{"id":2527,"date":"2010-12-30T17:00:40","date_gmt":"2010-12-30T23:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=2527"},"modified":"2014-09-06T14:55:16","modified_gmt":"2014-09-06T20:55:16","slug":"c-u-biz-en-scene-12-30-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=2527","title":{"rendered":"C-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne: 12.30.2010"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>\u201cC-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne\u201d appears every Thursday\/Friday on <\/em><strong>C-U Blogfidential<\/strong><em> to give our readers a succinct snapshot of the cinema activity in and near <\/em><strong>Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA<\/strong><em>. Please support the artists and their work, attend screenings and events, and otherwise become active in our esoteric little world!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>MFHQ &amp; YOU:<br \/>\nYou\u2019re a Mean One, MTD, <em>or<\/em>, The Snowman Splateth<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In the truest sarcastic sense, we at the <strong>Secret MICRO-FILM Headquarters<\/strong> are simply aghast at <a title=\"MTD Driver resigns after being caught on YouTube :: The News-Gazette\" href=\"http:\/\/www.news-gazette.com\/news\/politics-and-government\/2010-12-10\/mtd-driver-resigns-over-snowman-video.html\" target=\"_blank\">all the attention heaped upon the <strong>YouTube <\/strong>video<\/a> capturing a <strong>CUMTD <\/strong>(Mass Transit District) bus driver plowing over an innocent snowperson in campus-area <strong>Urbana <\/strong>the first weekend of December. So grotesque is the footage that <a title=\"Urbana MTD driver plows snowman :: YouTube\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VQ2aAmMRjxc\" target=\"_blank\">we\u2019ll simply link to it<\/a>; so rampantly did the footage squeeze out its 15 minutes of fame from legitimate news sources like <a title=\"MTD\/snowman story :: CNN\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/video\/?\/video\/offbeat\/2010\/12\/14\/moos.hit.n.run.snowman.cnn\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CNN<\/strong><\/a>, <a title=\"MTD\/snowman story :: AP\/USA Today\" href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/news\/offbeat\/2010-12-14-snowman-hit-and-run_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Associated Press<\/strong><\/a>, <a title=\"MTD\/snowman story :: MSNBC\/The Today Show\" href=\"http:\/\/today.msnbc.msn.com\/id\/26184891\/#40655720\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>MSNBC<\/strong><\/a>, and (a-<em>hem<\/em>) <a title=\"MTD\/snowman story :: The Huffington Post\" href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2010\/12\/15\/bus-driver-runs-over-snow_n_797107.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The Huffington Post<\/strong><\/span><\/a> that we can only shake our heads in disgrace for the <strong>University of Illinois<\/strong> community. (It\u2019s been implicitly assumed in reports and on-line comments that UI students were the videographers and snowperson artists, although the former claimed to CNN they were <em>not <\/em>also the latter and <a title=\"&quot;Save the Bus Driver&quot; Page @ Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Save-the-Bus-Driver\/135431429847909\" target=\"_blank\">set up this <strong>Facebook <\/strong>page to save face<\/a>, <em>er<\/em>, show solidarity.) It\u2019s a simple set-up for a prank, awaiting drivers to encounter Frosty or Frostina in the road and trusting hilarity will ensue in the tradition of <strong>CANDID CAMERA<\/strong>, <strong>PUNK\u2019D<\/strong>, and oodles of Japanese game shows. Yet, in all seriousness, the figure <em>was <\/em>an obstacle on a thoroughfare covered with shitty <strong>Illinois <\/strong>winter weather and our pranksters should have known better. Same goes for the bus driver. What if the ersatz effigy might have been built around an immobile object or shielded a human being? We\u2019re not sure the driver\u2019s resignation was warranted, unless he or she had a tarnished work record going into the incident, but we\u2019d have no argument if MTD handed down disciplinary action such as a suspension. We offer diminished sympathies to the ex-employee, who should have contacted the police or public works, and even less to the immature morons who erected the snowperson in the first place. Think instead of all the locals we champion regularly