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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 PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed<\/strong><\/p>\n 3\/7: R. C. Raycraft, 58 (filmmaker, INCIDENT AT KICKAPOO CREEK, Raycraft Productions International, Normal, IL)<\/p>\n 4\/12\/24: Donald R. Raycraft, 80 (co-author, Value Guide to Baseball Collectibles<\/span> with R. Craig Raycraft, Collector Books, Paducah, KY)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U<\/strong><\/p>\n What we\u2019re seeing on our beat this week \u2026<\/em> The Teletype<\/strong> relays a handful of recent stories, which have appeared in quick succession on the website of WGLT-FM<\/strong> in Normal<\/strong>, that seem to have hit Ye Ed<\/strong> hard like a two-ton heavy thing in large part due to his long-standing history with our fellow Twin Cities.<\/p>\n First with a fun update, the Normal Theater<\/strong> hosted the actor\/comedian Bob Odenkirk<\/strong> and screenwriter Derek Kolstad<\/strong> for a sold-out show on Thursday, April 2<\/strong>, as they introduced the pair\u2019s latest collaboration, NORMAL<\/strong>, a murder mystery\/action flick set in Minnesota<\/strong> that opens nationwide in two weeks<\/a><\/span> through Magnolia Pictures<\/strong>. It co-stars Henry Winkler<\/strong> and Lena Headey<\/strong> and was directed by Ben Wheatley<\/strong> (KILL LIST, HIGH-RISE<\/strong>). In a summary of the event<\/a><\/span>, Ryan Denham<\/strong> shares what Odenkirk had to say about his notoriety following BETTER CALL SAUL<\/strong>, the shift from funny man to reluctant hero, and why the feature is named what it is, while Kolstad talks about his family\u2019s connection with the JOHN WICK<\/strong> franchise.<\/p>\n We haven\u2019t seen any fresh reviews yet for NORMAL<\/strong> and hope it\u2019s a good one, while we also feel it\u2019s high time the Normal organizes a festival made up of films that all have NORMAL<\/strong> in the title and wry examinations of how that is played on contextually in each instance. The Town of Normal<\/strong> has come a long way with this Art Deco jewel<\/a><\/span> since rescuing and reviving it three decades ago after it was shut down by a chain that had essentially forced a second-run multiplex into a single-screen floor plan. Mr. JaPan<\/strong> attended shows at the Normal not long before it closed in 1991 and not long after its grand reopening in 1994 and can attest to how it\u2019s been a glowing neon model of restoration and film presentation.<\/p>\n WGLT also reported that WGN<\/strong> in Chicago<\/strong> will be premiering a documentary about the case of Jennifer Lockmiller<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, a journalism student at Illinois State University<\/strong> who was murdered in her apartment right before the 1993-94 academic year, on their WGN+<\/strong> app next Tuesday, April 7<\/strong>. Alan Beaman<\/strong>, the woman\u2019s ex-boyfriend and a theater major at Illinois Wesleyan University<\/strong>, was arrested soon after and then convicted in 1995 despite a solid alibi and lack of evidence. He would ultimately be exonerated by the courts, released after spending thirteen years in prison of a fifty-year sentence, given a full pardon by Illinois<\/strong> governor Pat Quinn<\/strong>, and awarded millions of dollars in damages from a lawsuit brought against the Town of Normal<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Produced by Larry Potash<\/strong> and WGN Films<\/strong>, the half-hour special features an interview with the retired WGLT reporter Edith Brady-Lunny<\/strong>, who covered at length the effort made by Beaman and his council to push back against local law enforcement and government, and alleged new information that may contribute to finally solving the crime. Part of Ye Ed<\/strong>\u2019s milieu in the last year of his studies at IWU included Lockmiller\u2019s visits to the second-floor office of the student newspaper, The Argus<\/span><\/strong>, and reading her bylines and pieces in the ISU student newspaper, The Daily Vidette<\/span><\/strong>, as well as random encounters with Beaman on campus and in housing. WHO KILLED JENNIFER?<\/strong> will eventually be made available on multiple fronts and air on WGN-TV, per the station<\/a><\/span>, and we\u2019ll have to build up the nerve to watch.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n WGLT might even be the first broadcast station in the area to make mention of the passing of R. C. Raycraft<\/strong>, and only then on Facebook<\/strong> and Threads<\/strong> in a share of an interview conducted with him a decade ago<\/a><\/span>. The native and resident of Normal, who built an eclectic career that included shooting and licensing police ride-along footage, helping with publicity for The Eagles<\/strong> during their \u201cHell Freezes Over\u201d tour, authoring books and filming online content and television pilots that stemmed from his association with the long-running 3rd Sunday Market<\/strong> in Bloomington<\/strong>, and producing the evergreen documentary INCIDENT AT KICKAPOO CREEK<\/strong>, died on Saturday, March 7<\/strong>, at age 58. This guts us a bit, especially when coming so soon after the passing of his father Don<\/strong> in 2024<\/a><\/span> and mother Carol<\/strong> in 2025, and we\u2019re still processing. Mr. JaPan<\/strong> had known the filmmaker for more than twenty years after attending one of his earlier showings of the homegrown rock doc featuring B. B. King, Canned Heat, Irving Azoff<\/strong>, and more.