Calendar: August 9-15, 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!
8/12: Ann Myrna (producer, DISREMEMBERED, Acrostar Productions, Chicago, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
The Report is on hiatus until August or September. Thank you for your readership, CUvians and Agents!
IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing Our Screens in the Scene
This week, we have just cause to break out one more vintage Daily Illini theater advertisement in honor of the late actress and producer, Shelley Duvall, who passed on July 11 at age 75 after a post-career life spent far, far away from the spotlight and excesses of Hollywood and on her own modest terms. One of your humble editor’s all-time favorite experiences at Roger Ebert’s Film Festival was a late-night screening of the hard-to-describe Robert Altman feature 3 WOMEN, which paired up Duvall with Sissy Spacek and Janice Rule to bizarre and mesmerizing effect. Despite Ye Ed’s absence from “Ebertfest” for the last decade due to personal and financial (and, now, long-distance) reasons, he feels it has been good choice-making and overall presentation at the annual event that has made it a Virginia Theatre staple. Nothing of its prominence but plenty of cinema in variety and breadth could be had in the C-U community and on the UIUC campus on Friday, August 26, 1977, when 3 WOMEN began a first-run engagement at the massive Thunderbird Theatre across town in Urbana; the promotion for this and Gregory Peck in MACARTHUR at the Rialto Theatre took up two-fifths of an entire page in that day’s DI. You will hardly see dominating movie ads like this anymore except maybe in the weekend sections of big city print papers like the New York Times. By sheer coincidence, the boutique label Vinegar Syndrome launched pre-orders just before her death for a UHD issue of a previous Altman and Duvall collaboration, THIEVES LIKE US, a Southern tale of robbery and romance set during the Depression that also stars Keith Carradine, John Schuck, and Bert Remsen. One of the many enduring mysteries of film, of course, is in the myriad ways it preserves the expressive powers of storytelling talent, including that of the singular Duvall. Rest in peace, Olive Oyl.
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CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
20 Years Ago … August 2004: Corn crops of the American prairie become murder row in STALKED, a proof-of-concept short that is being filmed in the outskirts of tiny Homer, IL. Producers Nick Bird and Amy Heppe are helping to utilize the extensive farmlands around the childhood home of writer/director Ryan E. Heppe to stage a scene wherein Eighties teenagers Glen (Brian M. Jones) and Lucy (Tatiana Javorsky) have a late-night tryst that is cut short by a living scarecrow (Lucas Heppe). Moonlighting technicians from WILL-TV, where Heppe worked briefly before moving to California, make up the crew along with craftspeople from the Chicago area. After a handful of festival appearances, STALKED vanished and a feature film version never materialized for Heppe’s company Knighttime Pictures. Archive.org [R]
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Festival* presents OUT THERE: A NATIONAL PARKS STORY (documentary) (8/11, 4 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BORDERLANDS, CUCKOO, IT ENDS WITH US, TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (in Cantonese with English sub), DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, SUCCESSOR* (in Mandarin with English sub), INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), LONGLEGS, TRAP, TWISTERS (8/9 on), LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (8/11, 1 & 7 p.m.; 8/12, 7 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (8/12, 7 p.m.), STRANGE DARLING screening and livestream event (8/14, 8 p.m.), ALIEN: ROMULUS, CORALINE (re-release), STREE 2 (in Hindi with English sub), VEDAA (in Hindi with English sub) (8/15 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BORDERLANDS, CUCKOO, IT ENDS WITH US, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), THE FABULOUS FOUR, HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), LONGLEGS, A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE, TRAP, TWISTERS (8/9 on), THE IRON GIANT (animation) (8/9, 3 p.m.; 8/14, 7 p.m.), LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (8/11, 1 & 7 p.m.; 8/12, 7 p.m.), ‘RiffTrax Live!’ feat. POINT BREAK (1991) (8/13, 7 p.m., simulcast), The Metropolitan Opera “summer encore”: Porgy and Bess (8/14, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), ALIEN: ROMULUS, CORALINE (re-release) (8/15 on)
