<\/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 7\/17: Don \u201cHotdog\u201d Waller (proprietor, Don\u2019s Underwater Drive-in & Bed-in Breakfast, Redacted, IL) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n This week, we\u2019re going to let the (motion) pictures do the talking as the Report<\/strong>, Images<\/strong>, and Almanac<\/strong> departments take their turns in dropping a thought or two about the role of physical media in the current swing of things. Under this<\/em> header, we\u2019ll remind you that Chicago Filmmakers<\/strong> continues to host their monthly screenings of vintage materials from the catalog of the specialty distributor, Picture Start<\/strong>, which went defunct in the Windy City in the mid-Nineties but was launched and operated for some time before that in Champaign<\/strong> by the late Ron Epple<\/strong>. A recent email blast from CF promotes the upcoming schedule and displays the most overt visual to date, which makes the connection absolutely clear. We hope the non-profit organization and \u201cPicture ReStart<\/strong>\u201d curator Ben Creech<\/strong> have entertained a healthy turnout during the first half of 2025 and continue to do so through the end of the year. Below, we share their crib notes about the short subjects on deck, all of them to be projected from the same 16-millimeter prints that Picture Start used to store in Champaign and license for theatrical, academic, broadcast, and home video presentations, to be shown the next three months. You can continue to their website for more details<\/a><\/span> about the initiative and also rewind a bit here<\/a><\/span> on CUBlog<\/span><\/strong> for our earlier commentary<\/a><\/span> on this effort to contextualize a near-forgotten era of short-form indie cinema. The next \u201cReStart\u201d is tomorrow, Saturday, July 19<\/strong>, starting at 6 p.m.<\/strong> in the Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse, 1326 W. Hollywood Ave., Chicago<\/strong>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n From June 25, 2025, via email:<\/em><\/p>\n Upcoming Shows<\/strong> We are excited to announce the next three programs for Picture ReStart<\/strong> \u2013 our monthly screening series on 16mm.<\/p>\n In July, we\u2019ll be spotlighting an under-celebrated local experimental filmmaker, showing five of his best films, each playing mischievous games with meaning and language in \u201cPrepared Texts<\/strong>.\u201d In August, we\u2019ll be showing ten films that inspire our inner kiddos by experimenting with cinematic form with an open sense of creativity and minimal tools in \u201cForever Young<\/strong>.\u201d In September, as a special program for the REELING Film Festival<\/strong>, we\u2019ll be screening four films that linger over the male body in search of a spiritual physicality in \u201cHis Sacred Flesh<\/strong>.\u201d Each program will be entirely projected on 16mm film and will feature works that have not screened in Chicago<\/strong> in decades.<\/p>\n Prepared Texts | 7.19.25 | 6 p.m. \u201cForever Young\u201d | 8.16.25 | 6 p.m. \u201cHis Sacred Flesh\u201d | 9.20.25 | 6 p.m. We encourage you to buy tickets quickly as these screenings SELL OUT<\/a><\/span> fast!<\/p>\n ~ Chicago Filmmakers<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing Our Scenes on the Small Screen<\/strong><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n And under this<\/em> header, we\u2019ll talk about Ye Ed<\/strong>\u2019s emergence in the world of boutique video labels. We previously disclosed that he debuted at the end of 2024 with the New Jersey<\/strong>-based company, Saturn\u2019s Core Audio & Video<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, as the designer and de facto<\/em> guest editor for a booklet accompanying the Blu-ray release of DOGS IN QUICKSAND<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, a late Nineties indie comedy of quirks produced in the C-U by Mike Trippiedi<\/strong> and Bill Yauch<\/strong>. Made available for pre-order on July 1<\/strong> is the second Saturn\u2019s Core release<\/a><\/span> to feature his booklet composition talents, TWISTED ISSUES<\/strong>, a Florida<\/strong>-lensed punk scene sci-fi horror m\u00e9lange<\/em> from the visual artist and camcorder maverick Charles Pinion<\/strong> (RED SPIRIT LAKE<\/strong>), whose early travels took him from Gainesville<\/strong> to New York<\/strong> to San Francisco<\/strong> and involved flirtations with bands, zines, the NYC and Los Angeles<\/strong> porn worlds, the Cinema of Transgression<\/strong>, and lots more Eighties and Nineties DIY lore.