Calendar: September 6-12, 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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FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
The word for today is “gallery,” dearest readers, and if the Report hasn’t perfected the art of tying together the movies (and more) of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond, who else has? First up is this weekend’s iteration of the Immersion Festival at the recently opened Gallery Art Bar in downtown Urbana on Saturday, September 7, and Sunday, September 8; co-founder Jake Metz discussed with Jessica Hammie of Smile Politely what’s in store for the show, which showcases the collaborations of audio, video, and musical artists from across the country in what becomes a multidisciplinary playground, and his hopes for future expansion of the project. One can experience Immersion Fest with a blank slate of expectations or read about all the performers online.
Also coming to Gallery Art Bar is a new event called the 217 Film Festival, which is set for Thursday, September 19, 9 p.m., and still accepting submissions of shorts running no longer than 15 minutes through the end of the day on Monday, September 9; Half House Studios, a music label and concert promoter based in the C-U, is branching out with 217 and a QR code posted to their Facebook account will take filmmakers to a submission form they can fill out.
And still feeling so close yet situated so far away, C-U native Tristan Duke continues his investigation of creating large-scale photographic images through unconventional means from his home base of southern California to the wilds of the Arctic Circle; an e-mail blast received this week at MFHQ Deux goes through his upcoming doings such as a solo exhibit, “Glacial Optics,” opening on Friday, September 27, at SITE Santa Fe in New Mexico, and works appearing in group shows at both the Los Angeles Central Library and Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the fall. Duke’s process involves the design and construction of self-made cameras utilizing atypical elements to capture images – in the instance of “Glacial Optics,” fashioning his lenses from glacier ice in Alaska to photograph the environment his resource came from.
IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing Our Scene on the Screen
What, you thought it would be yet another reference to that other world-renowned 1954 black-and-white Toho Company production? The 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s SEVEN SAMURAI, distributed by Janus Films, storms the Normal Theater on September 6, 7, and 13, all at 7 p.m., and September 15 at 1 p.m. Go see it on the big screen where it and so many other indisputable world classics belong. If you have to drive long-distance for the pleasure, plan ahead; we know the Virginia Theatre/News-Gazette line-up of Hollywood chestnuts gets vanilla at times – we’ll tip our hat to them for booking Robert Altman’s THE LONG GOODBYE on September 21, a nice surprise there – and the overall lack of an Art Theater for art cinema in the C-U has already gotten old. In November, the Criterion Collection will issue SEVEN SAMURAI on UHD, which carries over extras including a commentary that features the former University of Illinois film professor David Desser, as well as GODZILLA (gotcha!), FUNNY FACE, PAPER MOON, THE SHAPE OF WATER, the 1932 version of SCARFACE, and the Japanese folk horror DEMON POND. Since poster and package design for movies is rarely the province of an art gallery, we’d like to showcase below the striking SAMURAI work done by illustrator Sean Phillips and title designer Neil Kellerhouse.
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LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Savoy Recreation Center, Savoy, IL
5th annual Tabletop Central gaming convention (9/7-9/8) Information
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, THE FRONT ROOM, THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME (in Tamil with English sub), LAND OF BROKEN HEARTS (in Mandarin with English sub), AFRAID, ALIEN: ROMULUS, BLINK TWICE, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), THE FORGE (faith film), IT ENDS WITH US, TWISTERS (9/6 on), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (9/9, 7 p.m.), AX Cinema Nights presents NINJA SCROLL: THE MOVIE (9/11, 7:30 p.m., in Japanese with English sub; 9/12, 7:30 p.m., English sub), AJAYANTE RANDAM MOSHANAM (9/12, 5 p.m., in Malayam with English sub, 3-D), USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS (concert film) (9/12, 7 p.m.), AM I RACIST? (op-ed/documentary), THE KILLER’S GAME, SPEAK NO EVIL (9/12 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, THE FRONT ROOM, 1992, AFRAID, ALIEN: ROMULUS, BLINK TWICE, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), THE FORGE (faith film), INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), IT ENDS WITH US, REAGAN, TRAP, TWISTERS (9/6 on), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (9/7-9/8, 9/11, 3 & 7 p.m.), GOD’S NOT DEAD: IN GOD WE TRUST (faith film) (9/12, 7 p.m.), AM I RACIST? (op-ed/documentary), SPEAK NO EVIL (9/12 on)
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents INSIDE OUT 2 (animation) (9/6-9/7, 7 p.m., free w/i-card)
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series” feat. HOOP DREAMS* (documentary) (9/6, 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
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, REAGAN (9/5-9/8)
@ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, THE FRONT ROOM, AFRAID, IT ENDS WITH US, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, REAGAN (9/6 on)
@ Crescent Cinemas, Pontiac, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, REAGAN (9/6 on)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
IF (9/6, 7 p.m.)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY (1991) (Screen 1), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, SLEEPY HOLLOW (Screen 2) (9/6-9/7), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (Screen 1 & 2) (9/8)
@ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, THE FRONT ROOM, AFRAID, ALIEN: ROMULUS, BLINK TWICE, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, THE FORGE (faith film), IT ENDS WITH US, REAGAN, TWISTERS (9/6 on), Indian cinema: THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME* (9/6-9/11, in Tamil with English sub), 32-CHINNA KATHA KAADU* (9/6-9/8, 9/10, in Telugu with English sub), and URUKU PATELA* (9/6-9/11, in Telugu with English sub), Marcus “Mystery Movie” (9/9, 7 p.m.), USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS (concert film) (9/12, 7 p.m.), GOD’S NOT DEAD: IN GOD WE TRUST (faith film) (9/12, 7 p.m.), AM I RACIST? (op-ed/documentary), THE KILLER’S GAME, SPEAK NO EVIL (9/12 on)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
SEVEN SAMURAI (9/6-9/7), A BUG’S LIFE (animation), THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960) (9/7-9/8), BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (9/10)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (9/6-9/8)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (9/6-9/8)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, TRAP (Screen 1), TWISTERS, IT ENDS WITH US (Screen 2) (9/6-9/7)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, AFRAID, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, THE FORGE (faith film), IT ENDS WITH US, REAGAN, TWISTERS (9/6 on)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL
The Film Noir Foundation and the Music Box present “Noir City: Chicago” festival (9/6-9/12)
@ ACX Harper Theater-Hyde Park, etc., Chicago, IL
31st annual Chicago Underground Film Festival (9/11-9/15)
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
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
9/13-9/14: 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.
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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