on <strong>C-U Blogfidential<\/strong> who would <em>kill <\/em>to land the national coverage for their films that this video garnered, and its poorly blocked \u201cmoney shot\u201d was completely obscured by the bus! <em>Amateurs<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>PRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">During a dark and flurry-filled night two weeks ago, right after the first snowstorm of the season hit C-U, your humble editor slipped and slid to the set of <a title=\"THE WINDOW INTO TIME @ Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/The-Window-Into-Time\/115127165222755\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>THE WINDOW INTO TIME<\/strong><\/a> within the <strong>Nuclear Radiations Laboratory<\/strong> on the UIUC campus. A smaller team ported over from <strong>ONCE UPON A TIME IN 1972<\/strong> carefully made use of every square foot available to them, led by writer\/director <strong>Thomas Nicol<\/strong> of <strong>BEDTIME FOR TIMMY<\/strong> fame-in-the-making. He and cinematographer <strong>Tim Meyers<\/strong> took advantage of compact digital DSLR photography to set up a variety of shots featuring actors <strong>Bill Kephart<\/strong> and <strong>Stephanie Swearingen<\/strong> with help from assistant director <strong>Chris Lukeman<\/strong>, production manager <strong>Anne Lukeman<\/strong>, and grip <strong>Sean O\u2019Leary<\/strong>. During a break in the action to fix hair and change the lighting scheme, Nicol offered <strong>CUBlog <\/strong>a look at rough-edited clips from <strong>WINDOW<\/strong>, a strange tale in the <strong>H.P. Lovecraft<\/strong> vein about a scientist (Kephart) and his assistant (Swearingen) who experiment with forbidden knowledge and encounter inter-dimensional trouble as their reward. Additional scenes feature <strong>Michael Kilcullen<\/strong> as a colleague whose ancient manuscript is the catalyst of the duo\u2019s tribulation. We\u2019ll let you know when the <strong>Tangeant Productions<\/strong> film will be unveiled! No word yet if Timmy himself will cameo\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>SUBMISSIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Local <strong>PBS <\/strong>affiliate <strong>WILL-TV Channel 12<\/strong> has announced that it is accepting entries on behalf of <strong>WGBH\/Boston<\/strong> and its showcase series, <strong>AMERICAN EXPERIENCE<\/strong>. WILL is looking for videos about \u201cthe challenges of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in east central Illinois\u201d in the 21st century. All entries will be considered for <a title=\"LGBT video call for entries :: WILL\/Illinois Public Media\" href=\"http:\/\/will.illinois.edu\/community\/project\/LGBTRights\/\" target=\"_blank\">posting on the WILL Web site<\/a> as well as <a title=\"STONEWALL UPRISING call for entries :: WGBH Lab\" href=\"http:\/\/thewgbhlab.org\/open-call\/stonewall\" target=\"_blank\">WGBH\u2019s \u201cOpen Call\u201d page<\/a>, while the top five entries will be awarded $1,000 cash and one of the five aired as part of a nationwide <strong>AMERICAN EXPERIENCE<\/strong> broadcast in <strong>April 2011<\/strong> of the documentary <strong>STONEWALL UPRISING<\/strong>, which recently played the <strong>Normal Theater<\/strong> as <a title=\"C-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne: 09.30.2010 :: C-U Blogfidential\" href=\"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=2189\" target=\"_blank\">part of a LGBT series that included <strong>LEADING LADIES<\/strong><\/a>. Videos must run three minutes or less and be entered by <strong>Monday, February 14, 2011<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>MERCH<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">As we attempt to chronicle indigenous cinema and build its corresponding archive here at <strong>MFHQ<\/strong>, nothing frustrates us more than gaps in the canon. This may result from a lack of information, ephemera, or awareness that a movie even exists. One narrative we have known about for some time (note <strong>CUBlog<\/strong>\u2019s subtitle) which is most likely lost to the ages is <strong>THE CITY BEYOND<\/strong>, a one-reel romance-drama produced in <strong>Champaign-Urbana<\/strong> and <strong>Rantoul <\/strong>during the summer of 1923. We\u2019ve located nothing concrete about the film apart from several <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>News-Gazette<\/strong><\/span> articles