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n While Pinion\u2019s creative endeavors have never intersected with Champaign-Urbana<\/strong> to our knowledge, we wanted to hold up the TWISTED<\/strong> and QUICKSAND<\/strong> discs as two worthwhile examples of the many titles put out in recent times by Saturn\u2019s Core and other smaller labels that are devoted to presenting and preserving the curios, weirdos, and died-in-the-wool black sheep of independent cinema along with their respective histories. Saturn\u2019s Core\u2019s owners, Ross Snyder<\/strong> and William Hellfire<\/strong>, stack each release with interviews, related media, and ephemera to give their adventurous customers a sense of time, place, and mise-en-sc\u00e8ne<\/em> from which the main attractions emerged. These kinds of home videos are fueled by passion and a sense of necessity, so more power to anyone who dares to take the niche release plunge. Above and below are product pictures from Saturn\u2019s Core\u2019s distribution partner, OCN Distribution<\/strong>, while we\u2019ve added our own shots of the booklets in hand so you can better see the printed product out of the cases.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n We\u2019ll do our best to hold down the fort at MFHQ Deux<\/strong> while Mr. JaPan<\/strong> flirts with flexing his media muscle a bit more along these lines. Already, he\u2019s delivered a third booklet to Saturn\u2019s Core for an unannounced project and started discussions with them about a fourth. He previously contributed a personal recording with notes of a public appearance by Bruce Campbell<\/strong> and Josh Becker<\/strong> to our friends at Synapse Films<\/strong><\/a><\/span> in Michigan<\/strong> for inclusion in the 2021 Blu-ray\/DVD release of the \u201cone-shot\u201d crime film RUNNING TIME<\/strong>, taped at Noyes Laboratory<\/strong> on the University of Illinois<\/strong> campus in Urbana a long time ago. We\u2019ll make the rare pitch for serious inquiries from folks who\u2019d like to talk with him about future (and paying) endeavors; please write to microfilm.magazine [at] gmail [dot] com<\/strong> on that front. Danke sch\u00f6n!<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History<\/strong><\/p>\n What could we possibly offer under this<\/em> header? One last Almanac<\/strong> entry on the history of our dearly beloved, That\u2019s Rentertainment<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, and evidence of a modern analog, so to speak. We don\u2019t normally comment or illustrate under this section, but<\/em>, when we saw the accompanying photo on Facebook<\/strong> a couple of days ago, we said to ourselves, \u201cSold!\u201d It is promo for our also beloved, Exile on Main Street<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, which has been serving their customers well in downtown Champaign<\/strong> for the last twenty years. Visit them in the old train terminal to browse their massive selection of LPs, CDs, cassettes, limited editions, threads, collectibles, and, as we now know, VHS gold!<\/a><\/span> You can click on the image to enlarge in your browser and better take in the slabs, which include an \u201cedited version\u201d (!) of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM<\/strong>, Patrick Stewart<\/strong> with a price tag on his head in SAFE HOUSE<\/strong>, and THIS IS SPINAL TAP<\/strong>, the only tape you\u2019ll ever be able to kindly rewind to eleven. Hey, hands off our DOUBLE WHAMMY<\/strong>!<\/p>\n 20 Years Ago \u2026<\/strong> Friday, July 22, 2005:<\/em> On \u201cCollector\u2019s Day,\u201d owner Geoff Merrit<\/strong> and his staff at That\u2019s Rentertainment<\/strong><\/a><\/span> launch the arduous task of purging approximately 16,000 VHS cassettes from their library to make way for DVD replacements and fresh stock at their location on the corner of Sixth<\/strong> and John<\/strong> streets in the Campustown<\/strong> area by the University of Illinois<\/strong> in Champaign<\/strong>. After dropping prices daily throughout the weekend, the sale racks would be migrated to the back of the store and linger for another two years until much of the analog catalog was removed. Approximately 100 tapes remained in a token VHS section for the next decade until Rentertainment went out of business in 2015, and approximately 100 more tapes resided in safe keeping with MICRO-FILM<\/span><\/strong> editor Jason Pankoke<\/strong> in part to serve as the basis for a new publication, The Video Throne<\/span><\/strong>, which never came to fruition. [R] [Rev. 