Calendar: Aug. 30-Sept. 5, 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!
8/28: Skip Huston (owner/operator, The Avon Theatre, Decatur, IL)
8/30: John Oak Dalton (director, SMART HOUSE, ITN Distribution, Beverly Hills, CA)
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, ALBANY ROAD, Faith Filmworks, Los Angeles, CA)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Cultural pursuits require labor as much as anything else to be successful, and we at MFHQ Deux salute those who are on their feet and working hard this long weekend for the cause. That extends into next weekend when Acrostar Productions will be back in central Illinois for RETURN OF THE CORN ZOMBIES, and they could still use your help to make it all work on the set of their sequel. Zombie and pedestrian extras as well as stationary classic cars are in demand between Thursday, September 5, and Wednesday, September 11, according to producer Ann Myrna and a recent update published by the News-Gazette, so the way to confirm your participation in Farmer City and/or Dewey is to fill out this Google form ASAP. Also in the news, reported this week by WAND-TV, the Eagle Theater chain including the Clinton location we include in our weekly Calendar is asking patrons to fill out a survey and help them gauge support for continuing to operate in their respective communities; management is being frank about the need for refinancing to stay afloat post-COVID-19, but it will also require a steady uptick in business at all three Eagle locations to maintain a sense of continuity in their customer service. Finally, the Orpheum Theater in downtown Champaign hosts the 10th anniversary Dark History & Horror Convention from Mental Ward Productions this weekend on Saturday, August 31, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday, September 1, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; nestled amidst the true crime, tattoo, and Gothic arts attractions are media personalities, panel discussions, a Hall of Fame induction, and the companion Screaming Mad Film Festival that is included free with admission.
IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing Our Scene on the Screen
We’ll give Screaming Mad bloody props (such as a severed foam rubber head or two) for primarily sampling upper Midwest genre filmmaking with their feature selections and providing a de facto early Halloween movie marathon for fans of the season. The run begins with John Isberg’s FINAL SUMMER, the retro slasher filmed in our area as was its screening buddy, THE EXORCISM OF CHASE & SHEP (8/31, 11:30 a.m.), to be followed by Rebecca Rinehart and Rob Mello’s Indiana indie TIN ROOF (8/31, 2:30 p.m.) and the anthology coordinated by Springfield’s HorrorFix Films, F’D: TALES FROM THE END TIMES (8/31, 4:15 p.m.). Picking up on Sunday, the Missouri-lensed drama RED NIGHT AT SKYE’S is paired with a short subject, INHERITED SHAME (9/1, 11:45 a.m.), and a block of additional shorts closes the event (9/1, 2:10 p.m.). Apparently, the Orpheum will be hounded on Saturday by the animal-masked heathens from GRINNERS, an upcoming micro-budget flick to be made in northern Illinois later this fall, and Acrostar actors Delilah Hefner (ATTACK OF THE CORN ZOMBIES) and Bill D. Russell (IT CAME FROM SOMEWHERE) will be among the talent appearing on the main floor for both days. Go meet some creators, C-U! Our Image of the week is the teaser artwork released in the spring to hype F’D.
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LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Orpheum Champaign (The Orpheum Theater), Champaign, IL
10th anniversary Dark History & Horror Con* (8/31-9/1)
@ Golden Corral, Springfield, IL
Central Illinois Film Commission* meeting (9/5, 7 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
AFRAID, CITY OF DREAMS, REAGAN, SLINGSHOT, ALIEN: ROMULUS, BLINK TWICE, CORALINE (animation; re-release), THE CROW, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), THE FORGE (faith film), INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), IT ENDS WITH US, STRANGE DARLING*, TWISTERS (8/30 on), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, THE FRONT ROOM, THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME (in Tamil with English sub) (9/5 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
1992, AFRAID, CITY OF DREAMS, REAGAN, ALIEN: ROMULUS, BLINK TWICE, THE CROW, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), THE FORGE (faith film), INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), IT ENDS WITH US, LONGLEGS, STRANGE DARLING, TRAP, TWISTERS (8/30 on), Sight & Sound presents Daniel (faith musical) (8/30, 6 p.m., 8/31-9/1, 2 & 7 p.m.; simulcast), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS (8/31-9/2, 9/4, 3 & 7 p.m.), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (9/5 on)
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents THE GARFIELD MOVIE (animation) (8/30-8/31, 7 p.m., free w/i-card)
@ 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
REAGAN, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, THELMA (8/30-9/1)
@ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL
AFRAID, REAGAN, BLINK TWICE, IT ENDS WITH US, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (8/30 on), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (9/5 on)
@ Crescent Cinemas, Pontiac, IL
REAGAN, INSIDE OUT 2 (animation) (8/30 on)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
TWISTER, TWISTERS (Screen 1), INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), IT ENDS WITH US (Screen 2) (8/30-9/1)
@ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL
1992, AFRAID, CITY OF DREAMS, REAGAN, BLINK TWICE, THE CROW, THE FORGE (faith film), ALIEN: ROMULUS, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), IT ENDS WITH US, TWISTERS (8/30 on), Indian cinema: SARIPODHAA SANIVAARAM (8/30-9/4, in Telegu with English sub), SURYA’S SATURDAY (8/311-9/4, in Tamil with English sub), GABBAR SINGH (9/1, in Telugu with English sub), and THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME (9/4-9/5, in Tamil with English sub), Sight & Sound presents Daniel (faith musical) (8/30, 6 p.m., 8/31-9/1, 2 p.m.; simulcast), THE GOONIES (8/30, 5:30 p.m.; 8/31, 9/2-9/3, 6:20 p.m.), TOP GUN (8/30, 10 p.m.; 8/31, 9/2, 9:20 p.m.; 9/3, 1 & 9:20 p.m.), THE SHINING (9/1, 8:50 p.m.; 9/3, 6:40 & 10 p.m.), FLY (documentary) (9/2-9/3, 4 & 7 p.m., IMAX), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (9/5 on)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
NEWSIES (8/30-9/1), NORMA RAE (8/31-9/1), GET OUT (9/5)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for the week.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
TWISTERS (8/30-9/1)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), IT ENDS WITH US (Screen 1), TWISTER, TWISTERS (Screen 2) (8/30-9/1)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
AFRAID, THE FORGE (faith film), REAGAN, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4* (animation), INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), IT ENDS WITH US, TWISTERS (8/30 on), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (9/5 on) *single screenings daily
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
9/19-10/6
42nd REELING: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, Chicago, 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
2/15/25
3rd annual CU International Film Festival*
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
4/23/-4/25/25
25th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
UPDATE! Chambana Film Festival* – Summer 2024 screening series
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 4 p.m.
9/15: JOIN OR DIE!; 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.
9/26: OFFICE SPACE*, 10/17: FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980); 11/20: THE BOY AND THE HERON (animé); 12/5: FRIDAY*
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
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
Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
9/6: HOOP DREAMS* (documentary); 10/4: MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON (animation); 10/18: TO LESLIE; 11/22: RUSHMORE
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
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”
© 2024 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential
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