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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\/23: Shannon Beranek (copy editor, Bachelor Pad Magazine<\/span>, Champaign, IL) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s an indie film week through and through at MFHQ Deux<\/strong> and we\u2019re manifesting it on the quick and cheap. Might want to fasten those proverbial buckles \u2026 if<\/em> our sub-Cormanesque budget allows!<\/p>\n The Normal Theater<\/strong> in Normal<\/strong> has a few things to offer in this arena. First is a downstate Illinois<\/strong> premiere that is set for next Tuesday, August 26<\/strong>, of a lo-fi feature called SPLIT PERSONALITIES ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS<\/strong>, created by the Chicago<\/strong> filmmaker Johnny Lange<\/strong> who hails from the B-N. Taking a premise of asking its protagonists to \u201ctell us about your dreams\u201d and going gonzo with it across four \u201cterrifying twisted tales,\u201d SPAD<\/strong> (a cheeky acronym possibly preferred by Lange as it is used in previous coverage, like this curious interview with Hollywood Chicago<\/span><\/strong>\u2019s Patrick McDonald<\/strong><\/a><\/span>) apparently took five years to make, beginning as a shorter project mounted with the Windy City\u2019s Group 312 Films<\/strong>. Other than lucking upon a VHS-as-retrofit-art-object release of this opus, taped over recordings on older cassettes and dropped in myriad locations that are revealed on Lange\u2019s Instagram<\/strong> account<\/a><\/span>, the primary way that one can submit one\u2019s senses to SPAD<\/strong> is publicly like at the Normal, where the event will begin at 8 p.m.<\/strong> and be free entry for all. Several teasers exist on YouTube<\/strong> and we think this one might be closest to expressing what can be found<\/a><\/span> in SPAD<\/strong>, starting with performers Christina Wollerman, Elyse Dawson<\/strong>, and Terry Holt<\/strong> giving it all they\u2019ve got for art\u2019s sake. It\u2019s not normal fare at the Normal and we\u2019re down with it.<\/p>\n Speaking of not normal Normal, tra la<\/em>, the programmers at the Art Deco single-screen house located in the \u201cUptown\u201d district adjacent to Illinois State University<\/strong> will turn right around and welcome another indie filmmaker, Addison Binek<\/strong>, to 209 North Street<\/strong> on Saturday, September 6<\/strong>, for a 7 p.m.<\/strong> screening of his lively trash-horror-comedy duo, PSYCHO APE!<\/strong> and PSYCHO APE!! PART II: THE WRATH OF KONG<\/strong>. Produced largely in Binek\u2019s home town of Detroit<\/strong> with asides recorded in New York City<\/strong> and Los Angeles<\/strong>, the movies star Psycho Ape (himself?) who escapes the zoo and goes on a murderous rampage in PART I<\/strong> while being brought to justice in PART II<\/strong>; acting alongside the big link are Kansas Bowling<\/strong> as \u201cNancy Banana\u201d and Bill Weeden<\/strong> as \u201cDr. Zoomis.\u201d Not unlike with SPAD<\/strong>, PA!<\/strong> and PA!! II<\/strong> may test the fortitude of some in the audience but, if you\u2019re willing to be adventurous and forgive the rough spots in favor of enjoying the offbeat nature of what\u2019s up on the silver screen, then this colorful counter-programming will hopefully hit a heretofore unknown sweet spot. According to a slightly older interview<\/a><\/span> with The Metropolitan<\/span><\/strong> online magazine, Binek reveals the first PA!<\/strong> cost $7,000 and was shot using VHS gear; today, glorious banana-yellow VHS editions<\/a><\/span> of both can be bought from Lunchmeat VHS<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. Yum!<\/p>\n Much higher-budgeted compared to SPLIT PERSONALITIES<\/strong> and the PSYCHO APE<\/strong>s, yet still modest in comparison to the top-line Hollywood<\/strong> productions of its era, is the grande dame<\/em> of audience participation cinema, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW<\/strong>, which turns 50 years old. That will put an extra spin on the Normal\u2019s traditional presentation of the 1975 cult classic during their annual Halloween<\/strong> movie marathon, and they are looking for performers to join the Shadow Cast up on stage in October! Mark the casting call dates on your own calendars right now \u2013 Saturday, September 6<\/strong>, and Sunday, September 7<\/strong>, with both sessions lasting from 12<\/strong> to 3 p.m.