of the time; this same material informs a section of the impressive hardcover volume, <a title=\"Remembering Robeson's :: Sagamore Publishing\" href=\"http:\/\/www.sagamorepub.com\/products\/remembering-robeson-star-s\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Remembering Robeson\u2019s: Champaign\u2019s Department Store<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, released two weeks ago by <strong>Sagamore Publishing<\/strong> of Urbana. <a title=\"Robeson family completes department store history :: The News-Gazette\" href=\"http:\/\/www.news-gazette.com\/news\/business\/economy\/2010-12-18\/robeson-family-puts-history-down-paper.html\" target=\"_blank\">Completed by the Robeson family after the untimely passing of main author <strong>Cal Acosta<\/strong><\/a>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Remembering Robeson\u2019s<\/span> dedicates 10 pages to <strong>BEYOND <\/strong>due to the on-screen presence of charismatic <strong>Frank \u201cRoby\u201d Robeson, Jr.<\/strong>, the second of three generations to operate the downtown Champaign institution for more than 100 years combined. (This inclusion surely pleases his grandchildren, <strong>Eric <\/strong>and <strong>Kim Robeson<\/strong> of the philanthropic <a title=\"Robeson's, Inc. :: Home Page\" href=\"http:\/\/www.robesons.com\/home.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Robeson\u2019s, Inc.<\/strong><\/a>, since they are movie and \u201c<strong>Ebertfest<\/strong>\u201d fans.) With only a cursory first look at the 368-page book, we\u2019re impressed by the quantity and quality of vintage photography and hope to read Acosta\u2019s Robeson history when the opportunity presents itself.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Another curious aspect of covering the C-U cinema is the relative lack of related memorabilia in the classic <strong>Hollywood <\/strong>mold \u2013 one-sheets, lobby cards, press kits, and so forth. This is understandable since most local movies have been produced in the modern indie age, whereby promotional efforts start and mostly end in the digital realm, and the few produced pre-2000 did not inspire much collectible collateral. So it is with great amusement that we direct you to a <strong>Caf\u00e9 Press<\/strong> store loaded with product hawking a project that, to the best of our knowledge, <em>is not yet finished<\/em>. <a title=\"DUCKMAN VS. ZOMBIES swag :: Cafe Press\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cafepress.com\/duckmanvszombie\" target=\"_blank\">Feast your eyes on t-shirts, hoodies, and other stuffs<\/a> emblazoned with <strong>DUCKMAN VS. ZOMBIES<\/strong>, a genre mash-up intended to showcase Urbana\u2019s D.I.Y. rapper <strong>Duckman <\/strong>\u2013 self-stylized as a young <strong>Hunter S. Thompson<\/strong> accessorized by <strong>Ted Nugent<\/strong> with certain affects recalling the animated \u201cprivate dick\/family man\u201d voiced by <strong>Jason Alexander<\/strong> \u2013 and a supporting cast of wacky townies battling the pot-headed undead. A while back, <strong>CUBlog <\/strong>did get glimpses of the backyard shed\/garage dressed up (down?) as Duck\u2019s lair along with raw footage of <strong>Ernie Springer<\/strong> as a mad scientist type, so the process <em>did <\/em>begin at one point. Until the haze clears on this mystery, feel free to burn some <strong>Christmas <\/strong>cash and support DvZ: The Concept; we hear that <strong>El Presidente<\/strong> is all about lighting up in his own honor.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>MEDIA LINKS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This week, \u2018tis the season to reconnect with friends and former neighbors by investigating a few links about their activities outside <strong>MICRO-FILM Country<\/strong>. To start, we\u2019ll announce that our man <strong>Chris Folkens<\/strong>, the former Illini and <strong>Illini Film &amp; Video<\/strong> member whose Super Bowl <a title=\"C-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne: 12.04.2010 :: C-U Blogfidential\" href=\"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=2451\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Doritios <\/strong>spec commercial we pointed out<\/a> in <strong>CUBiz <\/strong>a few weeks ago, has <a title=\"DIVERSION @ Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/DIVERSION-a-CHRIS-FOLKENS-SAM-CARMICHAEL-production\/368826333771\" target=\"_blank\">a high-octane short film called <\/a><strong><a title=\"DIVERSION @ Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/DIVERSION-a-CHRIS-FOLKENS-SAM-CARMICHAEL-production\/368826333771\" target=\"_blank\">DIVERSION<\/a> <\/strong>which will receive its Windy City bow next <strong>Tuesday, January 4, 6 p.m.