Calendar: July 1-7, 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!
7/1: Michael Juvinall (editor, Horror Patch website, Channahon, IL)
7/5: Paul Riismandel (cohost, Radio Survivor podcast, San Francisco, CA)
7/7: Keenan Dailey (CEO, Visage Entertainment, Champaign-Urbana, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Directly following the thought patterns as expressed in last week’s Report, I feel like the act of compiling our Calendar is, sometimes, more about keeping myself honest on all the things in Champaign-Urbana and beyond than keeping you up to date on the same, dearest readers. If the sum result is that we record the local film culture for now and the future, any which way, then maybe it doesn’t matter as long as it happens to the best of our abilities. Of course, C-U Blogfidential can always recap to point out what’s positive and help improve our perspective on media matters, even if timeliness is a bit shite.
Unlike our previous topics, I’ll have opportunities to revisit the following in the coming months if I can swing it. First, I wasn’t able to kick out a post encouraging y’all to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign for the found footage thriller HUNTING FOR THE HAG, photographed last year by the team from Into the Night Motion Pictures of Normal, but we’ll congratulate them on raising about $3,000 to help with their post-production needs. A month-long push ended this Friday, June 30, and we’ll be hunting alongside director Paul A. Brooks and his merry hagglers if they need more assistance down the road.
Also, I couldn’t get it together to promote the call for participants in “Central Illinois Film & TV Production Training,” a new eight-week course beginning later in July and co-sponsored by Shatterglass Studios of Champaign, the Illinois Film and TV Workforce Development Program from the Illinois Film Office, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, but a staff member at Shatterglass did confirm on Facebook they had more than enough applicants to draw from and ensure the program was a go. Their deadline to apply was also on June 30. We’ll share how training is going when we hear more.
And then, I didn’t jump at the chance to attend an early-access screening of April Wright’s newest documentary on Americana, BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN, featuring stories from the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in of Hoopeston and a dozen other operational ozoners that are working hard to satisfy their customers and weather the uncertainties of their industry, although those who missed out will get a second chance in short order when the film is officially released in August. The local showing took place on Monday, June 6, deemed “National Drive-in Movie Day,” at the Harvest Moon. We’ll shine our brights on it soon.
Nothing is really lost for these camps if we don’t pull through with the journalistic goods in a way that will benefit them, for it’s clear they all have the momentum and connections needed for their efforts to pay off. I’ll enjoy watching it play out in each instance as we go. That it will take place almost exclusively from a distance is kind of a personal buzzkill, though. This is a hard truth to reconcile and an even harder one to act upon, given where I should probably go from here. Until further notice, CUBlog, it persists.
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, MR. MALCOLM’S LIST, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/1 on), THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (7/7 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/1 on), UFC 276: Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier, more (mixed martial arts; 7/2, 9 p.m., simulcast), MEN IN BLACK 25th anniversary (7/3, 3 & 7 p.m.; 7/4, 7 p.m.), INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (7/3, 12, 3, 7 & 10 p.m.; 7/6, 3, 7 & 10 p.m.), THE CROODS: A NEW AGE, SHREK (7/5-7/7, 10 a.m., free), THE THING 40th anniversary (7/6, 7 p.m.), THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (7/7 on)
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. INFINITE STORM (7/7, 9 p.m., free)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
THE AVIARY, FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE, FAMILY CAMP, LAST SEEN ALIVE, more! (7/5 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illini Radio Group presents “Mix 94.5 Animation Vacation Movie Series” feat. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (7/2, 2 & 6:30 p.m.), Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Film Series” feat. STARSHIP TROOPERS (7/7, 7 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
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/1 on)
@ AMC Peru Mall 8, Peru, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/1 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, ELVIS, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (6/30-7/3)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION (Screen 1), LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (Screen 2) (7/1-7/3), MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (Screen 1), LIGHTYEAR (Screen 2) (7/5-7/6), THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (Screen 1), MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (Screen 2) (7/7)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties this week; “Popcorn Drive-thru” at the Lorraine Theatre (7/9, 6 p.m.)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (7/1-7/3), THE SANDLOT (7/2-7/3), OFFICIAL COMPETITION (7/7)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (7/1-7/3)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/1-7/3)
@ Route 34 Drive-in, Earlville, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION (7/1-7/3)
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-in, Springfield, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION (Screen 1), TOP GUN: MAVERICK, LIGHTYEAR (Screen 2) (7/1 on)
@ Streator Eagle 6, Streator, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/1 on), MEGAMIND (7/5-7/6, 10 a.m., free), THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (7/7 on)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/1 on), THE SECRET LIVES OF PETS 2 (7/6-7/7, 10 a.m.), THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (7/7 on)
@ VIP Roxy Cinemas, Ottawa, IL
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, THE BLACK PHONE, ELVIS, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, LIGHTYEAR, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (7/1 on), THE SECRET LIVES OF PETS 2 (7/6-7/7, 10 a.m.), THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (7/7 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
7/15-7/21
12th annual Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, Chicago, 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
Illini Radio Group presents “Mix 94.5 Animation Vacation Movie Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 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.)
UPDATE! Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Film Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
7/7: STARSHIP TROOPERS
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad”
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 9 p.m. Thursdays, free
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.
7/29: TOP HAT
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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