Calendar: March 15-21, 2024
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!
3/18: Joseph Muskin (co-author, The Art Theater, Champaign Urbana Theater History, Urbana, IL)
3/19: Andrew F. Gleason (associate director of video services, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL)
PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed
3/8: Mark Rubel, 65 (producer, MELVIN’S DISCONTENT, Pogo Studios, Champaign, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
In the interest of getting something out of this breezy weekend that doesn’t involve a computer, we’re drafting the easiest and peasiest Report that we can. To that end, we share this sole topic that reveals more layers than you’d expect. A bunch has been in the news lately about the EV start-up Rivian Automotive, which has a manufacturing plant in Normal at the location where George Henry Horton’s AI indie PROJECT DOROTHY was shot. (Rivian CEO R. J. Scaringe and DOROTHY producer Ryan Scaringe are clearly related, hence the filmmakers’ unfettered access to the former Mitsubishi complex.) The operation is being positioned as an answer or competitor to Elon Musk’s Tesla brand if they can get product out on the streets; the Normal facility is eliminating its third shift operations and transferring workers to the earlier shifts with allegedly improved means to produce their R1 vehicles more efficiently, and they just announced a new R2 make of SUV that can sport a host of accessories including a rooftop tent, dubbed the “treehouse,” with a built-in movie projector among the perks. Ye Ed is yelling at us to tell you that it’s A-OK to not be anywhere near a screen or the cinema for a time. Let it go. Let it … you know.
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting re: Pens to Lens 2024 (3/18, 7 p.m.)
@ Spurlock Museum for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
IN WHOSE HONOR?* documentary screening and panel discussion (3/18, 4 p.m., Knight Auditorium)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES, ARTHUR THE KING, KNOX GOES AWAY, LOVE LIES BLEEDING, ONE LIFE, YODHA (in Hindi with English sub), CABRINI (faith film), DUNE: PART TWO, IMAGINARY, KUNG FU PANDA 4 (animation), OPPENHEIMER, ORDINARY ANGELS, POOR THINGS*, YOLO (in Mandarin with English sub) (3/15 on), GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE (3/21 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES, ARTHUR THE KING, KNOX GOES AWAY, ONE LIFE, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE, CABRINI (faith film), DUNE: PART TWO, IMAGINARY, KUNG FU PANDA 4 (animation), MADAME WEB, MIGRATION (animation), ORDINARY ANGELS (3/15 on), LABYRINTH (3/17, 3 p.m.), JURASSIC PARK (3/17, 3 & 7 p.m.), THE ARK AND THE DARKNESS (religious documentary) (3/20-3/21, 7 p.m.), RAD (2/21, 7 p.m.), GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE (3/21 on)
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2024 Weekend Films” feat. AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (3/15-3/16, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ Redbox (streaming), Champaign-Urbana, IL
Follow the link to view the hottest new releases! (3/12 on) Online rentals
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies and Women’s Resources Center present OVARIAN PSYCOS documentary screening (3/21, 7 p.m., Knight Auditorium)
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series” feat. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (3/21, 7 p.m.)
@ Women’s Resources Center, UIUC, Champaign, IL
WRC and Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies present “Women Make Movies” discussion of OVARIAN PSYCOS documentary (3/22, 3 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
CABRINI (faith film), DUNE: PART TWO, KUNG FU PANDA 4 (animation) (3/15-3/17)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
Silent film live accompaniment by the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (3/15, 6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
FINIAN’S RAINBOW (3/15-3/17), LEPRECHAUN (3/15-3/16)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
KUNG FU PANDA 4 (animation) (3/15-3/17)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
ARGYLLE (3/15-3/17)
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
4/4-4/11
26th annual Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/4-4/14
34th Onion City Experimental Film Festival, Chicago, IL
4/5
“Friday Forum” feat. Prof. Jay Rosenstein about IN WHOSE HONOR?
@ University YMCA, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 12 p.m.
4/17-4/20
24th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival* (25th anniversary edition)
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
4/25-4/28
2nd annual Foxtail Film Festival*
@ Normal Theater, etc., Normal, IL
4/26
UIUC Student Film Festival*
@ Spurlock Museum for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m.
8/31-9/1
10th anniversary Dark History & Horror Con
@ Orpheum Champaign (The Orpheum Theater), Champaign, IL
11/1-11/2
23rd Route 66 Film Festival*
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
Chambana Film Spring 2024 screening series
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 4 p.m.
3/31: QWERTY (free); 4/28: TRAPPED BALLOON; 5/26: BIKE VESSEL
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
4/25: PITCH PERFECT*; 5/23: FAME (1980); 6/27: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE*; 7/11: GREASE “sing-a-long” edition
Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
4/26: AMÉLIE; 5/24: FREE SOLO; 7/5: STOP MAKING SENSE
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2024 Weekend Films”
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w/i-card
3/22-3/23: ANYONE BUT YOU; 3/29-3/30: THE COLOR PURPLE; 4/5-4/6: FERRARI; 4/12-4/13: THE BOYS IN THE BOAT; 4/19-4/20: WONKA; 4/26-4/27: THE BOOK OF CLARENCE; 5/3-5/4: THE IRON CLAW
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
4/13: THE THIRD MAN
Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies events
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. (unless noted otherwise)
4/4: PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE screening curated by Ebert Fellows; 4/16-4/17: Roger Ebert Symposium, “Representations and Their Critics”
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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