<\/strong>, at the <strong><a title=\"Tribeca Flashpoint Academy :: Home Page\" href=\"http:\/\/flashpointacademy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy<\/a>, 28 N. Clark St., 5th Floor screening room<\/strong>, in <strong>Chicago<\/strong>. We\u2019ll also draw attention to <a title=\"KILL YOUR TELEVISION :: Official Site\" href=\"http:\/\/www.killyourtvfilm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">the positively bonkers <strong>KILL YOUR TELEVISION<\/strong><\/a>, a school project produced through the <strong>Victorian College of the Arts, the University of Melbourne, Australia<\/strong>, as a hyper stylized ode to Eighties youth-gone-wild and future-war flicks that is loaded with CGI sleight of hand; writer\/director is Champaign native <a title=\"DrewNews (Drew Mitchell) :: Home Page\" href=\"http:\/\/drewnews.typepad.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Andrew Mitchell<\/strong><\/a>. And then, Urbana native <strong>Michael Wiese<\/strong> of filmmaking book publisher <a title=\"Michael Wiese Productions :: Home Page\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mwp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Michael Wiese Productions<\/strong><\/a> will premiere his latest documentary, <strong>TALKING WITH SPIRITS<\/strong>, on <strong>April 12, 2011<\/strong>, as part of the <a title=\"Global Social Change Film Festival :: Official Site\" href=\"http:\/\/www.socialchangefilmfestival.org\/portfolio\/world-premiere-of-talking-with-spirits-a-film-by-michael-wiese\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Global Social Change Film Festival and Institute<\/strong><\/a> in <strong>Ubud, Bali<\/strong>. Moving northward, <strong>DePaul University<\/strong> digital cinema graduate student and <strong>Bloomington <\/strong>native <strong>Jason Huls<\/strong> <a title=\"12\/11\/10: Beyond The Drone in the Temple :: JasonHuls.com\" href=\"http:\/\/www.jasonhuls.com\/121110-beyond-the-drone-in-the-temple\" target=\"_blank\">divulged news on his Weblog<\/a> about several items including the shorts <strong>BEYOND THE BASEMENT DOOR, THE DRONE, CITIZEN IN THE TEMPLE<\/strong>, and a <a title=\"Ten Wing Films :: Official Site\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tenwingfilms.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Ten Wing Films<\/strong> Website-in-progress<\/a>; he directed the B-N no-budget adventure <strong>LATE AFTERNOON OF THE LIVING DEAD<\/strong> prior to enrolling at DePaul. Finally, we move even farther northward to the <strong>Michigan <\/strong>headquarters of indie video label <strong>Synapse Films<\/strong> which just released its 100th title, <a title=\"VAMPIRE CIRCUS :: Synapse Films\" href=\"http:\/\/synapse-films.com\/synapse-films\/vampire-circus\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Hammer Films\u2019 VAMPIRE CIRCUS<\/strong><\/a> (with extras produced by <a title=\"C-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne: 12.17.2010 :: C-U Blogfidential\" href=\"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=2490\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>K. Gordon Murray<\/strong> documentarian <strong>Daniel Griffith<\/strong><\/a>) on Blu-ray and DVD; company president <strong>Don May, Jr.<\/strong>, founded Synapse in his native Bloomington in the late Nineties. The lesson to be learned? No matter where you go, there you are \u2026 so <em>just do it!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>PLAYING THIS WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL: <strong>EASY A<\/strong> (12\/30, 10:30 p.m.), <strong>THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET\u2019S NEST<\/strong> (12\/31, 1\/2\/11, 1\/4\/11, 1\/6\/11), <strong>THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE<\/strong> (12\/31, 1\/1\/11, 1\/3\/11, 1\/6\/11), <strong>THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO<\/strong> (12\/31, 1\/1\/11, 1\/2\/11, 1\/5\/11), <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Verdi\u2019s Aida<\/strong><\/span> (1\/1-1\/2\/11, 12 p.m., <em>Opera<\/em>, Free)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: <strong>THE FIGHTER, TRUE