Calendar: October 15-21, 2021
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.
~~~~~
MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!
10/18: Mike Everleth (publisher, Underground Film Journal, Los Angeles, CA)
10/20: Lana Wildman (staff, Route 66 Film Festival, Springfield, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Indeed, Halloween-time is here and I’m trying again. Scary, right? I almost pulled off a pair of horror film posts this week instead of just the one appearing on Tuesday, so I’ll knuckle down to finish it for the sharing this coming Tuesday. It will highlight a few projects that originate in cities well beyond Champaign-Urbana including Peoria, and today’s Report consists of several timely tidbits that point right back to that well-known locale on the Illinois River. In fact, my inspiration is the overdue debut at 7 p.m. today, Friday, October 15, of the indie show PEORIA that we covered in a feature published last October; ambitious plans are now afoot for creator Michael Mcgruder and his collective at River City Productions to follow their 44-minute-long pilot with a 10-part miniseries and a 60-minute “Season 1” episode in 2022. This is not to be confused with PRINCE OF PEORIA, a Netflix children’s program infused with a Disney Channel vibe that aired in 2018 and 2019.
Moving from the serialized to utmost seriousness, I’ve caught posts on various Facebook pages from filmmaker William Jacob, who has founded Mourning Dove Films in Peoria as an outlet to produce dramatic works aiming for high ideals and beauty. His first outing in this quest, A MOMENT IS ENOUGH, is a short filmed on Kodak 16mm stock that premiered on Thursday, September 23, in Peoria Heights and is an excerpt from a forthcoming feature-length effort, POET IN THE MODERN WORLD; those who have an affinity for European and Asian “art films” of the 1940s through 1960s will find Jacob’s philosophies and goals, present all through his website, to be both quaint and admirable here in the 21st century.
To that end, the early 20th century still haunts and amazes us through the flammable vessel that is the nitrate film print; a Michael Phillips article run by the Chicago Tribune recounts the chain of events leading to a nominal five-reel melodrama, THE FIRST DEGREE (1923) starring Frank Mayo, being restored by Chicago Film Archives. Reintroduced to the world at the Gene Siskel Film Center with a live-score performance by Quasar Wut-Wut on Wednesday, September 29, DEGREE had been considered a lost film until it was identified in 2020; Archives obtained the print more than a decade ago as part of a collection rescued from “a storage closet in Peoria.” Whew. I mean, whew.
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ online YouTube, etc.
PEORIA* pilot virtual premiere: 10/15, 7 p.m., Nationwide via YouTube/River City Productions, Peoria, IL
@ Gregory Hall, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Film & Video* meeting, Room 100 (10/18, 7 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
HALLOWEEN KILLS, THE LAST DUEL, MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, FREE GUY, LAMB, NO TIME TO DIE, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/15 on), DUNE, RON’S GONE WRONG (10/21 on)
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2021 Weekend Films” feat. MONSTER HUNTER, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (10/15-10/16, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
HALLOWEEN KILLS, HARD LUCK LOVE SONG, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, CANDYMAN, LAMB, THE LAST DUEL, THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK, NO TIME TO DIE, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/15 on), SHAUN OF THE DEAD (10/16, 3 & 7 p.m.; 10/20, 7 p.m.), ENDS OF THE EARTH (documentary, 10/18, 10/21, 7 p.m.), Turner Classic Movies presents THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 30th anniversary (10/20, 7 p.m.), DUNE (10/15 on)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
THE COLONY, THE GREEN KNIGHT, NO MAN OF GOD, PIG, SURVIVE THE GAME, more! (10/12 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Film Series” feat THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) (10/21, 7 p.m.)
Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!
~~~~~
NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond
@ AMC Classic Village Mall 6, Danville, IL
HALLOWEEN KILLS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, CRY MACHO, NO TIME TO DIE, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/15 on)
@ AMC Peru Mall 8, Peru, IL
HALLOWEEN KILLS, THE LAST DUEL, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, NO TIME TO DIE, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/15 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
HALLOWEEN KILLS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, NO TIME TO DIE (10/15-10/17)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA (10/15, 7 p.m.), HOCUS POCUS (10/16, 2 & 7 p.m.), double feature: ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN (10/17, 2 p.m.)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
“Frightfest” feat. HALLOWEEN KILLS, THE SHINING (Screen 1), THE EXORCIST, THE CONJURING (Screen 2) (10/15-10/16)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private rentals for the week.
