Calendar: July 7-13, 2017
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!
7/12: Michael Wiese (producer, TALKING WITH SPIRITS)
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
60 Years Ago … Thursday, June 20, 1957: Per news items in Boxoffice magazine, the science-fiction double feature of BEGINNING OF THE END and THE UNEARTHLY is scheduled to open today on more than 200 screens in the South and Midwest through Los Angeles distributor Republic Pictures Corporation. Already, the bill appears to be a hit for a brand-new production studio, AB-PT Pictures, based on the response afforded its world premiere at the Roosevelt Theater in Chicago last night with BEGINNING stars Peggie Castle and Peter Graves in attendance. Possibly more appealing to the Roosevelt audience is the film’s scenario, placing the action almost entirely in the Land of Lincoln despite the yarn being shot in California locations and sound stages by producer-director Bert I. Gordon. (Chicago Daily Tribune reviewer “Mae Tinee” falls into this camp.) BEGINNING recounts a rampage from downstate Illinois to the Windy City of ravenous locusts, enlarged greatly after consuming experimental seeds and grains developed by local agriculturalists. Castle’s wire reporter character detours from covering a jet fighter unveiling at the real-life Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul to net her big bug story, while the roll call of cities and towns referenced in the first two acts also includes Champaign, Decatur, Joliet, Ludlow, Paxton, Peoria, Pontiac, Springfield, and Urbana. Flights of geographic fancy are intermixed with the regional accuracy – “the Ludlow forest,” “suburbs of Paxton” – never mind the omnipresent SoCal hills in many an exterior frame! Nearly a half-century later in February of 2003, “Mr. B.I.G.” – nicknamed so due to the plethora of oversized men, women, and monsters in his output – would attend the annual Insect Fear Film Festival at the University of Illinois; an honorary slate paired Gordon’s EARTH VS. THE SPIDER (1958) and EMPIRE OF THE ANTS (1977) with BEGINNING.
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL
THE BEGUILED (7/7 on), Smart Kids: THE RED TURTLE (7/8-7/9), TERMINAL ISLAND (7/10, 8 p.m.), JURASSIC PARK (7/7-78, 7/12-13, 10 p.m.)
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE HERO, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, 47 METERS DOWN, BABY DRIVER, CARS 3, DESPICABLE ME 3, THE HOUSE, THE MUMMY, TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT, WONDER WOMAN (7/7 on), “Planet of the Apes Triple Feature” feat. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (7/12, 4 p.m.), THE BIG SICK, WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, WISH UPON (7/13 on)
@ Family Video, Champaign-Urbana, IL
THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, DRONE, CAR DOGS, SUMMER OF DREAMS, ACCIDENTAL EXORCIST, SONG TO SONG, more! (7/3 on)
@ Goodrich Savoy 16, Savoy, IL
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, 47 METERS DOWN, BABY DRIVER, BEATRIZ AT DINNER, THE BOOK OF HENRY, CARS 3, DESPICABLE ME 3, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2, THE HOUSE, MEGAN LEAVY, TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT, WONDER WOMAN (7/7 on), THE SANDLOT (7/9, 7/12), STORKS (7/10-7/12), Carole King: Tapestry (7/11, 7 p.m., recorded), “Planet of the Apes Triple Feature” feat. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (7/12, 4:30 p.m.),The Metropolitan Opera: Nabucco (7/12, 7 p.m., recorded), THE BIG SICK, WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, WISH UPON (7/13 on)
@ Main Quad, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Quad Cinema Series” feat. THE CIRCLE, Anniversary Plaza (7/13, 9 p.m., free)
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
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, BABY DRIVER, CARS 3, DESPICABLE ME 3, THE HOUSE, TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT (7/7 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
THE HERO, CARS 3, WONDER WOMAN (7/7 on), WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (7/13 on)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (Screen 1), DESPICABLE ME 3 (Screen 2) (7/7 on)
@ The Lincoln Grand 8, Lincoln, IL
THE BEGUILED, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, BABY DRIVER, CARS 3, DESPICABLE ME 3, THE HOUSE, WONDER WOMAN (7/7 on), TROLLS (7/12, 10 a.m., free), “Planet of the Apes Triple Feature” feat. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (7/12, 4 p.m.), WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (7/13 on)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Closed for the weekend!
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
HERMIA & HELENA (7/7, 7/9), COLOSSAL (7/7-7/8), THE HERO (7/8), Adam Larson Quartet concert (7/9), closed for repairs (7/10 on)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
DESPICABLE ME 3 (7/7-7/9, 7/12)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
Closed for the weekend?
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-in, Springfield, IL
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, WONDER WOMAN (Screen 1), DESPICABLE ME 3, CARS 3 (Screen 2) (7/7 on)
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
7/18
Champaign Movie Makers meeting
@ Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
8/12
5th annual Pens to Lens Screenwriting Competition + Gala
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Quad Cinema Series”
@ Anniversary Plaza, Main Quad, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 9 p.m., free
Rain Location: Pine Lounge (1st floor), Illini Union
7/13: THE CIRCLE; 7/20: EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING; 8/17: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
7/22: THE GOLD RUSH; 8/26: THE WIZARD OF OZ
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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