Calendar: July 14-20, 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!
7/9: Ben Harroun (co-owner, Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL)
7/15: Jill Van Voorst (owner, LIX, Savoy, IL)
7/17: Derek Huey (cinematographer, 10/31 PART 3, Scream Team Releasing, Claysville, PA)
7/19: Don May, Jr. (president, Synapse Films, Inc., Novi, MI)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
We’re going southbound today, dearest backseat drivers, for a little Carbondale film culture detour if you don’t mind! First stop, we direct your attention to the college town’s Varsity Center for the Arts at 418 S. Illinois Ave. and their “Summer Cinema” series that will be screened the next four Saturdays at 7 p.m. beginning tomorrow, July 15, with the seminal documentary HOOP DREAMS, directed by Southern Illinois University alumnus Steve James and co-produced by University of Illinois alumnus Fredrick Marx. The series continues with SEVEN SAMURAI on July 22, MULHOLLAND DRIVE on July 29, and PARIS IS BURNING on August 5 at the Varsity. An article from the Southern Illinoisan and video from the SIUC Alumni Association, both published in early 2023, detail what has been refurbished and yet to be upgraded at the venue, formerly a grand 1,100-seat theater opened in 1940 and currently 15 years into its life as a multi-purpose complex for performance, live music, and art exhibitions as well as movies.
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Next stop up ahead is a fright that can be sighted from the comfort of your own home if you know where to look. Workshop Films Collective member Charlie Queen is a Carbondale-based filmmaker whose comedic short, MORT, has played several genre festivals and makes its livestream debut tonight at 7 p.m. CST on BLOODY BITES, a compilation show airing on the Screambox TV channel that is available through Roku and Pluto TV. For the moment, you’ll have to catch MORT on the fly in this sixth season, second episode of BLOODY BITES, but it will eventually become available to view at places like Tubi and Amazon Prime. Appearing with PATRICIA STERLING, directed by Sunny Mabrey, and NEIGHBORS, directed by Isaac Ruth, Queen’s MORT is the worst nightmare of a local mortician (Andy Farmer) and his deadpan assistant (Josh Bernstein) when their body, Mort (Les Lannom), decides to get up for a walk as his family arrives to pay their respects. If you’re not streaming savvy and feel the wait will simply kill you, the festival cut of this undead romp is on Vimeo for your, a-hem, consumption. Queen and Andy Farmer’s Basic/Expert Films have already filmed a follow-up short in California, TROUBLESHOOTING, and are in preproduction on their next, THE AUDITION, which will soon be filmed in southern Illinois a la MORT.
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And finally, we make an unexpected pit stop thanks to pure investigative perseverance. The day before I saw the Facebook posts about MORT and Screambox, I received a catalog in the mail from online merchant Oldies.com that I wasn’t expecting, given I haven’t ordered from them in a while. Once I made it to the “general” section in the second half of its pages – would I not skim a listing made up 100% of films and television shows for sale? – I found a familiar-sounding car chase flick called STINGRAY. “Hey, isn’t this the one shot in southern Illinois?” Turns out, I remembered it right. Seems that STINGRAY, made primarily in the Edwardsville and St. Louis regions in 1977 and released theatrically the next year by Avco Embassy Pictures, had finally hit digital in late 2021 from Dark Force Entertainment as a Blu-ray release, the film transferred from a 35mm print stored in the garage of director and area native Richard Taylor. As far as I can find, it has not yet cruised into the landscape of licensed streaming on services.
A “contraband stashed in the hot vintage car” caper that was obviously made to cash in on the car culture craze ignited by SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, and their ilk, STINGRAY stars Christopher Mitchum, Sherry Jackson, William Watson, Bert Hinchman, Cliff Emmich, and a much younger Lannom (SILKWOOD) in one of his earliest big-screen roles. Dark Force’s version of the film is apparently a harder-edged and longer edit than the PG-rated one distributed by Avco Embassy and is billed as the “Garage Edition” on the occasions it is booked for a screening, like those held at the Wildey Theater of Edwardsville in 2011 and again for the film’s 40th anniversary in 2019. The disc packaging is the original one-sheet art on a slip cover and the disc itself contains several extras that openly embrace the “local flavor” angle. I highly doubt STINGRAY will become a belated cult classic after all these years, but at least it receives the hometown bear hugs that have sorely eluded our somewhat comparable SHOT.
