Calendar: May 17-23, 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!
5/17: Nat Dykeman (founder, Lake County Film Festival, Grayslake, IL)
5/19: Gerry Kissell (co-host, Pop Culture Minefield vidcast, Dangerous Nerds Media, Springfield, MO)
5/21: Katherine Bokenkamp (actress, THE BATON ROUGE SERIAL KILLER, Meet Me at the Movies Productions, Springfield, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Our new Report will be the next-to-last one for the academic recess, dearest readers, although the Calendar will continue. Your humble editor has a ton to do at MFHQ Deux now that Momkoke’s estate is just about settled and work-for-hire needs to be restored to pre-pandemic, pre-weekly road trip levels. (If you don’t know what I’m referencing at this point, you haven’t been picking up on all the hints and asides I’ve been laying down on C-U Blogfidential over the last seven years and that’s just fine. Somewhat.) For the moment, we’d like to share a few stories that really didn’t go with the windfall o’ indie horror we dropped in your laps last week. And yet, they’re still kind of horrific in ways. There truly is no escape.
We recently caught wind of a sideline taken up by the fellows behind the HorrorFix website, Ash Hamilton and James G. Chandler, and that is providing commentary tracks for the home video releases of Kino Lorber. (Chairman Richard Lorber talked to The Hollywood Reporter this week about their philosophy and durability in an ever-fickle marketplace filled with theatrical, streaming, and physical media product.) The title catching the eye of Ye Ed is DEATH MACHINE, an early Nineties sci-fi effort directed by Stephen Norrington (BLADE) with Brad Dourif and Ely Pouget that is receiving a little two-disc Blu-ray love from the company. It will be available as of Tuesday, June 4, and the central Illinois duo can also be heard on the just-announced Blu of UNDERGROUND ACES (1981) starring Dirk Benedict and Melanie Griffith, which is scheduled to street on Tuesday, July 23, and the exploitation action fests of PRISON GIRLS (1972) and SAVAGE SISTERS (1974), which Kino has uncaged in the last couple of years. Hamilton recently voiced on Facebook a desire to staff up Horror-Fix.com; hit them up right here if interested!
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Speaking of “movies” and “revivals,” we are seemingly at the beginning of the strongest push in recent memory to establish filmmaking not only as a viable activity in Champaign-Urbana, but also – we’ll see to what effect in the near future – a viable business and money-making strategy in the milieu of Champaign County commerce and tourism. Following a call for local talent to be extras in upcoming shoots that was held on May 2, a pair of follow-up events will be held this weekend and hosted by Rantoul’s Flyover Film Studios and Bokeh Background Casting, an offshoot of the Chicago-based Compass Casting. Sessions will take place on Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Hampton Inn of Champaign, and Sunday, May 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Rantoul Business Center in Rantoul. Directions on how to prepare and what to otherwise do are available on the Bokeh website. Shatterglass Films and The Line Film Co. are also partnering with Film Champaign-Urbana, the rebranded Champaign County film office, to host an informational workshop for local businesses who trade in services and hospitality at Analog Wine Library in Urbana on Thursday, May 23, 5-6 p.m., to learn how to be involved in upcoming movie shoots.
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Weirdly enough, our remaining updates have to do with locally-based folks plying their trades elsewhere and, of course, it’s for horror-themed material. Deadline and other news sites reported last week that REVIVAL, a pet project of Flyover and Shatterglass’ Luke Boyce, was ordered to series by SyFy and expected to air in 2025. Life and creative partner Keri Boyce shared on Facebook that her husband and a production team that includes Aaron B. Koontz, a producer on Shatterglass’ REVEALER and other Shudder titles, will be stationed in Canada for five months to bring this “anti-zombie” serial to life; the duo serves as executive producers, showrunners, and writers on REVIVAL, adapted from the hit Image Comics title by writer Tim Seeley (REVEALER, Hack/Slash) and artist Mike Norton (Shazam!, Battlepug). Closer to home, Midwest filmmaker Nathan Dalton shared with his Indiegogo patrons last week a teaser trailer for his low-budget and crowd-funded culinary tale of terror, HAUNTED HOUSE OF PANCAKES, which features cinematography by our own John Isberg (FINAL SUMMER); co-written by Niki McElroy with Dalton and filmed in Ohio this February, the silly-as-it-sounds dish looks to be loaded with jokes, monsters, and practical effects. At some point, Mr. JaPan will serve up his very minor contribution to the mayhem.
