Calendar: September 13-19, 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.
~~~~~
MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!
9/14: Kimberly Conner (filmmaker, LIPSTICK, Predestined Arts & Entertainment, Springfield, IL/Los Angeles, CA)
9/14: Jason Huls (filmmaker, THAT DAMNED YELLOW RAINCOAT, Ten Wing Media, Chicago, IL)
9/14: Tim Cain (entertainment reporter, Decatur Herald & Review/Lee Enterprises, Decatur, IL)
9/16: Jay Rosenstein (producer, Jay Rosenstein Productions, Champaign-Urbana, IL/New York, NY)
9/19: Paul A. Brooks (director, HUNTING FOR THE HAG, Into the Night Motion Pictures, Normal, IL)
9/19: Eric Pankoke (webmaster, C-U Blogfidential, Champaign/Mendota, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
This was a week for breaking news in the C-U, as you probably have seen by now, so we’ll just herald the obvious in today’s Report. The not-obvious will be reserved for next week, Ye Ed guesses.
BREAKING! The Save the Lorraine Foundation, a non-profit group that has been working for a long time to restore the Lorraine Theatre in Hoopeston to its previous grandeur, has announced they may be in a position to book theatrical movies again by early next year, according to the News-Gazette. A hefty sum of a little more than $40,000, awarded to them in August by the T-Mobile Hometown Grant, will complete the group’s $120,000 fundraising goal and allow for the purchase and installation of a complete DCP projection and Dolby Atmos sound system. The constant stream of live and community events at the Lorraine and the black-box Little Lorraine, which sadly will be closed and converted into office space in light of this development, has helped towards reaching the foundation’s goal over the last dozen years. The Lorraine would then become the only operational first-run house in Vermilion County. Good on them.
BREAKING!! Faculty in the Theatre Arts program at Parkland College in Champaign are collaborating with the operating group at Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul to design classes that will teach students craft, construction, and performance skills and how to apply them in real working productions on site, as reported by Smile Politely. The “pipeline” is intended to fill below-the-line positions with interns, providing valuable experience for those individuals and Flyover with a growing and local work force that can meet the needs of visiting film productions. Located in one of the former hangars of the long-closed Octave Chanute Air Force Base, Flyover is the brainchild of the filmmakers behind Shatterglass Films and The Line Film Co. along with other business leaders; they received a $1.1 million grant in February from Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through the Illinois Soundstage Program to establish and equip their location with the dedicated space, personnel, materials, and gear that could be as attractive to out-of-the-area producers and distributors as the Illinois film tax credit. Fly by, please!
BREAKING!!! Variety shared today the reveal of a new partnership between the popular boutique label Severin Films and the trust of the late film director Russ Meyer, which holds the rights to all of the work he distributed independently under the RM Film International and “Bosomania” banners. It will result in the long-delayed restoration and re-release of a catalog that has been out of circulation for years. The first titles, which will go on sale in December via the Severin website and in UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD formats, are Meyer’s so-called “vixen trilogy”: VIXEN, the 1968 hit that led to Meyer’s studio deal with 20th Century Fox and the incredible BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (available elsewhere in the Criterion Collection) co-written by Roger Ebert, SUPERVIXENS, a 1975 opus in which Farmer City native and Illinois Wesleyan University alumna Shari Eubank played dual roles, and BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA-VIXENS, his last completed feature from 1979 that starred the club entertainer and former University of Illinois student, Ann Marie, and was co-written by Ebert behind a pseudonym, “R. Hyde.” Naughty!
These are all great and/or fun, and these all still have their caveats. From the bottom up, the Meyer revival will not be widely shared in other C-U media, despite our lede and the unlikely and long-lasting friendship between him and Urbana native Ebert, as the reasons fall under the “arguably outdated mores” blanket. Craft talents on a film set are vital and necessary roles that can earn you money to live, but those choosing to enter the “Parkland pipeline” should not mistake it as an automatic in-route to “directing/producing/writing some day” at Flyover. And the Lorraine may bill itself as “The Best Place for Movies,” but they have a long road to build up a new repertoire and consistent (and visiting-from-a-distance) clientele as they are not in “the best placement for movie-going” in terms of geography and a still-recovering theatrical climate. There have to be realistic and financially-sound components to make the film fantasy work. We also cross our fingers for them all.
Keep filming, et cetera, the purveyors of the movies of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond! May the spirit of Matt Damon-as-Mark Whitacre smile upon everyone’s efforts and dreams.
IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing Our Scene on the Screen
No. Really.
~~~~~
~~~~~
Designed by Kellerhouse, Inc., as was last week’s SEVEN SAMURAI promotional piece for Janus Films/Criterion, coincidentally. Also coincidental is our Almanac entry for today, which is a nagging reminder that it has been more than 15 years since a Hollywood production has visited the immediate region with a substantial presence. Maybe the Flyover Fates will deliver an end to this peculiar drought if all goes well.
