Calendar: December 2-8, 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!
11/22: Chase Todd (writer/director, THE THANKSGIVING PROJECT, Chase & Shep, Villa Grove, IL)
12/3: Greg Woods (publisher, The Eclectic Screening Room, Toronto, Canada)
12/3: Bryan Wendorf (programmer/artistic director, Chicago Underground Film Festival, Chicago, IL)
12/6: Andy Due (producer/performer, Rubber Chicken Films/RL3 Productions, Charleston, IL)
12/8: C. Jay Wallace (producer/writer, Red Lens Productions, Champaign, IL)
12/8: Britten Traughber (photographer, Britten Traughber Photography, Tucson, AZ)
PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed
11/20: Carlo Anzelmo, 89 (volunteer, The Virginia Theatre, Champaign Park District, Champaign, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Nothing feels Report-worthy with Momkoke in the hospital once again, hence why this Calendar won’t be completed until Sunday, so we’ll prattle off our three things quickly in the semi-Santa spirit as each one comes with a spot of coal. On the first day, we had intended to recommend that you sleigh on down to the Virginia Theatre in Champaign to have your picture taken against a backdrop of seasonal decoration and movie palace glory in their Mezzanine Lobby, yet we now know that appointments were required and all time slots are taken; therefore, be sure to enjoy a Virginia event of your choice in the coming weeks and offer your condolences to the staff for the loss of a jewel in its ranks, Carlo Anzelmo. On the second day, we belatedly share this News-Gazette article about the newest Dreamscape Cinema movie, A FARGO CHRISTMAS STORY, which is going to debut shortly on Amazon Prime given the placeholder page that we found; we also hope this dramedy, filmed largely in nearby St. Joseph and potentially the on-screen swan song of the great Edward Asner, is many leagues better in quality than the studio’s shark attack flick, BELOW, which washed ashore on Prime earlier in the fall. And on the third day, your humble editor reminisces over a childhood that included yearly trips to the kitsch amusement park Santa’s Village in the Chicago suburb of East Dundee; while an upgraded slant on the attraction survives at the same location, we can’t drift away into our candy cane slumber without evoking the borderline nightmare of K. Gordon Murray’s three Santa Claus shorts, partly related to his many Mexican cinema imports and partly filmed on location at Santa’s Villages in Illinois and California. Click here for a relatively clean copy of one of K.’s “Santaland” trilogy, SANTA’S ENCHANTED VILLAGE (1964), which starts off with an unexpected introduction by everybody’s favorite fast-food chucking, orange-haired clown, and we don’t mean the 45th president of the United States of America. Yes, we said it and could say much more. Keep voting!
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
HOLES IN THE SKY: THE SEAN MILLER STORY* U.S. DVD release: Tuesday, 12/6, nationwide via Deskpop Entertainment, Phoenix, AZ/HorrorFix Films, Springfield, IL
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
4th annual Krampusnacht Freeky Film Festival* (12/3, 7 p.m.)
@ Lincoln Hall, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Film & Video* meeting, Room 1090 (12/5, 6 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
AN ACTION HERO (in Hindi), HIT 2 (in Telugu), THE QUINTESSENTIAL QUINTUPLUETS MOVIE (animé) (in Japanese or English)*, VIOLENT NIGHT, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN*, BLACK ADAM, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, BONES AND ALL, DEVOTION, THE MENU, STRANGE WORLD, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (12/2 on), JOHNNY CASH: THE REDEMPTION OF AN AMERICAN ICON (music documentary) (12/5-12/7, 7 p.m.), FATHER STU: REBORN (PG-13 re-release), TO THE END (documentary) (12/8 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
I HEARD THE BELLS (faith film), NANNY, VIOLENT NIGHT, BLACK ADAM, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, BONES AND ALL, THE CHOSEN Season 3: Episodes 1 and 2 (religious program)*, DEVOTION, THE MENU, SHE SAID*, STRANGE WORLD, TICKET TO PARADISE, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (12/2 on), The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute (12/3, 12:55 p.m., recorded), THE DARK CRYSTAL 40th anniversary (12/4, 12/7, 3 & 7 p.m.), ELF (12/4, 3, 5 & 7 p.m.; 12/7, 5, 7 & 9 p.m.), BROADWAY RISING (theater documentary) (12/5, 7 p.m.), JOHNNY CASH: THE REDEMPTION OF AN AMERICAN ICON (music documentary) (12/5-12/7, 7 p.m.), EVANGELION: 3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME (animé) (in Japanese) (12/6, 12/8, 7 p.m.), SMYRNA (12/8, 7 p.m.)
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2022 Weekend Films” feat. DON’T WORRY DARLING, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (12/2-12/3, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
DETECTIVE KNIGHT: ROGUE, DON’T WORRY DARLING, R.I.P.D. 2: RISE OF THE DAMNED, SAVAGE SALVATION, more! (11/29 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illini Radio Group presents “Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays” feat. HOME ALONE (12/8, 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
VIOLENT NIGHT, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, BONES AND ALL, DEVOTION, THE MENU, STRANGE WORLD (12/2 on)
@ AMC Peru Mall 8, Peru, IL
VIOLENT NIGHT, BLACK ADAM, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, BONES AND ALL, DEVOTION, THE MENU, STRANGE WORLD (12/2 on),
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
ARMAGEDDON TIME, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, SAM & KATE, STRANGE WORLD (12/2-12/4)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
“Hot Chocolate and Holiday Movies” feat. THE POLAR EXPRESS (Screen 1), ELF (Screen 2) (12/2-12/3)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties and “Family Movie Packs” this week.
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
WHITE CHRISTMAS (12/2, 12/8), KILLER RACCOONS 2: DARK CHRISTMAS IN THE DARK (12/2), THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, A CHRISTMAS STORY, SCROOGED (12/3), THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT, HOME ALONE (12/4), IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (12/6), TOKYO GODFATHERS (animé) (in Japanese) (12/7)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
STRANGE WORLD (12/2-12/4)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
ARMAGEDDON TIME (12/2-12/4)
@ Streator Eagle 6, Streator, IL
VIOLENT NIGHT, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, BONES AND ALL, DEVOTION, THE MENU, STRANGE WORLD (12/2 on)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
VIOLENT NIGHT, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, THE CHOSEN Season 3: Episodes 1 and 2 (religious program), DEVOTION, SPIRITED, STRANGE WORLD, TICKET TO PARADISE (12/2 on)
@ VIP Roxy Cinemas, Ottawa, IL
VIOLENT NIGHT, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, DEVOTION, THE MENU, SPIRITED, STRANGE WORLD, TICKET TO PARADISE (12/2 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
NEW! 4/13-4/20, 2023
25th annual Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
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.
12/14: THE BAND’S VISIT; 1/25/23: THE FRENCH DISPATCH; 2/8/23: MY OCTOPUS TEACHER; 3/8/23: EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE; 4/26/23: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN; 5/31/23: THE TWO POPES; 6/14/23: MULHOLLAND DRIVE; 7/12/23: BARAKA
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
12/8: HOME ALONE*; 1/19/23: SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE*; 2/2/23: TITANIC*; 3/16/23: DIRTY DANCING; 4/27/23: GHOSTBUSTERS (1984); 5/18/23: BEETLEJUICE; 6/29/23: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK; 7/27/23: TOP GUN
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
12/17: MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947); 1/21/23: STAGE DOOR; 2/11/23: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS; 3/18/23: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA; 4/29/23: FANTASIA; 5/20/23: TOPPER; 6/17/23: ENTER THE DRAGON; 7/15/23: I LOVE LUCY: THE MOVIE
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
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