<\/p>\n A celebration of life for family and friends will be held in mid-April, according to an obituary posted at Legacy.com<\/strong><\/a><\/span> and shared by the Pantagraph<\/span><\/strong>. We know that he was pondering the next steps for his perennial pet project, a self-described \u201cWestern\u201d about a farmland rock-and-roll odyssey held outside the town of Heyworth<\/strong> in the wake of Woodstock<\/strong> as well as a \u201cgentleman farmer,\u201d David Lewis<\/strong>, who organized the happening and skipped town with the proceeds once the local and state authorities threatened to shut it down. The last public screening of INCIDENT<\/strong> was held with some fanfare in September 2022<\/a><\/span> at the Virginia Theatre<\/strong> in Champaign<\/strong> and, given that Raycraft had never formally released it in any form other than the glimpses seen on Facebook<\/a><\/span> and YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, memory of the Incident<\/strong> may fade away once more<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n And, in an era fraught with biased reporting and polarizing public commentary, WGLT is using the occasion of their 60th anniversary on the air to remind us how there needs to be dependable outlets for properly researched knowledge and journalism in our society without fear of retribution, in particular from the United States<\/strong> government. One way they are doing so is to sponsor a \u201cFreedom of the Press\u201d film festival at the Normal Theater<\/a><\/span> that begins next week on Tuesday, April 7<\/strong>, with GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK<\/strong> (2005) about the efforts of CBS<\/strong> television anchor Edward R. Murrow<\/strong> to counter the fiery claims of McCarthyism. On Tuesday, June 2, ALL THE PRESIDENT\u2019S MEN<\/strong> (1976) will tell how Washington Post<\/span><\/strong> writers Bob Woodward<\/strong> and Carl Bernstein<\/strong> uncovered the various misdeeds of the Richard Nixon<\/strong> administration. A third film is to be announced for Tuesday, September 29<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The First Amendment<\/strong> of our Constitution<\/strong> is in place with good reason. Support your information sources that do the work to verify and clarify. Be wary of the flood of headlines, claims, and manipulation that is intended to clog and skew the daily news cycle. Your humble editor learned to appreciate the place of local and independent media during high school, college, and his first years living in Champaign-Urbana, which included his experiences in hosting a show on WESN-FM<\/strong> student radio at IWU and assisting promotions at WJBC-FM<\/strong> in Bloomington for an internship. We go nowhere positive by caving or misrepresenting.<\/p>\n Clearly, these developments have offered us plenty to think about in terms of responsibility, civic duty, mortality, culpability, history, and community. We apologize for the super-long Teletype<\/strong>, a habit we\u2019ve been working away from with our Calendar<\/strong> editorial, but it seemed more honest to present the stories together and with just enough Confidential candor to make the points that needed to be made. Thank you \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 10 Years Ago \u2026<\/strong> Friday, June 5, 2015:<\/em> The Incident at Kickapoo Creek<\/strong>, a fabled concert held on private farmland outside of small-town Heyworth, Illinois<\/strong>, during the Memorial Day<\/strong> weekend of 1970 and a lightning rod for controversy, is revisited in the latest promotion organized by historian and filmmaker R. C. Raycraft<\/strong> of Raycraft Productions International<\/strong> in Normal<\/strong>. The centerpiece of a three-day stint at the Normal Theater<\/strong> is the latest cut of his documentary<\/a><\/span>, INCIDENT AT KICKAPOO CREEK<\/strong>, which tells the story of an event fashioned after the famous Woodstock<\/strong> festival held the previous year. An opportunist, L. David Lewis<\/strong>, staged the Incident on his mother\u2019s property and drew the ire of local townsfolk, religious leaders, and authorities who were wary of weathering a counterculture presence in the wake of the Kent State University<\/strong> shootings and the student protest responses to it such as at the University of Illinois<\/strong>. On the flip side, thousands of hip kids made the pilgrimage from many miles and several states away to enjoy fun in the sun, rain, and mud while grooving to an impressive line-up that included B. B. King, Canned Heat, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Amboy Dukes<\/strong>, and Delaney & Bonnie<\/strong> as well as acts from the area like One-Eyed Jacks, REO Speedwagon<\/strong>, and Finchley Boys<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, booked by Bob Nutt<\/span><\/strong> and Irving Azoff<\/strong> of Blytham, Ltd.