Calendar: November 16-22, 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!
11/16: Kymberly Harris (filmmaker, FAITH)
11/16: Scott Jenkins (owner/sculptor, Evil Jinx Studios)
11/17: Eric Stanze (filmmaker, IN MEMORY OF)
11/19: Carolyn Baxley (owner, Cinema Gallery)
11/21: Melissa Merli (freelance journalist, The News-Gazette)
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
105 Years Ago … Wednesday, November 12, 1913: Two comedy shorts, one Civil War drama, and an educational piece on milk production enthrall the standing-room-only crowds on opening day of the Park Theatre, the first dedicated movie house constructed in Champaign, Illinois, as chronicled in The Art Theater: Playing Movies for 100 Years by Perry Morris, et al. A natural progression from the nickelodeons and opera houses that had first introduced films to the residents of Champaign and neighboring Urbana, this business venture between B.H. Cooper and Isaac Kuhn complements its showmanship with modern amenities and crucial safety features to provide its audience with the best viewing experience. That includes contributions from Chicago professionals such as projectionist John Meyer and architect Lewis E. Russell, the latter of whom drew up plans based on ideas by Cooper himself. Earlier this year, the trade magazine The Movie Picture World reported on the specifications for the space: “The contract for the new theater in Champaign, which will be operated by [Cooper], has been let. The building of which it will form a part will cost $40,000. The front will be of rough mat brick trimmed with cream-colored terra cotta. Steel and concrete will be used in the construction of the theater, which has a round space of 44 x 132 [feet]. It will seat 600 persons. For the ventilating system, two-horsepower fans will force air from the rear of the theater, down through ducts that pass under the aisles. At each row of seats, steel six-inch tubes branch from these concrete ducts and open under the seats. This air will be cooled in the summer and heated in the winter. The decoration will consist of seven handsome panels on each side of the auditorium.” (Vol. 17 No. 5, August 2, 1913, p.541) Additional flourishes that would debut at the theater in 1914 include a pipe organ and console by the screen and an impressive light fixture spelling out “Park” to hang from the façade over the sidewalk on Church Street. Management also would secure the Champaign County rights to show movies from Paramount Pictures, home to silent stars like Mary Pickford, in the new year.
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? (11/16 on), THE GATE: DAWN OF THE BAHÁ’I FAITH (11/20, 7 p.m., free w/pre-registration, discussion w/executive producer Steve Sarowitz), Late Night: VELVET GOLDMINE (11/16-11/17, 10 p.m.)
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDENWALD, INSTANT FAMILY, WIDOWS, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB, THE GRINCH, THE HATE U GIVE, NOBODY’S FOOL, THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS, OVERLORD, A STAR IS BORN (11/16 on), CREED II, RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (11/20 on)
@ Family Video, Champaign-Urbana, IL
THE MEG, MILE 22, ALPHA, FINAL SCORE, JULIET NAKED, LOOK AWAY, AMERICAN DRESSER, ALRIGHT NOW, NARCOS (s3), STAR TREK: DISCOVERY (s1), more! (11/13 on)
@ Garden Hotel, Urbana, IL
4th Dark History & Horror Convention feat. Film Festival (11/16-11/18)
@ Goodrich Savoy 16, Savoy, IL
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDENWALD, INSTANT FAMILY, A PRIVATE WAR, WIDOWS, BEAUTIFUL BOY, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB, THE GRINCH, NOBODY’S FOOL, THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS, OVERLORD, A STAR IS BORN, VENOM (11/16 on), HOME ALONE (11/18, 11/21), Studio Ghibli Fest: CASTLE IN THE SKY (11/18-11/19), CREED II, RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, ROBIN HOOD (11/20 on)
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
FIRST MAN (11/19-11/21, 11/23, 7 p.m.; 11/24, 1 & 7 p.m.; 11/25, 1 p.m.)
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
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDENWALD, INSTANT FAMILY, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB, THE GRINCH, THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS (11/16 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDENWALD, WIDOWS, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (11/16 on), RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (11/20 on)
@ The Lincoln Grand 8, Lincoln, IL
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDENWALD, INSTANT FAMILY, THE GRINCH (11/16 on), WHERE HOPE GROWS (11/16, 11/19-11/21, 2 p.m.; 11/17-11/18, 10 a.m.; free), BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB, THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS, OVERLORD (11/16-11/19), CREED II, RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, ROBIN HOOD (11/21 on)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (11/16, 11/18), Trivia Night (11/17)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
MONROVIA, INDIANA (11/16, 11/18), PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES (11/17), BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (11/18)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
THE GRINCH (11/16-11/18, 11/21)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
FIRST MAN (11/16-11/18)
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
NEW! 11/26
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting
@ Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
3/21-3/24, 2019
29th Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival, Chicago, IL
4/4-4/11, 2019
21st Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/10-4/14, 2019
21st 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. Fri., 7 & 10 p.m. Sat., free w/i-card
11/29, 11/30: THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS; 12/7, 12/8: CHRISTOPHER ROBIN
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
12/17: THE BISHOP’S WIFE (7 p.m. only); 12/18: MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947; 7 p.m. only); 12/19: WHITE CHRISTMAS (7 p.m. only); 12/20: A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951; 7 p.m. only); 12/21-12/22: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (7 p.m. only on 12/21); 1/12/19: CHARADE; 2/9/19: TOP HAT; 3/9/19: GASLIGHT; 4/6/19: METROPOLIS; 5/25/19: THE THIN MAN; 6/22/19: ON THE WATERFRONT; 7/13: STAGE DOOR
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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