<\/p>\n
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 12\/8: CJay Wallace (cohost, Robots Don\u2019t Age!<\/span> podcast, Champaign, IL) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n With a monotone Ben Stein<\/strong> utterance of \u201cReport<\/strong>\u201d under our collective breath, CUBlog<\/span><\/strong> presents the first of two entries on film and media doings at our academic institutions, just in time for fall semester to conclude and college kids to cram their damnedest while studying. Item one, the College of Media<\/strong> at UIUC<\/strong> posted about a \u201cfilm poem\u201d<\/a><\/span> made by faculty members Victor Font<\/strong> and Cristobal Bianchi<\/strong>, FACTORIES AT SEA<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, being selected for several film festivals internationally and showcased during a function of the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies<\/strong> in October. Item two, Illinois State University<\/strong> professor John McHale<\/strong> and Normal<\/strong> resident Xavier Jackson<\/strong>, a registered nurse, talked with Lauren Warnecke<\/strong> of WGLT<\/strong> radio<\/a><\/span> last month about the award received by their joint screenplay, \u201cNurses Versus the Virus,\u201d<\/a><\/span> which draws from Jackson\u2019s experiences during the pandemic as a medical professional and African-American man. Item three, theater instructor and film producer Tom Quinn<\/strong> has seriously upgraded the status of Illinois Wesleyan University<\/strong> as a viable option for students who wish to learn or refine their visual storytelling skills; the liberal arts institution in Bloomington<\/strong> reported that several underclassmen projects have once again won awards<\/a><\/span> through the online Top Shorts Film Festival<\/strong>. Among the shorts cited earlier in the fall are SUSPICIONS<\/strong>, written by Stephen Nickisch<\/strong> and winner of five categories, and HAND ME DOWN<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, written by Ethan Smith<\/strong> and co-directed by IWU graduate Justin Piotrowski<\/strong>, which nabbed a \u201cBest Horror\u201d nod and separately bowed at the Days of the Dead Chicago<\/strong> horror convention a couple of weeks ago.<\/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> @ Redbox (streaming), Champaign-Urbana, 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>
\n12\/8: Britten Traughber (photographer, Britten Traughber Photography, Tucson, AZ)
\n12\/10: Sidney Taiko (editor\/publisher, Storm Cellar<\/span>, San Diego, CA)<\/p>\n
\nTHE BOY AND THE HERON (anim\u00e9) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub), DIE HARD (re-release), ANIMAL (in Hindi with English sub), THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES, GODZILLA MINUS ONE (in Japanese with English sub), THE MARVELS, NAPOLEON, OPPENHEIMER, THE SHIFT (faith film), SILENT NIGHT, TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (animation), WISH (animation) (12\/8 on), RENAISSANCE (Beyonc\u00e9 concert film) (12\/8-12\/10, 12\/14), THANKSGIVING (12\/8-12\/9), AMC \u201cScreen Unseen\u201d (mystery movie) (12\/11, 7 p.m.), AX Cinema Nights: TOKYO GODFATHERS 20th anniversary (anim\u00e9) (12\/11, 12\/13, 7:30 p.m., in Japanese with English sub; 12\/12, 7:30 p.m., English dub), \u201cChristmas with THE CHOSEN: Holy Night\u201d (12\/12-12\/14, 2 & 7:30 p.m.), TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (concert film) (12\/13, 4:30 p.m.), WONKA (12\/14 on)<\/p>\n
\nANIMAL (in Hindi with English sub), THE BOY AND THE HERON (anim\u00e9) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub), THE CELLO, EILEEN, THE OATH, DREAM SCENARIO*, GODZILLA MINUS ONE (in Japanese with English sub), THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES, THE MARVELS, NAPOLEON, SALTBURN, THE SHIFT (faith film), SILENT NIGHT, THANKSGIVING, TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (animation), WISH (animation) (12\/8 on), RENAISSANCE (Beyonc\u00e9 concert film) (12\/8-12\/10), Waitress<\/span>* (filmed stage performance) (12\/8-12\/11), OPPENHEIMER* (12\/8-12\/12), The Metropolitan Opera: Florencia en el Amazonas<\/span> (12\/9, 11:55 a.m., simulcast; 12\/13, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), A CHRISTMAS STORY 40th anniversary (12\/10, 4 & 7 p.m.; 12\/13, 7 p.m.), Flashback Cinema: NATIONAL LAMPOON\u2019S CHRISTMAS VACATION (12\/10, 3 & 7 p.m.; 12\/13, 7 p.m.), \u201cChristmas with THE CHOSEN: Holy Night\u201d (12\/12-12\/14, 2 & 7:30 p.m.), WONKA (12\/14 on)<\/p>\n
\nTHE DOG LOVER\u2019S GUIDE TO DATING, LORD OF MISRULE, UNIT 262, WAIKIKI, more! (12\/5 on) Online rentals<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u201cHoliday in Whoville 2023\u201d feat. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1966) (12\/10, 1-4 p.m., hourly)<\/p>\n
\nDIE HARD (re-release), NEXT GOAL WINS, TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (animation) (12\/8-12\/10)<\/p>\n
\nDanville Public Library, etc., present \u201cA Novel Idea\u2026\u201d feat. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1966) (12\/13, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nClosed for the season.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nPrivate parties and events<\/p>\n
\nWHITE CHRISTMAS, BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) (12\/8), THE SANTA CLAUSE (12\/9, 12\/13), IT\u2019S A WONDERFUL LIFE (12\/9, 12\/14), GREMLINS (12\/9), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938), HOME ALONE (12\/10), ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE (12\/11), TOKYO GODFATHERS (anim\u00e9) (12\/12)<\/p>\n