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illini Radio Group presents “Mix 94.5 Animation Vacation Film Series” feat. CHICKEN RUN (8/12, 1 & 6:30 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
TRAP, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, TWISTERS (8/8-8/11)
@ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL
BORDERLANDS, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, TRAP, TWISTERS (8/9 on)
@ Crescent Cinemas, Pontiac, IL
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, TWISTERS (8/9 on), THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (animation) (8/13, 8/15, 1:30 p.m.)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (Screen 1), TWISTERS (Screen 2) (8/9-8/10)
@ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL
BORDERLANDS, CUCKOO, IT ENDS WITH US, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), LONGLEGS*, TRAP, TWISTERS (8/9 on), Indian cinema: MINMINI* (8/9, 8/12-8/14, in Tamil with English sub) and COMMITTE KURROLLU* (8/10-8/14, in Telugu with English sub), THE LEGO MOVIE 10th anniversary (8/10-8/15, 1 p.m.), POLTERGEIST (1982) (8/11, 8/13, 10 p.m.), Marcus “Mystery Movie” (8/12, 7 p.m.), STRANGE DARLING screening and livestream event (8/14, 8 p.m.), ALIEN: ROMULUS, CORALINE (re-release), MY PENGUIN FRIEND, RYAN’S WORLD THE MOVIE (live action/animation), SKINCARE (8/15 on) *single screenings daily
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
A VIEW TO A KILL (8/9-8/11), OCTOPUSSY (8/10-8/11), FROZEN II (animation) (8/12, 8/14), PULP FICTION (8/15)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for the week.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation) (8/9-8/11)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), TWISTERS (Screen 1), DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, LONGLEGS (Screen 2) (8/9-8/11)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
BORDERLANDS, IT ENDS WITH US, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, TRAP, TWISTERS (8/9 on), CORALINE (re-release) (8/15 on)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema, Chicago, IL
“Chicago Seen Volume 18” local film program (8/9, 7 p.m.)
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
8/17
Pens to Lens* 2024 Gala
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 3-5 p.m.
8/31-9/1
10th anniversary Dark History & Horror Con*
@ Orpheum Champaign (The Orpheum Theater), Champaign, IL
10/16-10/27
60th Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
11/1-11/2
23rd Route 66 Film Festival*
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL
4/23/-4/25/25
25th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
Chambana Film Festival* – Summer 2024 screening series
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 4 p.m.
8/25: THE WINGWALKER; 9/29: A TIME APART
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
8/29: BACK TO THE FUTURE; 9/26: OFFICE SPACE*, 10/17: FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980); 11/20: THE BOY AND THE HERON (animé); 12/5: FRIDAY*
UPDATE! Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
8/16: THE FAVOURITE; 9/6: HOOP DREAMS* (documentary); 10/4: MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON (animation); 10/18: TO LESLIE; 11/22: RUSHMORE
NEW! Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2024 Weekend Films”
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w/i-card
8/24: A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE; 8/30-8/31: THE GARFIELD MOVIE (animation); 9/6-9/7: INSIDE OUT 2 (animation); 9/13-9/14: BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE; 9/20-9/21: MEAN GIRLS (2004); 9/27-9/28: TWISTERS; 10/4-10/5: BORDERLANDS; 10/11-10/12: LONGLEGS; 10/18-10/19: DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation); HOCUS POCUS (10/25-10/26); 11/1-11/2: FLY ME TO THE MOON; 11/8-11/9: IT ENDS WITH US; 11/15-11/16: SCREAM (1996); 11/22-11/23: BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE; 12/6-12/7: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
8/24: IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD; 9/21: THE LONG GOODBYE; 10/19: REAR WINDOW; 11/30: THE WIZARD OF OZ; 12/7: 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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