7\/18\/25]<\/strong><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/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> @ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, 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 @ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL<\/strong> @ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL<\/strong> @ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL<\/strong> @ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL<\/strong> @ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL<\/strong> @ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL<\/strong> @ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL<\/strong> @ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL<\/strong> @ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Midwest<\/strong><\/p>\n For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, please visit the fine folks at<\/em> Cine-File<\/strong> and subscribe to their definitive \u201cCine-List\u201d weekly blast<\/a><\/span>. And for northern Illinois industry news, be sure to read<\/em> Reel Chicago<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span> and<\/em> Screen Magazine<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n COMING SOON | Area-wide Events<\/strong><\/p>\n 8\/16<\/strong> 8\/16-8\/17<\/strong> 9\/17-9\/21<\/strong> 9\/20-9\/22<\/strong> NEW! 10\/15-10\/26<\/strong> 11\/8-11\/9<\/strong> 4\/23-4\/26, 2026<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area<\/strong><\/p>\n Champaign Park District presents \u201cMoo-vie Nights at Prairie Farm\u201d<\/strong> Illini Union Board presents \u201cSummer Films on the Quad\u201d<\/strong> ~~~~~<\/p>\n Compiled by Jason Pankoke.<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n \u201cCalendar du C-U\u201d Select movie listings for July 18-24, 2025 in Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond! Don\u2019t forget to peruse this week\u2019s Field Report! And, did you take a peek at the Images of the week? Also, have you memorized the Confidential Almanac for today?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[374,869,1922,1836,2489,228,19,966,23,13,31,1367,1371],"tags":[700,870,867,1506,1516,3029,2883,2881,309,3027,839,3028],"class_list":["post-16606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-matters","category-calendar-du-c-u","category-chicago-stories","category-confidential-almanac","category-films-in-retrospect","category-home-videos-du-c-u","category-images-du-cu","category-miscellaneous-merch","category-preservation","category-public-events","category-the-old-school","category-the-video-throne","category-vhs-is-best","tag-chicago-filmmakers","tag-cinema-calendar","tag-dogs-in-quicksand","tag-exile-on-main-street","tag-home-video","tag-physical-media","tag-picture-restart","tag-ron-epple","tag-running-time","tag-saturns-core-audio-video","tag-thats-rentertainment","tag-twisted-issues"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16606"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16617,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16606\/revisions\/16617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n7\/17: Derek Huey (cinematographer, GRINNERS, Refinery Films LLC, Mount Carroll, IL)
\n7\/19: Don May, Jr. (founder\/restoration, Synapse Films, Southfield, MI)
\n7\/21: Shawnee E. Tefteller (owner, Shawnee Studios Model & Talent Management\/Casting, Mount Olive, IL)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nPICTURE RESTART 16MM SERIES<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nA PREPARED TEXT, Dana Hodgdon<\/strong>
\nPHONEME FROLICS, Dana Hodgdon<\/strong>
\nDEAR FRIENDS, Dana Hodgdon<\/strong>
\nDIALECTIC DEFINITIONS, Dana Hodgdon<\/strong>
\nREFLEXFILM\/FAMILYFILM, Dana Hodgdon<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nDOT-TO-DOT CARTOON CARTOON, JP Somersaulter & Lillian Somersaulter-Moats<\/strong>
\nGENIUS OF LOVE, Cucumber Studios & The Tom Tom Club<\/strong>
\nBABY UP-CHUCK, Wendy Hershey<\/strong>
\nHAND, Deanna Morse<\/strong>
\nRIVER LETHE, Amy Kravitz<\/strong>
\nEUPHORIA, Vince Collins<\/strong>
\nJUMPING, Osamu Tezuka<\/strong>
\nROCKERS, Ed Counts<\/strong>
\nPHASES, Henry Selick<\/strong>
\nBAMBI MEETS GODZILLA, Marv Newland<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nAUTOMONOSEXUAL, Edgar Barens<\/strong>
\nSONG OF THE GODBODY, James Broughton<\/strong>
\nCANTICO, James Herbert<\/strong>
\nCATHEDRAL, Ronald Chase<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n
\nEDDINGTON, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, SAIYAARA* (in Hindi with English sub), SMURFS (animation), TANVI THE GREAT* (in Hindi with English sub), ELIO* (animation), F1 THE MOVIE, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH, ME3AN 2.0*, SUPERMAN (7\/18 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (anim\u00e9) (7\/19, 4 p.m., 7\/20, 4 & 7 p.m., 7\/23, 7 p.m.; English dub; 7\/21-7\/22, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), AMC \u201cScream Unseen\u201d (mystery movie) (7\/21, 7 p.m.), THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, OH HI! (7\/24 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nEDDINGTON, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, SMURFS (animation), 28 YEARS LATER, ELIO (animation), F1 THE MOVIE, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH, LILO & STITCH, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE \u2013 THE FINAL RECKONING, SOVEREIGN*, SUPERMAN (7\/18 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (anim\u00e9) (7\/19, 2 p.m., 7\/20, 4 & 7 p.m., 7\/23, 7 p.m.; English dub; 7\/21-7\/22, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), UFC 318: Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier, more (mixed martial arts) (7\/19, 9 p.m., simulcast), BATMAN FOREVER (7\/20, 3 & 7 p.m.; 7\/23, 7 p.m.), THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (7\/24 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cSummer Films on the Quad\u201d feat. DROP (7\/24, 9 p.m., free)<\/p>\n
\nI KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, SMURFS (animation), F1 THE MOVIE, JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH, SUPERMAN (7\/18 on), TROLLS (animation) (7\/22-7\/23, 10 a.m., free)<\/p>\n
\nSUPERMAN (Screen 1), JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH (Screen 2) (7\/18-7\/23), SUPERMAN (Screen 1), THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (Screen 2) (7\/24)<\/p>\n
\nSUPERMAN (7\/18-7\/20)<\/p>\n
\nEDDINGTON, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, SMURFS (animation), 28 YEARS LATER, ELIO (animation), F1 THE MOVIE, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH, LILO & STITCH*, ME3AN 2.0*, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE \u2013 THE FINAL RECKONING, SUPERMAN (7\/18 on), Indian cinema: JUNIOR* (Telugu w\/Eng sub, 7\/18-7\/23), KOTHAPALLILO OKAPPUDU (Telugu w\/Eng sub, 7\/18-7\/23), and HARI HARA VEERA MALLU: PART I (Telegu w\/Eng sub, 7\/23), Studio Ghibli Fest: MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (anim\u00e9) (7\/19-7\/20, 3:30 p.m., 7\/23, 7 p.m.; English dub; 7\/21-7\/22, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (animation) (7\/20-7\/24, 11 a.m.), ROGER WATERS: THIS IS NOT A DRILL \u2013 LIVE FROM PRAGUE (concert film) (7\/23, 7:30 p.m.), THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (7\/24 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nPEE-WEE\u2019S BIG ADVENTURE (7\/20), the Normal and the Children\u2019s Discovery Museum present HARRIET THE SPY (7\/21, 1 p.m.; 7\/23, 7 p.m.), \u201cThe Summer of Bond\u201d series feat. GOLDENEYE (7\/24)<\/p>\n
\nSMURFS (animation) (7\/18-7\/20)<\/p>\n
\nELIO (animation) (7\/18-7\/20)<\/p>\n
\nSUPERMAN, F1 THE MOVIE (Screen 1), JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (Screen 2) (7\/18-7\/20, 7\/23-7\/24)<\/p>\n
\nI KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, SMURFS (animation), F1 THE MOVIE, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH, LILO & STITCH, SUPERMAN (7\/18 on), TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (animation) (7\/23-7\/24, 10 a.m.)<\/p>\n
\nPens to Lens Gala 2025*
\n@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cFischerFest\u201d celebrating Gene Hackman
\n@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL<\/p>\n
\n32nd Chicago Underground Film Festival
\n@ ACX Harper Theater \u2013 Hyde Park, Chicago, IL<\/p>\n
\nChampaign Film Society presents
\nthe first CineSonic* music film festival
\n@ TBA, Champaign-Urbana, IL<\/p>\n
\n61st Chicago International Film Festival
\n@ Music Box Theatre, etc., Chicago, IL<\/p>\n
\nDark History & Horror Con 2025
\nfeat. Screaming Mad Film Festival
\n@ The Orpheum Theatre, Champaign, IL<\/p>\n
\nRoger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival*
\n@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL<\/p>\n
\n@ Prairie Farm\/Centennial Park, Champaign, IL, 8 p.m., free<\/strong>
\n7\/25: HOME ON THE RANGE; 8\/8: CHARLOTTE\u2019S WEB (2006)<\/p>\n
\n@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 9 p.m. Thursdays, free<\/strong>
\n7\/31: THUNDERBOLTS*; 8\/7: LILO & STITCH; 8\/14: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE \u2013 THE FINAL RECKONING<\/p>\n
\n\u00a9 2025 Jason Pankoke\/C-U Blogfidential<\/span>
\n[T \u2212109]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"