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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 THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U<\/strong><\/p>\n What we\u2019re seeing on our beat this week<\/em> \u2026 \u201cCelebrity sightings\u201d is our calling as we roll out the Teletype<\/strong>! First, the Normal Theater<\/strong> in Normal<\/strong> announced this week they will host a special sneak preview of the upcoming small-town thriller NORMAL<\/strong><\/a><\/span> on Thursday, April 2<\/strong>, with screenwriter Derek Kolstad<\/strong> (JOHN WICK<\/strong>) and star Bob Odenkirk<\/strong> (BETTER CALL SAUL<\/strong>) in attendance; word is that advance tickets have sold out and day-of tickets will be made available at the box office \u2026<\/p>\n Then, the University of Illinois<\/strong> also announced this week that College of Media<\/strong> alumnus Sean Evans<\/strong>, creator and host of the popular and award-winning HOT ONES<\/strong> chat show on YouTube<\/strong>, will be the commencement speaker on Saturday, May 16<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, at Gies Memorial Stadium<\/strong>; Evans has interviewed dozens of entertainment names since the series launched in 2015, with guests testing their taste buds on increasingly more potent hot sauce products as the conversations go, with recent episodes featuring Teyana Taylor, Jason Segel, Daniel Radcliffe<\/strong>, and Madison Beer<\/strong> \u2026<\/p>\n From chicken wings to CHILI FINGER<\/strong>, the independently-produced comedy about a woman who runs afoul of a regional fast-food chain that caused a big stir while being filmed in Champaign County<\/strong> last year, we learned that it will enjoy three screenings during the South by Southwest<\/strong> film festival<\/a><\/span> in Austin, Texas<\/strong>, this weekend, including its World Premiere on Saturday, March 14, 2:45 p.m.<\/strong>, at the Zach Theater<\/strong>; directed by Edd Benda<\/strong> and Stephen Helstad<\/strong>, it stars Judy Greer, Sean Astin, Bryan Cranston<\/strong>, and John Goodman<\/strong> \u2026<\/p>\n In compiling the Calendar<\/strong>, we see that Viva Kids<\/strong> has a new animated family feature opening in area theaters next Thursday, March 19<\/strong>, called THE POUT-POUT FISH<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, based on the book written by Deborah Diesen<\/strong> and illustrated by Dan Hanna<\/strong>; the aquatic acquaintances who go on an adventure are voiced by Nina Oyama<\/strong> (UTOPIA<\/strong>) and UI alumnus Nick Offerman<\/strong> (PARKS & RECREATION<\/strong>) \u2026<\/p>\n And finally, who are the stars in our<\/em> neighborhood? You can always learn by attending the monthly meeting of Champaign Movie Makers<\/strong>, which returns to the Esquire Lounge<\/strong> in downtown Champaign<\/strong> this Monday, March 16<\/strong>, starting at 7 p.m.<\/strong>; grab a refreshment, meet the players, and find a role in what we\u2019re creating<\/a><\/span>. Hooray for Towniewood!<\/em> \u2026<\/p>\n Oh, right<\/em>. The Oscars.<\/strong> 6 p.m. Central on ABC-TV<\/strong> \u2026 and that\u2019s what we can reveal for today. Always remember \u2013 this is not just movies, it\u2019s our lives.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History<\/strong><\/p>\n 5 Years Ago<\/strong> \u2026 Tuesday, March 16, 2021:<\/em> After several years of hints, the standard-setting home video company Synapse Films<\/strong> releases Blu-ray and DVD editions of the crime film RUNNING TIME<\/strong>, directed by Josh Becker<\/strong> and starring Bruce Campbell, Jeremy Roberts, Anita Barone, Stan Davis<\/strong>, and Art Le Fleur<\/strong>. Arriving two decades after the original physical media release by Anchor Bay Entertainment<\/strong>, this one presents the black-and-white \u201creal time\u201d crime flick with a transfer upgrade as well as significant extras that now connect it to Champaign-Urbana<\/strong>. In what seems to be a rare arrangement for Synapse, regular cover artist Wen Benscoter<\/strong> contributes a striking composition that serves as the reverse jacket illustration in deference to a unique Campbell portrait that is rendered by Gerry Kissell<\/strong>, a long-time confidant of Becker who helped to arrange the screening of RUNNING TIME<\/strong> held in Noyes Lab<\/strong> on the University of Illinois<\/strong> campus in late 1997. At the event, which served as opening night for the debut Freaky Film Festival<\/strong>, future C-U Blogfidential<\/span><\/strong> editor Jason Pankoke<\/strong> offered to tape footage for the organizers, Grace Giorgio<\/strong> and Eric Fisher<\/strong>, including a chat session between the sizeable audience and guest attendees Becker and Campbell, and much of that recording is made available for the first time ever as a bonus on the disc. Two years later, RUNNING TIME<\/strong> became the cover story in the first issue of Pankoke\u2019s film journal, MICRO-FILM<\/span><\/strong>. As reported on 10\/29\/09<\/a><\/span>, 10\/5\/18<\/a><\/span>, 6\/7\/19<\/a><\/span> at <\/em>CUBlog<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n 20 Years Ago<\/strong> \u2026 Wednesday, March 15, 2006:<\/em> The first feature film production from Dreamscape Cinema<\/strong> of Champaign<\/strong> to receive distribution, CRAB ORCHARD<\/strong>, is shown locally at the Virginia Theatre<\/strong> as a Midwest premiere. Producer and writer Robin Christian<\/strong> introduces the 7 p.m.<\/strong> screening to a near-capacity crowd north of 1,300. After appearing first in international markets and undergoing a title change, CRAB ORCHARD<\/strong> would come to U.S. DVD in early 2011 as SHEEBA<\/strong> (Questar Home Video<\/strong>). The cast of this family drama includes Ruby Handler, Dylan Patton, Betsy Zajko, Judge Reinhold<\/strong>, and Edward Asner<\/strong>. Media entrepreneur and photojournalist Michael J. Jacobs<\/strong> directed the film for Dreamscape. As reported on 3\/12\/06<\/a><\/span>, 3\/19\/06<\/a><\/span>, 1\/27\/11<\/a><\/span> at <\/em>CUBlog<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em> [R]<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Analog Wine Library, Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL<\/strong>
\nFilm Fanatic Movie Nights* presents THE MAN WHO WASN\u2019T THERE (3\/19, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nChampaign Movie Makers* meeting (3\/16, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n