Calendar: June 17-23, 2022
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!
6/18: Perry C. Morris (vice president, Champaign County History Museum, Champaign, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Movie news du C-U keeps flying right on by as I struggle to find consistency in keeping up with it at C-U Blogfidential. I’m somewhat tired of making excuses to myself and apologizing to everyone else within my writing for not staying on top of all the developments in a cultural scene that has become one that I belong to less and less. Conversely, those who don’t regularly visit or interact with CUBlog should understand that it is not a top tier priority for yours truly as I lead a somewhat different life now in an Illinois zip code far from Champaign County. I’ll continue to look and learn for the time being, certainly out of habit and personal interest, and that will manifest in brief outpourings of new content when it all works out. One of those editorial runs begins this coming week, and today’s Report serves as a lead-in to what I plan on covering before it inevitably settles down. For now, I mainly want to share links for a few viral clips that are posted at a common source that may be of interest to you and me or possibly only to me.
Let’s start with the trailer from the Eighties-set sci-fi thriller REVEALER, which will begin streaming on Shudder this coming Thursday, June 23, and on AMC+ a day later on Friday, June 24. Produced by Champaign’s Shatterglass Films in conjunction with established genre label The Line Film Company (THE STYLIST, BLACK MOLD), this neon-drenched adventure stars Caito Aase, Shaina Schrooten, and Bishop Stevens and was filmed two years ago, primarily in an abandoned building just north of the city’s downtown area. It marks the feature directorial debut of Shatterglass co-founder Luke Boyce. Plenty of bonus fun can be found at Shudder’s YouTube channel, including this recent bit from THE LAST DRIVE-IN with host Joe Bob Briggs and Chicago’s legendary Rich Koz in his Svengoolie get-up. Also towards the top of the video upload list is a contemporary preview for Eloy de la Iglesia’s THE CANNIBAL MAN, a controversial Spanish production from 1972 debuted by Shudder on June 1 as a selection in their queer programming for the month. Long ago, a bloody frame blow-up from this film was borrowed by the UK label Xtasy to decorate their VHS packaging for SHOT, the UIUC student-made cop chase film.
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
65 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. [R]
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Shudder network
REVEALER* streaming premiere (6/23 on)
@ AMC+ network
REVEALER* streaming premiere (6/24 on)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
LIGHTYEAR, VIRATA PARVAM (in Telugu), THE BAD GUYS, THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/17 on), THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS (6/23 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
LIGHTYEAR, THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/17 on), RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (6/19, 6/22, 3, 7 & 9:45 p.m.), THE THING (1982) (6/19, 3 & 7 p.m.; 6/22, 7 p.m.), THE BAD GUYS (6/20-6/23, 10:50 a.m.), A DOG’S WAY HOME, TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES (6/21-6/23, 10 a.m., free), ALIVE: WHO IS THERE? (religious documentary; 6/21, 7 p.m.), G.I. JOE: THE MOVIE 35th anniversary (6/23, 7 p.m.), THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS (6/23 on)
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 (6/23, 9 p.m., free)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
AMBULANCE, FATHER STU, MORBIUS, more! (6/13 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illini Radio Group presents “Mix 94.5 Animation Vacation Movie Series” feat. CINDERELLA (6/17, 2 & 6:30 p.m.) and LADY AND THE TRAMP (6/21, 6/23, 6:30 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
LIGHTYEAR, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/17 on)
@ AMC Peru Mall 8, Peru, IL
LIGHTYEAR, THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/17 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
LIGHTYEAR, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/16-6/19)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
LIGHTYEAR (Screen 1), JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION (Screen 2) (6/17 on), Harvest Moon’s Kids Carnival to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (6/19, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties this week.
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
STAY PRAYED UP (6/17, 6/19, 6/23), ENCANTO (6/18-6/19)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION (6/17-6/19)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA (6/17-6/18)
@ Route 34 Drive-in, Earlville, IL
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, AMBULANCE (6/17-6/19)
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-in, Springfield, IL
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (Screen 1), LIGHTYEAR, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (Screen 2) (6/17 on)
@ Streator Eagle 6, Streator, IL
LIGHTYEAR, THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/17 on), THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (6/21-6/22, 10 a.m., free), THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS (6/23 on)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
LIGHTYEAR, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/17 on), THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS (6/22-6/23, 10 a.m.), ELVIS (6/23 on)
@ VIP Roxy Cinemas, Ottawa, IL
LIGHTYEAR, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/17 on), THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS (6/22-6/23, 10 a.m.), ELVIS (6/23 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
6/24-6/25
The International Dead in Decatur Film Festival*
@ Theatre 7, Decatur, IL
9/22-10/2
40th Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
4/19-4/22, 2023
23nd 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.
7/27: THE WHITE TIGER
NEW! Illini Radio Group presents “Mix 94.5 Animation Vacation Movie Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
6/17: CINDERELLA (2 & 6:30 p.m.); 6/21, 6/23: LADY AND THE TRAMP (6:30 p.m.); 7/2: SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (2 & 6:30 p.m.); 7/26, 7/28: THE LION KING (6:30 p.m.); 8/13: “Saturday Morning Cartoons” (9:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.); 8/20: SLEEPING BEAUTY (2 & 6:30 p.m.)
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Film Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
6/30: WAYNE’S WORLD; 7/14: STARSHIP TROOPERS
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad”
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 9 p.m. Thursdays, free
6/23: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2; 6/30: AMBULANCE; 7/7: INFINITE STORM; 7/14: THE BAD GUYS; 7/12: FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE; 7/28: THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT; 8/4: FATHER STU; 8/11: MORBIUS; 8/18: DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
6/25: HIGH NOON; 7/29: TOP HAT
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
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