and bootlegger Charlie Birger<\/strong>, whose gang battled rival groups as well as politicians and the Ku Klux Klan<\/strong> in southern Illinois<\/strong> before he was arrested, tried, and hanged<\/span><\/a>, the period comedy was partly filmed in Champaign County<\/strong> three years ago this month but held up for some time from general release. Problematic investors and the resulting nonpayment of wages for many actors and technical crew members by local outfit Studio 9 Productions<\/strong>, which partnered with Hagen\u2019s Triforum Inc.<\/strong> company to make CHARLIE<\/strong>, attracted a lawsuit that was detailed in the May 12, 1971<\/strong>, edition of the <\/span>Daily Illini<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a> as well as the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission<\/strong><\/span><\/a> in Washington, D.C.<\/strong>, last year. With the air cleared, the feature has been in distribution since June through International Cinema Corporation<\/strong> and is now playing at 17 area cinemas, according to a report on p.19 of today\u2019s Urbana Courier<\/span><\/strong>. Hagen advises writer Jim Hopwood<\/strong> in an interview that the state of Illinois \u201cis a beautiful place to shoot movies and you people around here should look into encouraging more of it.\u201d Much of Hagen\u2019s core team on CHARLIE<\/strong> \u2013 himself, director Ivan Nagy<\/strong>, producer Martin D. Wright<\/strong> of Studio 9, actors Kelly Thordsen, Hoke Howell<\/strong>, and Eric Lidberg<\/strong>, and cinematographer Michael Neyman<\/strong> \u2013 have another gang-on-a-crime-spree caper<\/span><\/a> in the wings called PUSHING UP DAISIES<\/strong>, this one coming from the Cannon Group<\/strong>. [R]<\/strong><\/p>\n \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> @ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong>
\n11\/28: Ryan Mitchelle (editor, A ROYAL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, Hybrid LLC, Woodland Hills, CA)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nNAPOLEON, SALTBURN, WISH (animation), FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY\u2019S, THE HOLDOVERS, THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES, JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM (faith film), KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, THE MARVELS, NEXT GOAL WINS, PRISCILLA, THANKSGIVING, TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (animation) (11\/24 on), TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (concert film) (11\/24-11\/26), AMC \u201cScreen Unseen\u201d (mystery movie) (11\/27, 7 p.m.), GODZILLA MINUS ONE fan event (in Japanese with English sub) (11\/29, 5 & 8 p.m.), RENAISSANCE (Beyonc\u00e9 concert film), THE SHIFT (faith film), SILENT NIGHT (11\/30 on)<\/p>\n
\nNAPOLEON, SALTBURN, WISH (animation), FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY\u2019S, THE HOLDOVERS, THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, THE MARVELS, NEXT GOAL WINS, PRISCILLA, THANKSGIVING, TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (animation) (11\/24 on), TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (concert film) (11\/24-11\/26), Flashback Cinema: WHITE CHRISTMAS (11\/26, 3 & 7 p.m.; 11\/29, 7 p.m.), The Metropolitan Opera: X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X<\/span> (11\/29, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), RENAISSANCE (Beyonc\u00e9 concert film) (11\/30 on),<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cFall 2023 Weekend Films\u201d feat. BLUE BEETLE, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (11\/17-11\/18, 7 p.m.; free w\/i-card)<\/p>\n