<\/strong> Visit this Normal event page for more information<\/a><\/span>!<\/p>\n Finally, right after we made rare reference to the Lincoln Square Theatre<\/strong> of Decatur<\/strong> in last week\u2019s Calendar<\/strong>, they hit everyone with a surprise announcement that Heroic Age Studios<\/strong>\u2019 long-in-the-making fantasy-horror flick, TRICK AND TREATS<\/strong>, will finally<\/em> see the light of day and a cinema projector during a local premiere to he held on Saturday, September 20<\/strong>. We\u2019re not sure how many seats are now in the auditorium of the venue after all the hard restoration work done over the past several years, but it might be smart to plan ahead and purchase those tickets in advance right here<\/a><\/span>; the evening is certainly priced at a premium and is scheduled to incorporate a red carpet walk and mingle starting at 5 p.m.<\/strong>, an introduction and premiere of the feature at 7 p.m.<\/strong>, and a question-and-answer opportunity at approximately 8:45 p.m.<\/strong> Conceived by the Heroic Age team of Eric Hector<\/strong> (director\/writer\/co-producer) and Tim Lynn<\/strong> (editor\/cinematographer) as the first feature to be made through a fan-funding initiative, Frightful 5000 Films<\/strong>, it was mostly produced on location in Decatur and Macon County<\/strong> as well as on sets at their Heroic Age Art Center<\/strong> complex in neighboring Mt. Zion<\/strong> before the pandemic struck. The premise fleshes out the eighteenth century \u201cPeter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater<\/strong>\u201d ditty and finds a demonic jack-o-lantern, voiced by Malcolm McDowell<\/strong>, wreaking havoc in the present at a biker bar called the Lucky Lady Tavern. You can look up the cast and crew<\/a><\/span> at IMDb<\/strong>, a fair amount of behind-the-scenes material<\/a><\/span> on Facebook<\/strong>, and a revised trailer<\/a><\/span> also on Facebook.<\/p>\n With that, we have the most MICRO-FILM<\/span><\/strong>-y thing that we\u2019ve committed to words in a while. Maybe it\u2019s one part dormant reflex, for PSYCHO APE!<\/strong> and SPLIT PERSONALITIES ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS<\/strong> remind us of the kind of out-of-left-field pet projects that we\u2019d receive in our long-gone post office box with little to no warning, mostly in what was the dominant screener format of VHS, as something to be covered or reviewed. Maybe it\u2019s one part flashback, for it\u2019s been 25 years since we visited Heroic Age and discussed with Hector what was<\/em> going to be the studio\u2019s first stab at an indie feature, JOHNNY VIOLENCE<\/strong>. Maybe it’s beginning to feel a little like Halloween and it hits the spot. Maybe it\u2019s just \u2026 MFing wishful thinking. Erg<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing Our Scenes on the Small Screen<\/strong><\/p>\n Looks as if today\u2019s Images<\/strong> department will be a two-month follow-up to our previous home video cover gallery<\/a><\/span>, which itself is a two-month follow-up to a cover gallery before that<\/a><\/span>, and it all goes to show you the movies of Champaign, Urbana<\/strong>, and the cities beyond never sit still if the makers behind them have the drive and connections! Without further ado, here is our preview of a few new home videos that can be added to your collections right now. Conversation starters du C-U, they are!