We’ll conclude by voicing our perennial plea for you to do your part in supporting efforts in the cinema du C-U. Despite the focus by local media on developments with Flyover Film Studios, a film culture is not solely dependent on or defined by the folks who choose to go big or go home. You can get familiar with our neighbors in film by attending events apart from the first-run multiplex dates and Disney/Marvel/CGI warm weather reruns for families, such as the monthly Champaign Movie Makers mixer. They return on Monday, May 20, 7 p.m., to the Esquire Lounge in downtown Champaign where you can learn about the revitalized Pens to Lens program and other interesting projects. Be there and contribute if you can.
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* mixer (5/20, 7 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BACK TO BLACK, IF, THE LAST FRENZY (in Mandarin with English sub), THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1, CHALLENGERS, THE FALL GUY, GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, KUNG FU PANDA 4 (animation), TAROT, UNSUNG HERO (faith film) (5/17 on), “Transformers 40th Anniversary Event” feat. TRANSFORMERS S1 Ep. 1-4 (5/18-5/19, 12 p.m.), Studio Ghibli Fest 2024: NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND 40th anniversary (animé) (5/19, 2 & 7 p.m., English dub; 5/21, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), CASTLE IN THE SKY (animé) (5/20, 7 p.m., English dub; 5/22, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (5/20, 7 p.m.), FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA, THE GARFIELD MOVIE (animation), SIGHT (5/23 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BACK TO BLACK, IF, THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1, CHALLENGERS, CIVIL WAR, THE FALL GUY, GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, KUNG FU PANDA 4 (animation), TAROT, UNSUNG HERO (faith film) (5/17 on), NOT ANOTHER CHURCH MOVIE (5/18-5/20, 5/23, 11 a.m.), HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (5/18, 7 p.m.; 5/19, 3 & 7 p.m.; 5/22, 7 p.m.), NORTH BY NORTHWEST 65th anniversary (5/19, 1 & 7 p.m.; 5/22, 7 p.m.), Studio Ghibli Fest 2024: NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND 40th anniversary (animé) (5/19, 3 & 7 p.m., English dub; 5/21, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), CASTLE IN THE SKY (animé) (5/20, 7 p.m., English dub; 5/22, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA, THE GARFIELD MOVIE (animation) (5/23 on)
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE (5/23, 9 p.m., free)
@ Redbox (streaming), Champaign-Urbana, IL
Follow the link to view the hottest new releases! (5/14 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series” feat. FAME (1980) (5/23, 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
JURASSIC PARK (3-D), THE FALL GUY, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (5/17-5/19)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
IF, WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Screen 1), THE WIZARD OF OZ, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (Screen 2) (5/17-5/19)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
FORREST GUMP (5/18-5/19), REALITY BITES (5/19), AIRPLANE! (5/23)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
IF (5/17-5/19)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
UNSUNG HERO (faith film) (5/17-5/18)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
IF, THE FALL GUY (Screen 1), KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, THE FIRST OMEN (Screen 2) (5/17-5/18)
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
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 Festival – Spring 2024 screening series
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 4 p.m.
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.
6/27: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE*; 7/11: GREASE “sing-a-long” edition
NEW! Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad”
@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 9 p.m. Thursdays, free
5/23: BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE; 5/30: DUNE: PART TWO; 6/6: ARTHUR THE KING; 6/13: KUNG FU PANDA 4; 6/20: THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES; 6/27: THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE; 7/11: GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE; 7/18: CIVIL WAR; 7/25: THE FALL GUY; 8/1: GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE; 8/8: IF
Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
5/24: FREE SOLO; 6/21: WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?; 7/5: STOP MAKING SENSE;
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
5/25: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1923) with accompaniment by organist Jay Warren; 6/15: HARVEY; 7/13: ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
© 2024 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential