Calendar: July 27-Aug. 2, 2018
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!
7/29: Ed Cho (writer, Little Guardians)
8/1: Cara Maurizi (actress, ESSENCE)
LOCAL FILMS, ETC. | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Independent Media Center, Urbana, IL
Green screen workshop led by Ibrahim Ouedraogo (7/28, 2 p.m.)
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
20 Years Ago … July 1998: Columbia College of Chicago student Melissa Schmitt and her crew spend three consecutive weekends at Ned Kelly’s Steakhouse on N. Cunningham Avenue in Urbana to film her thesis project, OPEN TO CLOSE, much of their efforts taking place after business hours in the dead of night. Schmitt, a transplant to the area whose father helps run the restaurant, cast local talent to act in her short, which explores the strained relationship between budding moviemaker Rosie Powe (Gemma Wall) and her manager father Rob (Mark Alan Hudson) as they muscle through a hectic evening shift together. MICRO-FILM editor Jason Pankoke serves as a production assistant and set photographer during the shoot, the first of its kind that he either witnesses or takes part in as a Champaign resident. While her 16mm print most likely hit the closet shelf for good after grading, Schmitt has since built a career in social issue reporting as a journalist and short-form content creator; she currently works as a senior producer for the Washington, D.C., based firm Long Story Short Media and lives in Maryland with her family.
95 Years Ago … July 23, 1923: One of the earliest narrative films of scope made in Champaign County, THE CITY BEYOND, receives a world premiere at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL, where it is paired with the First National Pictures release of PENROD AND SAM. Based on an idea formulated by the owners of the Virginia and the News-Gazette, it is a relationship story spiced with aerial derring-do that is intended to “be a real picture of heart interest, produced by local stars with local settings” as proposed by the newspaper in their June 17 edition. Other articles have not been shy about admitting that its primary purpose is to creatively show off Champaign-Urbana in the best light. Prominent faces appearing on the silver screen at 203 W. Park Avenue include Ruth Honn and Frank Robeson, Jr., of Champaign as well as Elizabeth Boggs Bartling of Chicago, while such locations as West Side Park, the Champaign County Country Club, Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, and the Virginia itself can easily be identified in certain scenes. J. Law Siple, a Chicago entrepreneur and veteran producer of agricultural promotional reels, directed THE CITY BEYOND under the watchful eyes of News-Gazette advertising manager E.C. Bleau and photographer Howard F. Duncan; they began production little more than a month ago, believe it or not! The picture would attract hundreds of area residents between its first showing on Monday, July 23, and last on Wednesday, July 25, before the News-Gazette took possession of the print for storage. It is considered lost today. Siple continued to make similar community melodramas-for-hire, such as an alternate version of THE CITY BEYOND in Decatur later the same year and an Army-themed tale called THE SKY TRAILER that debuted in suburban Dolton, IL, in March 1924.
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (7/27 on), WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? (7/27, 11:30 a.m.), Smart Kids: AKEELAH AND THE BEE (7/28-7/29, 11:30 a.m., free), DECONSTRUCTING THE BEATLES: THE BIRTH OF THE BEATLES (7/31, 7:30 p.m.), Late Night Film Club: CEMETERY WITHOUT CROSSES (7/27-7/28, 10 p.m.)
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, THE EQUALIZER 2, THE FIRST PURGE, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION, INCREDIBLES 2, JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM, MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, SKYSCRAPER, UNCLE DREW, UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB (7/27 on), CHRISTOPHER ROBIN, THE DARKEST MINDS, DEATH OF A NATION (8/2 on)
@ Family Video, Champaign-Urbana, IL
READY PLAYER ONE, LEAN ON PETE, THE FEMALE BRAIN, JOURNEY’S END, THE LEAGUE OF SUPERHEROES, KRYSTAL, THE CON IS ON, more! (7/24 on)
@ Goodrich Savoy 16, Savoy, IL
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, THE EQUALIZER 2, THE FIRST PURGE, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION, INCREDIBLES 2, JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM, LEAVE NO TRACE, MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, SKYSCRAPER, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? (7/20 on), SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE (7/27, 10 a.m., free), SAILOR MOON R/SAILOR MOON S double feature (7/28, 7/30), STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN director’s cut (7/29, 8/1), ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (7/29, 7/31), THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (7/30-8/1, 10 a.m., free), 8th annual Grateful Dead Meet-up at the Movies (8/1, 7 p.m.), Rachel Hollis presents “Made for More” (8/2, 7:30 p.m.)
@ Main Quad, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board Presents “Summer Quad Cinema Series” feat. BREAKING IN, Anniversary Plaza (8/2, 9 p.m., free, rain location: Pine Lounge (1st floor), Illini Union)
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 Classic Village Mall 6, Danville, IL
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, THE EQUALIZER 2, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION, MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (7/27 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (7/27 on), CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (8/2 on)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION, INCREDIBLES 2 (Screen 1), MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, SKYSCRAPER (Screen 2) (7/27-7/28), HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION (Screen 1), MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (Screen 2) (7/29 on)
@ The Lincoln Grand 8, Lincoln, IL
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, THE EQUALIZER 2, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION, MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, SKYSCRAPER (7/27 on), THE EMOJI MOVIE (7/28, 7/31, 10 a.m., free), CHRISTOPHER ROBIN, THE DARKEST MINDS (8/2 on)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
READY PLAYER ONE (7/27, 7/29), Trivia Night (7/28)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
ARABY (7/27-7/29), LADY STREET FIGHTER (7/27-7/28), THE KING (7/28-7/29), BEACH BLANKET BINGO (7/31), WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? (8/2)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (7/27-7/29, 8/1)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
INCREDIBLES 2 (7/27-7/29)
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-in, Springfield, IL
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, INCREDIBLES 2 (Screen 1), MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO (7/27 on)
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
8/11
6th annual Pens to Lens Screenwriting Competition + Gala*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 2 & 6 p.m.
8/28
Blu-ray/DVD release: SHOT*
+ Vinegar Syndrome, Bridgeport, CT
10/3
2018 Shocktober Film Festival
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL
10/28
2nd annual ChamPain Indie Horror Festival
@ Independent Media Center, Urbana, IL
10/30
9th annual New Art Film Festival*
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL
11/2-11/3
17th annual Route 66 Film Festival
@ Capital City Bar & Grill, Springfield, IL
11/16-11/18
4th Dark History & Horror Convention
@ Garden Hotel, Urbana, 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
8/2: BREAKING IN; 8/9: I FEEL PRETTY
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
8/18: THE LONG, LONG TRAILER
DEADLINES, ETC. | Participate in Cinema Activity
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL
New Art Film Festival call for entries | Full Information
Regular: 8/31
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL
Shocktober Film Festival call for entries | Full Information
Early: 3/1; Regular: 6/30; Late: 7/16; Extended: 8/1
@ Capital City Bar & Grill, Springfield, IL
Route 66 Film Festival call for entries | Full Information
Early: 4/1; Regular: 6/30; Late: 7/31; Extended: 8/15
@ Independent Media Center, Urbana, IL
ChamPain Indie Horror Festival call for entries | Full Information
Early: 3/16; Regular: 6/4; Late: 7/6; Extended: 8/3
@ Savoy Recreation Center, Savoy, IL
Dark History & Horror Convention call for entries | Full Information
Early: 3/31; Regular: 5/31; Late: 6/30; Extended: 7/31
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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