<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Last time, our first item was NIGHT OF THE DEAD SORORITY BABES<\/strong> from Acrostar Productions<\/strong> and BayView Entertainment<\/strong>, so we\u2019ll follow suit and kick off our parade with the new one from them, a combo release of ATTACK OF THE CORN ZOMBIES<\/strong> and RETURN OF THE CORN ZOMBIES<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, which will be available to purchase in the BD-R format as of next Tuesday, August 26<\/strong>! We don\u2019t have it in hand yet so we\u2019re uncertain if the set comes with anything other than the corn flicks themselves, homegrown right here in east central Illinois<\/strong> by the Chicago<\/strong> micro-studio; ATTACK<\/strong> is an outbreak yarn and RETURN<\/strong> a tale of roving survivors in the aftermath. Both ZOMBIES<\/strong> have also been popping up on streaming services like Vudu, Hoopla, Plex<\/strong>, and Fawesome<\/strong>. While there is no word yet about a third entry, the team is busy planning an original fright fest, THE LEGEND OF TINKER HELL<\/strong> starring Acrostar MVP Beth Metcalf<\/strong> and to be the directing debut of actress Lynn Lowry<\/strong>, and gearing up for more PERFECT SOUL<\/strong> filming next month. Oh, did we mention the brand-new CD of Edward Grant<\/strong>\u2019s score for SORORITY<\/strong><\/a><\/span> from Klaatu Records<\/strong>?<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Also, beginning to ship from OCN Distribution<\/strong> as we speak is Shudder<\/strong>\u2019s late-in-coming Blu-ray release of REVEALER<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, the neon-soaked end times horror-fantasy filmed throughout Champaign-Urbana on the downlow and during the pandemic by director Luke Boyce<\/strong> (REVIVAL<\/strong>) and the Shatterglass Films\/Line Film Co.\/Paper Street Pictures<\/strong> tandem. Available exclusively on the Vinegar Syndrome<\/strong> website for the moment in both a standard edition, dressed with the familiar Shudder artwork from the 2022 streaming and DVD releases, and a sleeved edition, sporting funky and squirmy artwork by Trevor Henderson<\/strong>, the REVEALER<\/strong> disc finally gives us an HD copy of the battle of wills between a bible-thumper (Shaina Schrooten<\/strong>) and pole dancer (Caito Aase<\/strong>) who must team up to survive a satanic event in Reagan<\/strong>-era Chicago. Extras are legion on this edition, with most of them carried over from the DVD, and they include commentaries, interviews, a documentary, a visual essay, and more.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n As we touched on recently, Peter McDowell<\/strong>\u2019s documentary on the shortened and unusual lifetime of his older brother Jimmy<\/strong> as well as its ripple effect on his family, JIMMY IN SAIGON<\/strong>, has been issued on DVD by Dark Star Pictures<\/strong><\/a><\/span> as of Tuesday, July 22<\/strong>, and features the \u201cdistribution cut\u201d of the film that is to be shown tonight, Friday, August 22<\/strong>, and on Sunday, August 24<\/strong>, at the Chicago Filmmakers<\/strong> headquarters in Chicago. The video includes a handful of insightful bonus materials, such as a director\u2019s commentary by McDowell, deleted and extended scenes from the film, a featurette on the animated passages in the film, and a bonus short subject. JIMMY<\/strong> is partly set in Champaign-Urbana due to the filmmaker\u2019s local ties.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n And finally, we were<\/em> going to report that a wide-release edition of Chicago filmmaker John Borowski<\/strong>\u2019s comprehensive series, THE JOHN WAYNE GACY MURDERS: LIFE AND DEATH IN CHICAGO<\/strong>, would be issued on Blu-ray and DVD by MVD Visual<\/strong> on Tuesday, September 16<\/strong>, but we just checked and the product page that we first looked at a while ago is gone. (We\u2019ll offer an update after we learn more.) Running eight episodes and about four hours total<\/a><\/span>, GACY MURDERS<\/strong> turns over every rock it can to dissect the crimes, police investigation, and aftermath of the accused murderer and sex offender who masqueraded as a children\u2019s entertainer. Thoughtful histories about individuals like Gacy are valuable and the career of Borowski is a singular experience in unearthing their stories, including his prior works on Albert Fish, H. H. Holmes<\/strong>, and Carl Panzram<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. You might still be able to purchase his own limited-run BD-Rs of GACY MURDERS<\/strong><\/a><\/span> or you can seek out the streaming versions at Amazon Prime<\/strong><\/a><\/span> and YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. The Dark History & Horror Con<\/strong> set for November 8-9<\/strong> at the Orpheum Champaign<\/strong> will be steeped in this milieu.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema, Chicago, 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> 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> @ 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 @ Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL<\/strong> For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, please visit the fine folks at<\/em> Cine-File<\/strong>