GRIT, BLACK SWAN<\/strong> (12\/31 on)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: <strong>THE THIN MAN<\/strong> (12\/30-12\/31, 7 p.m.), <strong>SOME LIKE IT HOT<\/strong> (1\/1-1\/2\/11, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL:  <strong>LITTLE FOCKERS, YOGI BEAR<\/strong> (12\/31 on)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">@ That\u2019s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: <strong>THE AMERICAN, RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE, TWELVE<\/strong>, more! (12\/28 on)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;&lt;&gt;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). <\/em><strong>Go see \u2018em!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>COMING SOON<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>NEW!<\/strong> 1\/13, 2011: <strong>ACT YOUR AGE* (new cut)<br \/>\n@ The Canopy Club, Urbana, IL, 5:15 p.m., Free<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">1\/13, 2011: <strong>DISPOSABLE*<br \/>\n@ The Canopy Club, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">1\/18, 2011: <strong>DVD release: SHEEBA*<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">2\/11, 2011: <strong>DVD release: PRESS START 2 CONTINUE*<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">2\/12, 2011: <strong>THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW<br \/>\n@ The Canopy Club, Urbana, IL, Midnight<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">2\/18-2\/27, 2011: <strong>Big Muddy Film Festival<br \/>\n@ Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">3\/22-3\/27, 2011: Ann Arbor Film Festival, Ann Arbor, MI<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">3\/30-4\/1, 2011: Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">4\/27-5\/1, 2011: <strong>Roger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival<br \/>\n@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>COMMUNITY FILM SERIES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\u201cReal Vs. Reel\u201d Movie Series<br \/>\n@ Danville Public Library, Danville, IL, 6:30 p.m.<\/strong><br \/>\n1\/10\/11: SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS; 2\/14\/11: HOOSIERS; 3\/14\/11: A PLACE IN THE SUN; 4\/11\/11: THE FUGITIVE<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>The News-Gazette Film Series 2011<br \/>\n@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 1 &amp; 7 p.m.<\/strong><br \/>\n1\/22\/11: TOP GUN; 2\/5\/11: SOME LIKE IT HOT; 3\/12\/11: THE MATRIX; 4\/23\/11: TOY STORY; 5\/14\/11: REAR WINDOW<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>UPDATED! WILL-TV\/Independent Lens \u201cCommunity Cinema\u201d series<br \/>\n@ Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL, 6:30 p.m.<\/strong><br \/>\n1\/27\/11: FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE; <strong>TBA<\/strong>: ME FACING LIFE, PUSHING THE ELEPHANT, BHUTTO, WELCOME TO SHELBYVILLE, TWO SPIRITS<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>OUTRO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Let\u2019s take a few moments to touch on another notorious December video. As you might have heard, the <strong>Smithsonian Institution<\/strong> removed an excerpt of the late <a title=\"A FIRE IN MY BELLY (Smithsonian edit) @ Vimeo\" href=\"http:\/\/vimeo.com\/17692112\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>David Wojnarowicz<\/strong>\u2019s unfinished film<\/a>, <strong>A FIRE IN MY BELLY<\/strong> (1986-7), from the <strong>National Portrait Gallery<\/strong> exhibition \u201c<strong>Hide\/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture<\/strong>\u201d on <strong>December 1<\/strong> due to protests from a Catholic group and members of Congress. Apart from the typical cries against using taxpayer money to fund the creation or presentation of \u201cquestionable\u201d art, one specific image inspired the eruption \u2013 ants swarming over a crucifix. As explained in <a title=\"Artist's video removed from Smithsonian exhibit :: The New York Times\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2010\/12\/11\/arts\/design\/11ants.html?