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
THE WITCH, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) (10/15), DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (10/16-10/17), HOCUS POCUS, THE BROOD (10/16), MAD MONSTER PARTY (10/17), THE HOWLING (10/20), PG: PSYCHO GOREMAN (10/21)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for the week.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
FREE GUY (10/15-10/17)
@ Route 34 Drive-in, Earlville, IL
NO TIME TO DIE, TWISTER (10/15-10/17)
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-in, Springfield, IL
NO TIME TO DIE (Screen 1), HALLOWEEN KILLS, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (Screen 2) (10/15-10/16)
@ Streator Eagle 6, Streator, IL
HALLOWEEN KILLS, THE LAST DUEL, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, NO TIME TO DIE, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/15 on), DUNE, RON’S GONE WRONG (10/21 on)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
HALLOWEEN KILLS, THE LAST DUEL, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, NO TIME TO DIE, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/15 on), DUNE (10/21 on)
@ VIP Roxy Cinemas, Ottawa, IL
HALLOWEEN KILLS, THE LAST DUEL, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, FREE GUY, NO TIME TO DIE, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/15 on), DUNE (10/21 on)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Music Box Theater/Gene Siskel Film Center/etc. + virtual, Chicago, IL
57th Chicago International film Festival (through 10/24) Information
@ Newfields/Living Room Theaters/etc. + virtual, Indianapolis, IN
30th anniversary Heartland International Film Festival (through 10/17) Information
For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, as well as cancellations and postponements due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, please visit the fine folks at Cine-File and subscribe to their definitive “Cine-List” weekly blast.
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
10/22-10/23
Dark History and Horror Convention’s Screaming Mad Film Festival 2.1
@ I Hotel and Conference Center, UIUC, Champaign, IL
11/5-11/15
20th Route 66 Film Festival
@ Springfield, IL (virtual event)
11/5-11/7
28th Chicago Underground Film Festival
@ The Logan Theatre, Chicago, IL
12/4
Kramupusnacht Freeky Film Festival
@ Champaign, IL (virtual event)
4/7-4/17, 2022
24th annual Wisconsin Film Festival
@ University of Wisconsin, etc., Madison, WI
4/8-4/10, 2022
Dead in Decatur presents “The Art of Fear”
@ Heroic Age Art Center, Mt. Zion, IL
4/20-4/23, 2022
22nd Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
“The Arthouse Experience Film Series” curated by Sanford Hess
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
11/3: MOONLIGHT; 12/6: COLD WAR; 1/19/22: WILD TALES; 2/23/22: ADAPTATION; 3/23/22: THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS; 4/6/22: BIG NIGHT; 5/25/22: EIGHTH GRADE; 6/1/22: THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI: to be rescheduled: THE ARTIST
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Film Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
10/21: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975); 11/11: PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE; 12/5: THE PRINCESS BRIDE; 1/13/22: CLUELESS*; 1/20/22: SAY ANYTHING; 2/2/22: GROUNDHOG DAY; 3/21/22: ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK; 4/4/22: FACE/OFF; 5/23/22: MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME; 6/30/22: WAYNE’S WORLD; 7/14/22: STARSHIP TROOPERS
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2021 Weekend Films”
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w/i-card
10/15-10/16: MONSTER HUNTER; 10/22-10/23: ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS; 10/29-10/30: THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT; 11/5-11/6: SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY; 11/12-11/13: BLACK WIDOW; 11/19-11/20: THE SUICIDE SQUAD; 12/3-12/4: JUNGLE CRUISE
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
10/23: THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962); 11/21: MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS; 12/11: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE; 1/22/22: ALL ABOUT EVE; 2/19/22: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT; 4/30/22: DUCK SOUP; 6/25/22: HIGH NOON; 7/29/22: TOP HAT
~~~~~
Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
~~~~~
“Calendar du C-U”
© 2021 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential