Calendar: September 1-7, 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!
8/28: Skip Huston (owner/operator, The Avon Theatre, Decatur, IL)
9/1: Matt Wiley (designer/cartoonist, Matt Wiley Art, Champaign-Urbana, IL)
9/2: Matt Harsh (videographer/multimedia artist, HarshPro, Champaign-Urbana, IL)
9/5: Anthony E. Cabral (first assistant director, SATURDAYS, Disney Branded Entertainment, Burbank, CA)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Alright. So. I wasn’t in a very good mood while filing the Report these last two weeks and had intended to continue it this week, leveling up to briefly discuss the calamity that is conservative politics in America – I clearly swing the other way to a reasonable degree, which you should have figured out by now – but I don’t want to distract our patient readers with constant words of dismay. Today, I say “nay” to negativity! It’s time to get back on the beat at CUBlog with proactive news. Once this Calendar is live, I will have a Labor Day weekend full of labor as I straighten up Momkoke Manor before the visits from specialists who will help me determine whether I can afford to keep it in the family. Wish me luck, pals o’ mine.
Meanwhile, friends in the local film mix continue to get their wares out there. Chicago-area producer Jason Huls of Ten Wing Media, whom we’ve mentioned in our recent coverage of HUNTING FOR THE HAG, just announced on Facebook that his new short subject, THAT DAMNED YELLOW RAINCOAT, will be one of eight shorts total to play the third World Drive-in Film Festival and Jamboree on opening night, Friday, October 6, in Las Vegas, NV; the event is hosted by Joe Bob Briggs and Diana Prince from the popular Shudder program, THE LAST DRIVE-IN. And then, downstate producer Jessie Seitz has revealed on Kickstarter that her upcoming documentary MONSTER GIRLS will have a presence October 13-15 at the Son of Monsterpalooza show in Burbank, CA, where she will table as well as host a panel discussion on women in special effects makeup, and be promoted some time in between September 21 and 28 at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX, where an advance clip will be shared at showings of the remake of THE TOXIC AVENGER. Also, roving producer and Shatterglass Studios co-founder Brett Hays announced on Linkedin that he has launched a portfolio site; although mainly directed at the industry he and partner Luke Boyce have been active in for more than 15 years, it gives a detailed look into all his accomplishments outside of central Illinois and aside from Shatterglass in the business we call show.
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
75 Years Ago … Friday, September 3, 1948: The first drive-in to be established in Champaign County, the Twin City Drive-in Theatre, opens for business with the Yvonne De Carlo/Rod Cameron color Western adventure, FRONTIER GAL, directed by Charles Lamont and released by Universal Pictures. It is located on North Market Street in the far north reaches of Champaign, roughly where the Salvation Army Family Store and Great Value Storage are sitting today. Owner and manager John Barr installed 600 car speakers and several benches on the lot to allow for a good-sized crowd, according to several reports published in the Champaign-Urbana Courier as construction took place, but would add square footage to the screen and more than 100 additional parking spaces in the months following the Twin City’s debut to meet popular demand. In line with the eventual decline of the drive-in industry thanks to multiplexes, television, home video, unattractive programming choices, and in this case, corporate indifference – Kerasotes Theatres, the large Midwest chain founded in Springfield, IL, took over operation of the venue in 1960 – the Twin City went dark for good in late 1981. [R]
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BOTTOMS, THE EQUALIZER 3, NO MORE BETS (in Mandarin with English sub), GRAN TURISMO, THE HILL, RETRIBUTION, BARBIE, BLUE BEETLE, ELEMENTAL (animation), MEG 2: THE TRENCH, OPPENHEIMER, SOUND OF FREEDOM, STRAYS, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (animation) (9/1 on), PERFECT BLUE 25th anniversary (animé) (9/6, 7:30 p.m.; in Japanese with English sub; 9/7, 7:30 p.m., English dub), JAWAN (in Hindi with English sub), MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3, THE NUN II (9/7 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE EQUALIZER 3, KING OF KILLERS, BARBIE, BLUE BEETLE, ELEMENTAL (animation), GOLDA, GRAN TURISMO, THE HILL, MEG 2: THE TRENCH, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE, OPPENHEIMER, RETRIBUTION, STRAYS, TALK TO ME, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (animation) (9/1 on), THE GOONIES (9/2, 9/4, 2, 4:30 & 7 p.m.; 9/3, 3 & 7 p.m.; 9/6, 7 p.m.), THEY LIVE 35th anniversary (9/3, 4 & 7 p.m.; 9/6, 7 p.m.), MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3, THE NUN II (9/7 on)
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2023 Weekend Films” feat. ELEMENTAL (animation), Pine Lounge, 1st floor (9/1-9/2, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ Redbox (streaming), Champaign-Urbana, IL
THE BAKER, THE FLASH, THE POD GENERATION, more! (8/29 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
No movies this week!
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
BARBIE, BLUE BEETLE, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (animation) (9/1-9/3)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
Danville Public Library, etc., present “A Novel Idea…” feat. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (9/7, 7 p.m.)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
GREASE, DIRTY DANCING (Screen 1), THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (animation), BARBIE (Screen 2) (9/1-9/3)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties and “Family Movie Packs”
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
NANDOR FODOR AND THE TALKING MONGOOSE (9/1-9/3), ISU Honors Program presents “Ethnogothic Film Series” feat. GANJA & HESS (9/7)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
GRAN TURISMO (9/1-9/3)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE (9/1-9/3)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
THE EQUALIZER 3, GRAN TURISMO (Screen 1), BARBIE, ELEMENTAL (animation) (Screen 2) (9/1-9/3)
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
9/9
Dark History and Horror Convention
@ The Orpheum Theater, Champaign, IL, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
9/12
Streaming release: FINAL SUMMER*
+ Cardinal XD, Burbank, CA
9/13-9/17
30th Chicago Underground Film Festival, Chicago, IL
NEW! 9/14
Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies* “Welcome Event”
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m.
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
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
9/28: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY* “sing-a-long” edition; 10/5: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW; 11/16: PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES*, 12/21: DIE HARD
Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
9/15: GREENER PASTURES; 10/6: ROSENCRANZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD; 12/1: SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2023 Weekend Films”
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w/i-card
9/1-9/2: ELEMENTAL; 9/7-9/8: SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE; 9/14-9/15: INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY; 9/21-9/22: BARBIE; 9/28-9/29: OPPENHEIMER; 10/6-10/7: HAUNTED MANSION; 10/13-10/14: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM; 10/20-10/21: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE; 10/27-10/28: INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR; 11/3-11/4: GRAN TURISMO; 11/10-11/11: STRAYS: 11/17-11/18: BLUE BEETLE; 12/1-12/2: THE EQUALIZER 3
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
9/16: THE MALTESE FALCON; 10/14: NORTH BY NORTHWEST; 11/25: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION; 12/2: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
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