_r=1\" target=\"_blank\">this <strong>Holland Cotter<\/strong> article<\/a> published by the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>New York Times<\/strong><\/span>, the mix of the sensational and symbolic often teeming with religious iconography was nothing new for Wojnarowicz (1954-1992), a painter, writer, and filmmaker whose fame in the <strong>New York City<\/strong> art world of the Eighties paled next to the complications from contracting <strong>AIDS <\/strong>that killed him. Not long before his death, he sued a different church-based organization for appropriating his images out of context in a pamphlet intended to criticize the <strong>National Endowment for the Arts<\/strong> and their support of shows featuring \u201cblasphemous\u201d work. The source for said images was most likely <a title=\"Exhibit programs :: University Galleries, College of Fine Arts, ISU\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cfa.ilstu.edu\/galleries\/galleries-bookstore.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">the program for Wojnarowicz\u2019s career retrospective \u201c<strong>Tongues of Flame<\/strong>,\u201d<\/a> hosted by four galleries in succession between 1990 and 1991 including <strong>University Galleries<\/strong> at the <strong>Center for Visual Arts, Illinois State University, Normal<\/strong>. In the printmaking room a few miles away at the fine arts building of <strong>Illinois Wesleyan University<\/strong>, Bloomington, hung a promotional poster for \u201cTongues of Flame\u201d featuring a single, stark image of a red-hued, bald, and wildly screaming Wojnarowicz, possibly attempting to drown out the inanities of the world with his frustration and pain. It meant little at the time to your humble editor as he sat at the work tables below, chipping away at designs for class assignments, although he did have presence of mind to take in the subsequent ISU solo show \u201c<strong>Future Primeval<\/strong>\u201d featuring a comprehensive sampling of work by another famous NY artist felled by HIV, <strong>Keith Haring<\/strong> (1958-1990). Ye Ed did not begin grasping the scope of Wojnarowicz until years later by reading both <a title=\"Seven Miles a Second @ The Arteries Group\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thearteriesgroup.com\/SevenMilesaSecond.html\" target=\"_blank\">the autobiographical <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Seven Miles a Second<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, groundbreaking as a singular piece of mature sequential art published by a major imprint (<strong>D.C.\/Vertigo<\/strong>) of a media empire (<strong>Time Warner<\/strong>) way back in 1996, and <a title=\"Deathtripping :: Soft Skull Press\" href=\"http:\/\/www.softskull.com\/detailedbook.php?isbn=1-933368-95-0\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Deathtripping<\/strong><\/span>, the landmark <strong>Jack Sargeant<\/strong> history<\/a> of the NY \u201c<strong>Cinema of Transgression<\/strong>\u201d in which the artist played a small but pivotal role. This brings us back to the Internet age; with news of the Smithsonian expulsion spreading rapidly, not only did <strong>A FIRE IN MY BELLY<\/strong> surface on-line for streaming to the masses but many art institutions across the United States \u2013 including ISU\u2019s University Galleries \u2013 set up monitors specifically to <a title=\"A FIRE IN MY BELLY (Full edit) @ Vimeo\" href=\"http:\/\/vimeo.com\/17650206\" target=\"_blank\">display the most complete, 21-minute version<\/a> of <strong>BELLY <\/strong>in constructive protest of the protest. The government would be wise to practice \u201cgallery neutrality\u201d by protecting the right to field voices of all creeds drawn from the American experience with their own hallowed halls. The public should be wiser and use its head when considering art in all its forms. The enlightened need to be wary at all times of forces attempting to shield thoughts and imagery through political and financial means, for artists are <em>nothing <\/em>without their voices regardless of what or how they vocalize.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 3em; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>EXTRA OUTRO (EXTRO?)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Holy crappity crap! Was it <em>really <\/em>40 years ago today that your humble editor joined us here on <strong>Planet Earth<\/strong>?! We really don\u2019t know what to say. However, <em>he <\/em>apparently does since he keeps muttering \u201c39 forever\u201d under his breath and pumping his fist into the air. Look for a clarification-slash-announcement about it in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">That\u2019s it for the \u201cbusiness of our scene\u201d this week!