<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, out of Champaign-Urbana<\/strong>. Don\u2019t mind the motorcycle gang led by \u201cCaveman<\/strong>,\u201d which was hired by Lewis to patrol the grounds, or the policemen in conspicuous outfits, who were sent in undercover to observe and report, or even Lewis slipping out the proverbial back door with the ticket sale gross, not to be heard from again for decades! The movie INCIDENT<\/strong> is a perennial work-in-progress for Raycraft, who became enamored with the \u201cmysteries and scandals\u201d of the live Incident at a young age and set out in the Nineties to make a record of it. Revised versions of the film have been presented to the public once every few years over the last two decades, improved every outing with new graphics and titles, fresh anecdotes and tidbits from \u201cthose who were there,\u201d and recovered audio and visuals that were previously ignored. There is no definitive version and it has yet to be offered on home video or streaming, although a spartan web page<\/a><\/span> and a souvenir book<\/a><\/span> memorialize it. After tonight\u2019s premiere, at which Raycraft talked about the latest updates in his quest to preserve this rock-and-roll enigma, INCIDENT<\/strong> will play at the Normal three more times on Saturday and Sunday, June 6<\/strong> and 7<\/strong>, and then be shown at the Route 66 Drive-In<\/strong> on Thursday, June 18<\/strong>, in Springfield<\/strong>. A tie-in camping event to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Incident is also scheduled for Saturday, June 13<\/strong>, at Centennial Park<\/strong> in Heyworth. As reported on 5\/31\/10<\/a><\/span>, 6\/5\/15<\/a><\/span> at<\/em> CUBlog<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong> @ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, 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> @ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, 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 @ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL<\/strong> @ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL<\/strong> @ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL<\/strong> @ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL<\/strong> BACK OPEN! @ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Midwest<\/strong><\/p>\n @ AMC Newcity 14, Chicago, IL<\/strong> @ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema, Chicago, IL<\/strong> @ UW Cinematheque, etc., Madison, WI<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n COMING SOON | Area-wide Events<\/strong><\/p>\n 4\/11<\/strong> NEW! 4\/16<\/strong> 4\/17-4\/19<\/strong> 4\/23-4\/26<\/strong> NEW! 4\/24-4\/26<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\nChambana Film Society* presents Savoy Lumier\u00e8 2026* pre-shows feat. HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS (4\/7, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nMillerComm 2026 presents \u201cFilms and Conversation with Basma al-Sharif\u201d moderated by Maryam Kashani. UI Gender & Women\u2019s Studies (4\/7, 7 p.m., free) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nTHE DRAMA, A GREAT AWAKENING (faith film), RAAKAASAA (in Telugu with English sub), THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation), THE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST* (documentary), BUNNY!!* (in Vietnamese with English sub), FORBIDDEN FRUITS, HOPPERS (animation), PROJECT HAIL MARY, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME, REMINDERS OF HIM, THEY WILL KILL YOU (4\/3 on), AMC \u201cScream Unseen\u201d (mystery movie) (4\/6, 7 p.m.), BEAST, FACES OF DEATH, NEWBORN, YOU ME & TUSCANY (4\/9 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nBIKERS (in Telugu with English sub), THE DRAMA, RAAKAASAA* (in Telugu with English sub), THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation), THE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST* (documentary), DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE* (in Hindi with English sub), GOAT (animation), HOPPERS (animation), PROJECT HAIL MARY, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME, REMINDERS OF HIM, SCREAM 7, THEY WILL KILL YOU, UNDERTONE (4\/3 on), PRIDE & PREJUDICE 20th anniversary (4\/5, 12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 4\/8, 7 p.m.) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cSpring 2025 Weekend Films\u201d feat. ANACONDA (4\/3-4\/4, 7 p.m.; free w\/i-card)<\/p>\n
\nTHE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (Screen 1 & 2) (4\/3-4\/4)<\/p>\n
\nTHE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (4\/3-4\/5, 4\/9 on)<\/p>\n
\nMR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (documentary) (4\/3-4\/5), WGLT and the Normal present \u201cFreedom of the Press Film Series\u201d feat. GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK (4\/7, 7 p.m., free), ISU University Galleries presents the 2026 ISU \u201cStudent Annual\u201d awards (4\/8, 4:30 p.m., free), AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME (4\/9)<\/p>\n
\nHOPPERS (animation) (4\/3-4\/4)<\/p>\n
\nTHE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation), REMINDERS OF HIM (Screen 1), PROJECT HAIL MARY, MERCY (Screen 2) (4\/3-4\/4)<\/p>\n
\nSophia\u2019s Choice presents 20th Asian Pop-Up Cinema festival (through 4\/12) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nChicago Filmmakers presents 36th Onion City Experimental Film Festival (4\/9-4\/12) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison presents 28th annual Wisconsin Film Festival (4\/9-4\/16) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u201cFestival of the Arts\u201d presents IWU student film showcase
\n@ Ames Library, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, 3:45 p.m.<\/p>\n
\nFilm Fanatic Movie Nights* presents A SCANNER DARKLY
\n@ Analog Wine Library, Urbana, IL, 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
\n26th Roger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival: \u201cThe Last Dance\u201d*
\n@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL<\/p>\n
\n2026 Foxtail Film Festival*
\n@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL<\/p>\n