\n8\/23: Luke Boyce (series co-creator and co-executive producer, REVIVAL, Blue Ice Pictures, Toronto, Canada\/Syfy, New York, NY)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nJIMMY IN SAIGON* screening w\/filmmaker Peter McDowell (8\/22, 7 p.m.; 8\/24, 6 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nHONEY DON\u2019T, NE ZHA II (animation; English dub), RELAY, THE SHADOW\u2019S EDGE* (in Mandarin with English dub), THE BAD GUYS 2* (animation), THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, FREAKIER FRIDAY, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON*, JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH*, THE NAKED GUN*, NOBODY 2, SHIN GODZILLA* (in Japanese with English sub), SUPERMAN, WEAPONS (8\/22 on), THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN 20th anniversary (8\/22, 3 p.m.; 8\/25-8\/26, 4 p.m.), TRAINWRECK 10th anniversary (8\/22-8\/23, 6:15 p.m.), Studio Ghibli Fest: PONYO (anim\u00e9) (8\/23, 4 p.m., 8\/24, 4 & 7 p.m., 8\/27, 7 p.m., English dub; 8\/25-8\/26, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), CAUGHT STEALING, JAWS 50th anniversary (re-release), THE ROSES, THE TOXIC AVENGER (8\/28 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nHONEY DON\u2019T, NE ZHA II (animation; English dub), PARADHA (in Telugu with English sub), PRIMITIVE WAR, RELAY, THE BAD GUYS 2 (animation), COOLIE* (in Tamil with English sub), DEAD TO RIGHTS* (in Mandarin with English and Chinese sub), F1 THE MOVIE, THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, FREAKIER FRIDAY, THE NAKED GUN, NOBODY 2, SKETCH*, SUPERMAN, WAR 2* (in Hindi with English sub), WEAPONS (8\/22 on), AMERICANA* (8\/22-8\/24), KPOP DEMON HUNTERS \u201csing-a-long\u201d edition (animation) (8\/23-8\/24), Studio Ghibli Fest: PONYO (anim\u00e9) (8\/23, 2 p.m., 8\/24, 4 & 7 p.m., 8\/27, 7 p.m., English dub; 8\/25-8\/26, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (8\/23, 2 & 7 p.m.; 8\/24, 3 & 7 p.m.), EAST OF WALL* (8\/25-8\/27), JAWS 50th anniversary (re-release) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cWelcome Back Film on the Quad\u201d feat. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (8\/24, 9 p.m., free)<\/p>\n
\nNE ZHA II (animation; English dub), THE BAD GUYS 2 (animation), FREAKIER FRIDAY, NOBODY 2, WEAPONS (8\/22 on)<\/p>\n
\nTWISTER, TWISTERS w\/appearance by actor Sean Whalen (Screens 1 & 2) (8\/22-8\/23), TWISTER, TWISTERS (Screen 1), LIFERS: A LOCAL H MOVIE (music documentary), PHANTASM (Screen 2) (8\/24)<\/p>\n
\nTHE BAD GUYS 2 (animation) (8\/22-8\/24), JAWS 50th anniversary (re-release) (8\/28 on)<\/p>\n
\nKILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (8\/22), CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (8\/22-8\/23), BIG TOP PEE-WEE, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (8\/23-8\/24), SPLIT PERSONALITIES ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS downstate premiere (8\/26, 8 p.m., free)<\/p>\n
\nFREAKIER FRIDAY (8\/22-8\/24)<\/p>\n
\nTHE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (8\/24, 3 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nTHE NAKED GUN, FREAKIER FRIDAY (Screen 1), WEAPONS, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (Screen 2) (8\/22-8\/23)<\/p>\n
\nTEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 35th anniversary (re-release), THE BAD GUYS 2 (animation), THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, FREAKIER FRIDAY, JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH*, THE NAKED GUN, NOBODY 2, WEAPONS (8\/22 on)<\/p>\n
\nMidwest Film Festival presents \u201cGlobal Kaleidoscope Night\u201d (8\/25, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n