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>If you have relevant news, opportunities, dates, or promotions that you would like included in <\/em><strong>CUBiz<\/strong><em>, please forward the who, what, where, when, and how much to <\/em><strong>cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com<\/strong><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Compiled by Jason Pankoke<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>MF FIRE SALE!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We ask that you consider purchasing back issues of <strong>MICRO-FILM<\/strong> and <strong>C-U Confidential<\/strong> to help erase our outstanding print bill before we return to the printer with files for not only <strong>CUZine no.5<\/strong> but our delayed special issues,<strong> C-U Confidential \u201999<\/strong> and <strong>MICRO-FILM 2000<\/strong>. You can order by <a title=\"&quot;What We Need&quot; Page :: C-U Blogfidential\" href=\"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?page_id=142\" target=\"_blank\">using the \u201cDonate\u201d <strong>PayPal<\/strong> button here<\/a> or sending cash\/check\/money order\/cashier\u2019s check to: <strong>Jason Pankoke, Editor, MICRO-FILM, 401 N. Prairie, Suite 3D, Champaign, IL, 61820<\/strong>. Documents should be made payable to \u201cJason Pankoke\u201d and personal\/business checks will have to sit 4-6 weeks to clear. The sale is good for <a title=\"Back Issues :: MICRO-FILM\" href=\"http:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/mf01.php\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>MICRO-FILM<\/strong> issues 1-7<\/a> (do <em>not <\/em>use the old PayPal buttons if you want sale prices) and <a title=\"Back Issues :: C-U Confidential\" href=\"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?page_id=144\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>C-U Confidential<\/strong> issues 1-4<\/a> until further notice. For any single order: 1st copy <strong>MF<\/strong>, $5 ppd; 2nd copy <strong>MF<\/strong>, $4 ppd, 3rd copy <strong>MF<\/strong>, $3 ppd; 4th+ copy <strong>MF<\/strong>, $2 ppd each; 1st copy <strong>CUZine<\/strong>, $4 ppd; 2nd copy <strong>CUZine<\/strong>, $3 ppd, 3rd+ copy <strong>CUZine<\/strong>, $1 ppd each. If you have trouble figuring out a total price, simply write us at <strong>cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com<\/strong> for help. We need to nail this by the <strong>end of February 2011<\/strong> or nefarious decisions will have to be made in the bowels of the <strong>Secret MICRO-FILM Headquarters<\/strong>. <em>Thanks in advance for your support!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"C-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne: 12.25.2010 :: C-U Blogfidential\" href=\"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=2521\" target=\"_self\">Prior \u201cCUBiz\u201d<\/a> | <a title=\"C-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne: 01.07.2011 :: C-U Blogfidential\" href=\"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=2628\" target=\"_self\">Next \u201cCUBiz\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cC-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne\u201d no. 23 \u00a9 2010 Jason Pankoke\/C-U Blogfidential.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this edition of C-U Blogfidential\u2019s all-purpose column, \u201cC-U Biz-en-sc\u00e8ne,\u201d we peer through THE WINDOW INTO TIME, pontificate THE CITY BEYOND, take a DUCKMAN VS. ZOMBIES hit, drop a LGBT video opp, and update what movies are now playing\/renting near you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,406,217,314,200,15,274,10,31],"tags":[581,579,575,578,576,580,577,568,362,210],"class_list":["post-2527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alums-done-good","category-c-u-biz-en-scene","category-column-du-c-u","category-competition-du-c-u","category-deadline-du-c-u","category-media-coverage","category-print-matter-du-c-u","category-production-updates","category-the-old-school","tag-american-experience","tag-david-wojnarowicz","tag-duckman-vs-zombies","tag-mtd-bus-driver","tag-remembering-robesons","tag-stonewall-uprising","tag-the-city-beyond","tag-the-window-into-time","tag-thomas-nicol","tag-will-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2527","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=2527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2527\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}