Calendar: Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 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!
10/30: Michael Murphy (actor, WEREWOLF CEMETERY, Brainsmart Productions, Portland, OR)
11/1: Amy Lynn Best (co-owner, Happy Cloud Media, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA)
11/2: Sam Carmichael (senior coordinator, A QUIET PLACE PART II, Paramount Pictures, Los Angeles, CA)
11/3: Wes Melton (actor, STORY OF THE YEAR, Silver Compass Studios, Decatur, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Halloween-time is nigh! Since we’re providing you dearest readers with a few surprise treats in the form of bonus articles we hadn’t originally planned on writing, we’ll keep this Report brief. (Or, so we think.) An entry in the genre of “set in Illinois but filmed elsewhere” has been rescued by specialty label Ronin Flix, which reissued HAUNT on Blu-ray in September after offering a deluxe edition one year ago. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, friends who grew up in the Quad Cities and scripted the smash hit A QUIET PLACE, the low-budget production takes place in Carbondale where young friends discover a rural haunted house that promises “extreme” scares turning out to be all too real. The filmmakers drew from growing up with Midwest Halloweens and chose the home of Southern Illinois University as their story’s location – not necessarily congruent with the city’s past associations with the holiday – even though photography took place in Kentucky and Ohio. Despite good reviews and the involvement of co-producer Eli Roth, HAUNT had only received a bare-bones theatrical and DVD release before now.
And then, noted for extremity on a higher plane is SHATTER DEAD, possibly the most visceral and idea-minded horror film made during the mid-Nineties boom of shot-on-video, direct-to-video, regional fare. (Personally, your humble editor would say SHATTER DEAD punches the gut even harder than the slick, gratuitous, upmarket I SAW THE DEVIL. Fight him.) Scooter McCrae’s startling debut, which Ye Ed reviewed way back in MICRO-FILM 6 and witnessed being disqualified from consideration for the local Freaky Film Festival due to its onscreen transgressions, is newly re-released as a stacked Blu-ray from the fledgling label Saturn’s Core and sub-distributed by the ever-surprising Vinegar Syndrome; dig into Mondo Digital’s review of the upgrade and keep watch for announcements from our friends at Happy Cloud Media about a SHATTER DEAD companion book they have in the works, adding to the creeping legend of this New York outburst-for-camera financed with pocket change and saturated in urban grim.
Finally, our man Jed Brian let us know about a special showing next Friday, November 5, at the Eagle Theater in Robinson, IL. After a live recording at 6:30 p.m. by The NerdUp Podcast in the lobby, an Illinois indie double feature will commence with the brand-new cut of Brian’s UNLISTED OWNER at 8 p.m., followed at 9:45 p.m. by HIGH ON THE HOG, a tale of deviant marijuana harvesters that turns madcap deadly from director Tony Walsh and featuring B-stars Joe Estevez (SOULTAKER) and the late Sid Haig (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS) and Robert Z’Dar (MANIAC COP). Shot several years before its 2019 release through Indican Pictures, HIGH ON THE HOG had on its crew Shatterglass Studios regular Anthony “Ace” Cabral as first assistant director and University of Illinois graduates Ashlea Thomsen and Sam Carmichael as second assistant director and production manager, respectively. Since then, Carmichael has worked on numerous high-profile releases from Warner Bros. Studios and Paramount Pictures, while Illini Film & Video alumna Thomsen is a senior manager at L37 Creative in Chicago.
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Gregory Hall, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Film & Video* meeting, Room 100 (11/1, 7 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
ANTLERS, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, MY HERO ACADEMIA: WORLD HEROES’ MISSION (animé),
THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, DUNE, HALLOWEEN KILLS, NO TIME TO DIE, RON’S GONE WRONG, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/29 on), ANNAATTHE (11/3 on), ETERNALS, SPENCER (11/4 on)
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2021 Weekend Films” feat. THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (10/29-10/30, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
ANTLERS, THE FRENCH DISPATCH, GHOSTBUSTERS (1984), LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, A MOUTHFUL OF AIR, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, DUNE, HALLOWEEN KILLS, NO TIME TO DIE, RON’S GONE WRONG, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/29 on), A QUIET PLACE PART II (10/29-11/4, 10 p.m. daily), THE WOLF MAN/THE INVISIBLE MAN double feature (10/30, 1 p.m.), HALLOWEEN (1978) (10/30-10/31), THE SHINING (1980) (10/31, 11/3), NEEDTOBREATHE: INTO THE MYSTERY (documentary, 11/3, 7 p.m.), ETERNALS (11/4 on)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
DON’T BREATHE 2, FREE GUY, ON THE ROCKS, STILLWATER, THE SUICIDE SQUAD, WARNING, more! (10/26 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
“The Arthouse Experience” w/Sanford Hess feat. MOONLIGHT (11/3, 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
ANTLERS, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, DUNE, HALLOWEEN KILLS, RON’S GONE WRONG, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/29 on)
@ AMC Peru Mall 8, Peru, IL
ANTLERS, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, DUNE, HALLOWEEN KILLS, NO TIME TO DIE, RON’S GONE WRONG, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/29 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, DUNE, NO TIME TO DIE (10/29-10/31)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
THE EXORCIST (10/29, 7 p.m.), THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (10/30, 2 p.m. & Midnight), COCO (10/31, 2 p.m.)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
Closed for the regular season.
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private rentals for the week.
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (10/29-10/30, four shows), HOCUS POCUS (10/31), PERSONA (11/4)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for the week.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 (10/29-10/31)
@ Route 34 Drive-in, Earlville, IL
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE, FORBIDDEN PLANET (10/29-10/31)
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-in, Springfield, IL
Closed for the season.
@ Streator Eagle 6, Streator, IL
ANTLERS, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, DUNE, HALLOWEEN KILLS, RON’S GONE WRONG, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/29 on), ETERNALS (11/4 on)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, DUNE, HALLOWEEN KILLS, NO TIME TO DIE, RON’S GONE WRONG, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (10/29 on), ETERNALS (11/4 on)
@ VIP Roxy Cinemas, Ottawa, IL
THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, DUNE, HALLOWEEN KILLS, NO TIME TO DIE, RON’S GONE WRONG (10/29 on), ETERNALS (11/4 on)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
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
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.
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
10/29-10/30: 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.
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