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As a postscript, we’d be curious to learn about what happened to SIU-Carbondale’s venerable Big Muddy Film Festival. Did it even take place in 2023? I’m guessing not; there is no recent online coverage of it whatsoever and all Big Muddy socials are out of date in their posting. The students who program and organize it, per tradition, seemed to be taking chances during the pandemic to keep it alive, such as with the scaled-down “Little Muddy” event, but it now feels like a large void in the already patchy realm of downstate Illinois film showcases. What is most confounding is the equal lack of discourse, per Google searches, as to what apparently sank Big Muddy this year or even a public statement that makes an effort to reaffirm its continuation or simply confirm its fate. Anyone who wants to speak on the record or confidentially about it can contact us at cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com.
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Farmer City Raceway, Farmer City, IL
Farmer City and DeWit County Fair 2023 presents IT CAME FROM SOMEWHERE* (7/19, 7 p.m. gates, 9 p.m. show w/filmmakers)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
LOST IN THE STARS (in Mandarin with English sub), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE, PSYCHO-PASS: PROVIDENCE (animé) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub), ELEMENTAL (animation), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR, JOY RIDE, NO HARD FEELINGS, RUBY GILLMAN – TEENAGE KRAKEN* (animation), SOUND OF FREEDOM, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (animation), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (7/14 on), MUMMIES (animation) (7/15, 7/19, 12 p.m.), TERRIFIER (7/19-7/20, 8 p.m.), BARBIE, OPPENHEIMER (7/20 on) *single shows daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE, ASTEROID CITY, ELEMENTAL (animation), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR, JOY RIDE, THE LITTLE MERMAID, NO HARD FEELINGS, PAST LIVES, RUBY GILLMAN – TEENAGE KRAKEN* (animation), SOUND OF FREEDOM, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (animation), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (7/14 on), SHREK 2 (7/16, 3 & 7 p.m.; 7/19, 7 p.m.), NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION 40th anniversary (7/16, 4 & 7 p.m.; 7/19, 7 p.m.), DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA live cast performance (animé) (in Japanese with English sub) (7/18, 7 p.m., recorded), BARBIE, OPPENHEIMER (7/20 on) *single shows daily
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. THE SUPER MARIO BROTHERS MOVIE (7/20, 9 p.m., free)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
BOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, SISU, more! (7/11 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
The News-Gazette Film Series presents I LOVE LUCY: THE MOVIE (7/15, 1 & 7 p.m.), Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series” feat. FOOTLOOSE (1984) (7/20, 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
THE MIRACLE CLUB, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE, INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (7/13-7/14)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE (Screen 1), ELEMENTAL (animation), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (Screen 2) (7/14-7/15), SOUND OF FREEDOM (Screen 1), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE (Screen 2) (7/16-7/19), BARBIE (Screen 1), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE (Screen 2) (7/20)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties only!
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
BIOSPHERE (7/14-7/16), LAST ACTION HERO (7/20)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (7/14-7/16)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (7/14-7/16)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (Screen 1), SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (animation), INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR (7/14-7/16, 7/19-7/20)
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.
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.
8/10
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series” feat. FINAL SUMMER*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
8/19
DESPERATE SOULS* downstate premiere
@ The Princess Theater, LeRoy, IL, time TBD
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
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
UPDATE! “The Arthouse Experience Film Series” curated by Sanford Hess and sponsored by Illinois Public Media
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
8/11: THE DUKE
Champaign Park District presents “Thursday Night Flix”
@ various venues, dusk, free admission
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.
8/10: FINAL SUMMER*
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad”
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 9 p.m. Thursdays, free
7/27: AIR; 8/3: FAST X; 8/10: THE LITTLE MERMAID
UPDATE! The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
8/12: ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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