Calendar: Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2016
Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!
11/28: Ryan Mitchelle (editor, A CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT)
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
100 Years Ago … Tuesday, November 28, 1916: Mayor Dan Dineen excitedly welcomes a capacity crowd to opening night at the Avon Theatre on Water Street in downtown Decatur, as retold in Flickering Images: The History and Haunting of the Avon Theatre by Troy Taylor. Unlike the month-old Lincoln Square Theatre located just three blocks away, the Avon is designed by owner/manager Joseph Allman and architect R.O. Rosen to be a motion picture house, first and foremost, with floor space allotted for a small orchestra to accompany certain films and a pipe organ scheduled for installation by year’s end. The debut attraction is THE FALL OF A NATION, a far-fetched war fantasia that is directed and written by the controversial minister, lecturer, and segregationist Thomas F. Dixon, Jr., whose novel The Clansman was adapted recently by D.W. Griffith as THE BIRTH OF A NATION.
FLICKER OF THE WEEK | Suggestions in Full-Motion Arts
This week feels like a catalog title week to us, friends! If you’re able to break away from the onslaught of parades, football games, basketball tournaments, rerun marathons, and commercials for Christmas sales on the family television set, options await at theaters near you that sidestep the new Hollywood releases we discussed previously. Turner Classic Movies presents a two-day revival of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (Fathom Events/Paramount Pictures) that will play the Goodrich Savoy 16 on Sun., 11/27, and Weds., 11/30, at both 2 and 7 p.m.; Blake Edwards’ adaptation of the Truman Capote novella about New York City socialites turned actress Audrey Hepburn into a style icon, although the breezy 1961 drama co-starring George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, and Martin Balsam has lost style points in recent times due to Mickey Rooney’s unfortunate comic relief role as a highly caricatured Japanese man. At the other end of the table sits the cult comedy ALICE’S RESTAURANT (United Artists/MGM) from 1969 that is not exactly a holiday classic, so we applaud the gumption of the Normal Theater to dress their late show tonight, Fri., 11/25, 10:30 p.m., with some vintage anti-establishment garnish. Based on the same-named song by folk singer Arlo Guthrie and directed by Arthur Penn, the movie starts with a hippie-heavy Thanksgiving held in an abandoned church that is attended by Guthrie’s screen alter ego, who is subsequently busted by the police for littering and forced into the draft while bemoaning The Man! Finally, we give thanks to the Virginia Theatre for assembling a choice set of Joel and Ethan Coen hits the C-U can feast upon starting next Mon., 11/28; NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007), RAISING ARIZONA (1987), FARGO (1996), and THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) will run in succession between then and Sat., 12/3, all at 7 p.m., with a bonus LEBOWSKI at 1 p.m. on the final day. “FOW” is hereby fin, Donny.
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL
LOVING (11/25 on), THE HANDMAIDEN (11/25-11/27, 11/30), STARVING THE BEAST (12/1, 7:30 p.m., free)
@ Carmike 13, Champaign, IL
ALLIED, BAD SANTA 2, MOANA, RULES DON’T APPLY, ALMOST CHRISTMAS, ARRIVAL, BILLY FLYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK, BLEED FOR THIS, DOCTOR STRANGE, THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, HACKSAW RIDGE, TROLLS (11/25 on)
@ Family Video, Champaign-Urbana, IL
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, HELL OR HIGH WATER, WAR DOGS, MECHANIC: RESURRECTION, YOGA HOSERS, HANDS OF STONE, THE LAND, I.T., more! (11/22 on)
@ Goodrich Savoy 16, Savoy, IL
ALLIED, BAD SANTA 2, MOANA, RULES DON’T APPLY, ALMOST CHRISTMAS, ARRIVAL, BILLY FLYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK, BLEED FOR THIS, DOCTOR STRANGE, THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, HACKSAW RIDGE, MOONLIGHT, TROLLS (11/25 on), THE POLAR EXPRESS, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (11/27, 11/30), RiffTrax Holiday Special Double Feature: SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS, “Christmas Shorts-stravaganza” (12/1), Broadway’s Studio 54 performs She Loves Me (12/1, recorded)
@ Gregory Hall, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Film & Video meeting, Room 205 (11/29, 6 p.m.)
@ Quality Beer, Champaign, IL
Champaign Screenwriters mixer (12/1, 8 p.m., free)
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
The News-Gazette Film Series presents HARVEY (11/26), Reel Deals presents “Films of the Coen Brothers” feat. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (11/28-11/29), RAISING ARIZONA (11/30-12/1), FARGO (12/2), THE BIG LEBOWSKI (12/3)
Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!
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NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond
@ AMC Village Mall 6, Danville, IL
ALLIED, BAD SANTA 2, MOANA, DOCTOR STRANGE, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, TROLLS (11/25 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
ALLIED, MOANA, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (11/25 on)
@ The Lincoln Grand 8, Lincoln, IL
ALLIED, ARRIVAL, BAD SANTA 2, MOANA, RULES DON’T APPLY, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, HACKSAW RIDGE, TROLLS (11/25 on)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (11/25-11/27)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947; 11/25, 11/27), ALICE’S RESTAURANT (11/25), THE STUDENT AND MR. HENRI (11/26), Midwest Songwriter Sessions (11/28), IT HAPPENED ON FIFTH AVENUE (11/29), The Littlest Nutcracker (12/1, live), NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION (12/1)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (11/25-11/27, 11/30)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
TROLLS (11/23-11/27), FINDING DORY (11/26, 11 a.m., free)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IN
Closed for the season!
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
2/21/17-2/26/17
39th annual Big Muddy Film Festival
@ Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
3/30/17-4/6/17
19th annual Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/19/17-4/23/17
19th annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
Illini Union Board Presents “Weekend Films at the Union”
@ Pine Lounge, Main Level, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m., free w/i-card
12/2, 12/3: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN; 12/9, 12/10: QUEEN OF KATWE
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
11/26: HARVEY; 12/12-12/17: “The Best Christmas Movies Ever!” feat. THE BISHOP’S WIFE, THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE; 1/21/17: DRACULA; 2/4/17: SWING TIME; 3/25/17: THE GENERAL; 4/15/17: DUCK SOUP; 5/27/17: CITIZEN KANE; 6/24/17: HIGH NOON; 7/22/17: THE GOLD RUSH; 8/26/17: THE WIZARD OF OZ
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
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