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
15 Years Ago … Friday, September 18, 2009: Warner Bros. releases the corporate intrigue drama THE INFORMANT! in more than 2,500 theaters across the United States a year and a half after much of it was filmed in the Decatur, IL, area. Unfortunately, the studio has attempted to market the picture as a snappy comedy along the lines of director Steven Soderbergh and star Matt Damon’s OCEAN’S ELEVEN franchise, blowing out of proportion the sly touch applied to the stranger-than-fiction story of real-life whistleblower Mark Whitacre and his double-crossing of both the agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland and the Central Intelligence Agency. THE INFORMANT! would finish in second place for the weekend, well below the animated hit CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, and concluded its run with a modest $33 million earned. As reported on 9/18/09, 9/26/09, 10/9/09 at CUBlog. Box Office Mojo [R]
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Festival* and the IRL Movie Club present JOIN OR DIE! (9/15, 4 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
AJAYANTE RANDAM MOSHANAM (in Malayam with English sub), AM I RACIST? (op-ed/documentary), THE CRITIC*, THE KILLER’S GAME, SPEAK NO EVIL, UNTOUCHABLE (in Mandarin with English sub), ALIEN: ROMULUS, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), ENCANTO* (animation), THE FORGE (faith film), THE FRONT ROOM*, THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME (in Tamil with English sub), ), INSIDE OUT 2 (animation), IT ENDS WITH US (9/13 on), USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS (concert film) (9/13-9/15, 12 & 7 p.m.), GOD’S NOT DEAD: IN GOD WE TRUST (faith film) (9/13, 5 p.m.), DAN DA DAN: FIRST ENCOUNTER Episodes 1-3 (animé) (9/13, 7 p.m.; 9/14-9/15, 4 & 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL (concert documentary) (9/18-9/19, 7:30 p.m., in Korean with English sub), NEVER LET GO, THE SUBSTANCE, TRANSFORMERS ONE (animation), WHIPLASH (re-release) (9/19 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
AM I RACIST? (op-ed/documentary), GOD’S NOT DEAD: IN GOD WE TRUST* (faith film), THE KILLER’S GAME, SPEAK NO EVIL, ALIEN: ROMULUS, BEETLEJUICE, BLINK TWICE*, CORALINE (animation) (re-release), DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation), THE FORGE (faith film), INSIDE OUT 2* (animation), IT ENDS WITH US, REAGAN (9/13 on), THE FRONT ROOM* (9/13, 9:30 p.m.; 9/14, 9:45 p.m.), PBC “Fight Night”: Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga, more (boxing) (9/14, 7 p.m., simulcast), UFC 306: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili, more (mixed martial arts) (9/14, 7 p.m., simulcast), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (9/14-9/15, 9/18, 3 & 7 p.m.), BLAZING SADDLES 50th anniversary (9/15, 4 & 7 p.m.; 9/18, 7 p.m.), THE MATRIX 25th anniversary (9/19, 7 p.m.), TRANSFORMERS ONE (animation) (9/19 on) *single screenings daily
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE (9/13-9/14, 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!
~~~~~
NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
SPEAK NO EVIL, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, REAGAN (9/13-9/15)
@ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL
THE FORGE, SPEAK NO EVIL, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, REAGAN (9/13 on)
@ Crescent Cinemas, Pontiac, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, REAGAN (9/13 on)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH (animation) (9/15, 2 p.m.)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) (Screen 1), BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) (Screen 2) (9/13-9/14)
@ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL
THE 4:30 MOVIE, AM I RACIST? (op-ed/documentary), THE KILLER’S GAME, SPEAK NO EVIL, ALIEN: ROMULUS, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, BLINK TWICE*, DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, THE FORGE (faith film), IT ENDS WITH US, REAGAN, TWISTERS* (9/13 on), Indian cinema: MATHU VADALARA 2* (9/13-9/18, Telugu w/Eng sub), KALINGA* (9/13-9/17, Telugu w/Eng sub), THE BUCKINGHAM MURDERS* (9/13-9/18, Hindu w/Eng sub), and AJAYANTE RANDAM MOSHANAM* (9/13-9/18, Malayam w/Eng sub), ‘Riize Fan-Con Tour ‘Riizing Day’ Finale’ concert (9/13, 7 p.m., simulcast), GOD’S NOT DEAD: IN GOD WE TRUST* (faith film) (9/13-9/15, 9/17), USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS (concert film) (9/13-9/14, 7 p.m.), FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER 40th anniversary (9/13-9/14, 9:40 p.m.), BLAZING SADDLES 50th anniversary (9/15, 4 & 7 p.m.; 9/18, 7 p.m.), HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCEROR’S STONE (9/15, 4 p.m.; 9/16, 6 p.m.) JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL (concert documentary) (9/18, 6:20 p.m., 9/19, 6:40 p.m., in Korean with English sub), THE MATRIX 25th anniversary (9/19, 7 p.m.), NEVER LET GO, TRANSFORMERS ONE (animation) (9/19 on) *single screenings daily
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
SEVEN SAMURAI (9/13, 9/15), A BUG’S LIFE (animation), THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960) (9/14), The IRL Movie Club presents JOIN OR DIE! (documentary) (9/15, 7 p.m.)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (9/13-9/15)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
IT ENDS WITH US (9/13-9/15)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, TRAP (Screen 1), THE GOONIES, GREMLINS (Screen 2) (9/13-9/14)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
THE KILLER’S GAME, SPEAK NO EVIL, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, THE FORGE (faith film), REAGAN (9/13 on)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ ACX Harper Theater-Hyde Park, etc., Chicago, IL
31st annual Chicago Underground Film Festival (through 9/15)
@ Landmark Century Centre Cinema, etc. Chicago, IL
42nd REELING: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival (9/19-10/6)
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
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* screening series
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 4 p.m.
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
9/20-9/21: 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
~~~~~
Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
~~~~~
“Calendar du C-U”
© 2024 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential
[T −153]