Calendar: June 30-July 6, 2023
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!
6/30: Drea Aarons (multimedia artist, Art of Drea Aarons, Champaign-Urbana, IL)
7/1: Michael Juvinall (editor, Horror Patch website, Channahon, IL)
7/5: Paul Riismandel (cohost, Radio Survivor podcast, San Francisco, CA)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
And, this week, I have for you a few items to investigate over the holiday weekend that rate as “the weird du C-U.” Would we have it any other way at MFHQ Deux? On with the Report, then…
To start, I’d like to share a couple of public service announcements. Casual scrolling on the socials led me to discover that University of Illinois post-production specialist Ed Glaser is still releasing projects from under his Neon Harbor Media umbrella. The current activity on the cult movie front is a fresh batch of episodes for his award-winning Web program, DEJA VIEW, in which he tells the histories of international genre films that resemble famous American product. The first three give an engaging look at 3 DEV ADAM, a 1973 Turkish landmark that pits Captain America and the Mexican luchador hero Santo against an evil Spider-man, SHOCKING DARK, a James Cameron franchise rip-off from director Bruno Mattei and his merry band of Italians, and ROBO WARRIOR, a wonky Hong Kong mishmash with ninjas and hopping vampires and faint riffs on Paul Verhoeven, oh my. They exist, and Glaser has preserved their legacy in a number of previous DEJA VIEWs as well as a book, How the World Remade Hollywood: Global Interpretations of 65 Iconic Films, from McFarland Press. Go view!
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And then, we’re fortunate that UI professor emeritus Richard Leskosky is still interested in exploring the film world around him. While the general coverage and critique of movies at the News-Gazette is handled by the veteran reviewer Chuck Koplinski, the “Mad about the Movies” column that runs every other weekend is the province of Leskosky, who retired from the Unit for Cinema Studies (now Media & Cinema Studies) in 2009 after more than 30 years. When his well-informed and accessible writing isn’t promoting local events, such as the N-G’s classic film series at the Virginia Theatre or his wife Dr. May Berenbaum’s one-of-a-kind Insect Fear Film Festival that is held every year at the UI Foellinger Auditorium, it can veer in a myriad of directions. Media trends, evolving genres, film festival recaps, television highlights, and industry shifts are obvious topics, but it seems that snakes, leprechauns, sharks, carnivorous plants, and the lengthy B-movie career of filmmaker Jim Wynorski (CHOPPING MALL, ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT CHEERLEADER) are not off the table, either. Click here to skim the headlines of his recently published “Mad” material and you should find a few that you’re bound to enjoy. Go read!
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We wrap it up with a head-spinner that is a precursor to the modern “supercut” video. Back in 2017, I shared a vintage Daily Illini ad for a happening billed as a “Movie Orgy” at the UI Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. It took me until very recently to figure out the program was actually the legendary “Movie Orgy” compiled by a young Joe Dante (GREMLINS) and Jon Davison (ROBOCOP) and toured as a roadshow to college campuses with sponsorship by the Schlitz Brewing Company. Lasting six or more hours, the experience was a litany of movie clips, serials, commercials, industrials, and cartoons pieced together from Davison’s 16mm library and projected in succession without a break. Last year, the American Genre Film Archive debuted a four-and-a-half-hour restoration in high definition as THE MOVIE ORGY and it is available for public exhibition. No tickets can be charged for admission and a home video release will most likely never happen, explains Dante in interviews, because the combined source material is a potential copyright nightmare in hibernation. Go wild!
According to a chart in this 2015 dissertation by David Neary for his studies at New York University, UIUC was the first Midwest location and one of the first institutions outside of New York state to host the “Orgy.” Evidence in ad mats and articles appearing in the DI place the “Orgy” at KCPA in May 1971, when it was staged on the roof to take advantage of the springtime warmth, and again in the facility’s Foellinger Great Hall in late October 1971 to coincide with Halloween. All the ad art is hand-drawn by UI students, like the example we show here, apart from an adaptation of the photo collage poster by Davison and Dante who most likely traveled to Urbana for both outings to make sure their Frankenstein monster made of cinematic parts was presented as well as it could be. Amusingly, they nicknamed it “A 2001 Splice Odyssey” at the time, and unfortunately, I don’t see anyone in the C-U daring to book or sit through it today. Go cry, sweeties.
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, PAST LIVES, RUBY GILLMAN – TEENAGE KRAKEN (animation), SATYAPREM KI KATHA (in Hindu with English sub), ASTEROID CITY, ELEMENTAL (animation), THE FLASH, NO HARD FEELINGS, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (animation), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (6/30 on), THE LITTLE MERMAID (6/30-7/2), KUNG FU PANDA (animation) (7/1, 7/5, 10 a.m.), SOUND OF FREEDOM (faith film) (7/3 on), INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR, JOY RIDE (7/6 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, PAST LIVES, RUBY GILLMAN – TEENAGE KRAKEN (animation), ASTEROID CITY, THE BLACKENING, THE BOOGEYMAN, ELEMENTAL (animation), THE FLASH, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, THE LITTLE MERMAID, NO HARD FEELINGS, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (animation), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (6/30 on), JAWS (7/2, 12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 7/5, 7 p.m.), SOUND OF FREEDOM (faith film) (7/3 on), INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR (7/6 on)
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. RENFIELD (7/6, 9 p.m., free)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
THE MAN FROM ROME, more! (6/27 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series” feat. MAMA BEARS w/discussion (6/30, 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
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
ASTEROID CITY, INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, ELEMENTAL (animation) (6/29-7/2)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
TOP GUN (6/30, 7 p.m.; 7/1, 2 & 7 p.m.; 7/2, 7 p.m.)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (Screen 1), TOP GUN, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (Screen 2) (6/30-7/3), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (Screen 1), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (Screen 2) (7/5), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (Screen 1), closed for private screening (Screen 2) (7/6)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties and “Family Movie Packs”
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
INDEPENDENCE DAY (6/30-7/2), YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (7/1-7/2), YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (7/6)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (6/30-7/2)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
THE LITTLE MERMAID (6/30-7/2)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, THE BOOGEYMAN (Screen 1), ELEMENTAL (animation), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (6/30 on)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, please visit the fine folks at Cine-File and subscribe to their definitive “Cine-List” weekly blast.
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
7/23-7/25
Champaign Movie Makers* 48 Hour Film Contest
@ Lincoln Square Mall (starting point), Urbana, IL, Information
7/28
Champaign Movie Makers* 48 Hour Film Fest
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 8:30 p.m.
NEW! 7/28
DVD/streaming release: YOU’RE OUT!*
+ Gravitas Ventures, Cleveland, OH
8/9
HUNTING FOR THE HAG* screening
@ Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL, 7 p.m.
8/19
DESPERATE SOULS* downstate premiere
@ The Princess Theater, LeRoy, IL, time TBD
NEW! 8/19
FIELDS OF GOLD* world premiere
@ Fine Arts Theatre, Beverly Hills, CA, 7 p.m. PST
9/9
Dark History and Horror Convention
@ The Orpheum Theater, Champaign, IL, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
9/13-9/17
30th Chicago Underground Film Festival, Chicago, IL
NEW! 9/16
FIELDS OF GOLD* Midwest premiere
@ Lincoln Square Theatre, Decatur, IL, 7 p.m.
9/21-10/8
41st Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
9/23
Route 66 Film Festival presents “Get Your Flicks on Route 66” showcase
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., free
9/26
DVD release: GEORGE HARRISON: A BEATLE IN BENTON, ILLINOIS* 60th anniversary edition
+ MVD Visual, Pottstown, PA
10/5-10/15
32nd Heartland International Film Festival, Indianapolis, IN
10/2
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Live in Concert
@ State Farm Center, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m.
10/11-10/22
59th Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
10/28
Small Press Fest 2023
@ Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana, IL, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
11/3-11/3
22nd Route 66 Film Festival, Springfield, IL (virtual)
11/9-11/19
32nd Whitaker St Louis International Film Festival, St. Louis, MO
12/2
Krampusnacht Freeky Film Festival*
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
“The Arthouse Experience Film Series” curated by Sanford Hess and sponsored by Illinois Public Media
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
7/12: MULHOLLAND DRIVE
NEW! Champaign Park District presents “Thursday Night Flix”
@ various venues, dusk, free admission
6/8: BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER @ Mattis Park; 7/6: ENCANTO @ Clark Park; 8/3: BACK TO THE FUTURE @ Toalson Park; 8/10: TBA @ Champaign Fire Station 3, 702 Bradley Ave.
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
7/27: TOP GUN
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad”
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 9 p.m. Thursdays, free
7/13: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3; 7/20: THE SUPER MARIO BROTHERS MOVIE; 7/27: AIR; 8/3: FAST X; 8/10: THE LITTLE MERMAID
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
7/15: 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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