Calendar: February 14-20, 2025
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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PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed
1/31: Skip Huston (owner/operator, The Avon Theater 3, Decatur, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
We’re simply not feeling on the up-and-up this Valentine’s Day, dearest readers. As much as living life and giving love should be a goal for all of us on a regular basis, we also can’t ignore that some folks aren’t with us anymore to do just that and many more folks are heartbroken because of it. When a few of our friends and neighbors who were integral to the arts and culture we cover on CUBlog happen to leave this earthly plane in succession, while we also learn belatedly about a few more who have already gone, it’s a bummer of a coincidence and we’ll show our appreciation for them all the same. We did not know at the beginning of 2025 that we’d be running notices of passings for several weeks in a row but, at times, that’s how it works. I can now hear the Head Honcho telling us from afar the show must go on!
Who the hell wanted a break in these aggravated times, anyway? Just as well, we’ve caught a few whiffs of “old business” in the C-U movie scheme returning to haunt us over the last couple of weeks, so we’ll now Report the basics for your entertainment if not more. It will certainly jostle loose a few memories…
First, we found a welcome surprise from The Daily Illini on Monday in the form of a new article that provides an update on the efforts of Joshua Harris, the media preservation coordinator at the University of Illinois Main Library, and others to restore the surviving “sound-on-film” test elements created on campus by the late electrical engineering professor Joseph Tykociner in the 1920s. News to us is the talk about a film project by Jake Metz of the UI IMMERSE program, Eric Kurt of the UI Media Commons, and Harris that would document the process, although it apparently has been stalled due to a lack of funding; the famous-to-us Tykociner footage, thanks to a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation and ace work from professionals both within and outside of UIUC, has been digitized and properly mated with its soundtrack again. In this trailer, you can view crystal clear snippets of it which look and sound much better than the muddy analog dupe presented to the New Art Film Festival audience back in 2012.
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Speaking of older reels, the second installment of the “Picture ReStart” monthly series that is hosted by Chicago Filmmakers in their unique Firehouse Cinema at 1326 W. Hollywood Avenue (coincidence?) in the Windy City will take place this Sunday, February 16, starting at 6 p.m. “ReStart” curator Ben Creech and CF have on tap “Surface Tensions,” a program nicknamed “Seven Films Caught Between the Image and its Depths,” and the set of “mysteriously beautiful” 16-millimeter short subjects directed by Chel White, Gary Beydler, Ines Sommer, Karen Johnson, Lewis Alquist, Sheri Willis, and Willie Boy Walker is as much a celebration of an old guard of independent artists – their works date between 1970 and 1992 – as it is a culmination of the efforts made by the former C-U resident Ron Epple to exhibit films like these on the UIUC campus and distribute them nationwide through his Picture Start label as rental prints and home videos before the internet was available. Be sure to get on the Chicago Filmmakers mailing list so you can receive the detailed e-mail blasts about “ReStart” and their other screenings and classes.
Speaking of online, the adage that “anyone can be a star” is more apropos and wide-ranging in this day and age than ever before but, a hundred years ago or more, one had to go to where the action was. For performers wanting to catch a break in the nascent motion picture business of the early 20th century, that meant leaving home or wherever you were from and stepping foot in or near Los Angeles, California, with a full suitcase and a dream. Such a migration included central Illinois folks, of course.
Our friend Mike Trippiedi, who is an aficionado of the silent era and its actors, recently ruminated on Facebook that actress Ethel Clayton might have been the first from C-U to become a major name in the flickers; she appeared in almost 200 features, serials, and one-reelers between 1909 and 1947. Due to this prompt, Ye Ed remembered he had a copy of Springfield’s Illinois Times from the year 2000 with an article about Neva Gerber, who was born in Argenta, made more than 100 films between 1912 and 1930, and earned recognition for her roles in Westerns and serials. Even a week ago, Y.E. was perusing the catalog of Oldies.com, stuffed to the gills with silent and early sound films, and happened to notice the description for a Robert Wiene production, GENUINE (1920), which notes that its lead, Fern Andra, was a native of Watseka and yet became a prolific actress, writer, and producer in the German cinema.
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Speaking of the stars who rest in peace, one of the colorful stories kept in his back pocket and shared at the drop of a hat by Skip Huston was that of a screen siren named Jacqueline Logan who had been interred at a family plot in Greenwood Cemetery, located only a few blocks south of the Avon Theater in Decatur. At turns a stage actress, spokesmodel, and Ziegfeld Girl in New York before her brief Hollywood career in the 1920s, Logan appeared in 60 films including a few high-profile highlights like A BLIND BARGAIN (1922) with Lon Chaney, Sr., and Cecil B. DeMille’s THE KING OF KINGS (1927). It is probable the fare in which Logan and the other women appeared was booked at the Avon in its earliest years and also pretty certain that a high percentage of those works is lost to time or the deteriorating remnants of their craft.
As we now know, also lost to us in a deflating double blow is Huston himself, who succumbed and passed away on January 31 according to his family, and the Avon, which the family announced would be closed down this week due to mounting financial issues. We feel for them and wonder if they were holding on until the Head Honcho was manning the ticket booth in the sky before making the painful decision on the movie house so its greatest champion didn’t have to bear witness to it. Cheers to the Hustons and Rinchiusos and their staff for keeping the Avon’s doors open for more than 25 years, when it could have become yet another small-town vacant storefront, and providing the Decatur faithful with memories, magic, and more buttered popcorn than one could ever imagine. It is sheer coincidence the Lorraine Theatre of Hoopeston is springing back to life this weekend after a decade-plus of tenuous existence, not unlike the recent revival of the Lincoln Square Theater only a couple of blocks away from the Avon, so we can never rule out a new chapter behind the marquee on Water Street if the right people come along.
IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing Our Scene on the Screen
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The clock has not stopped for those of us who continue on and among all our purposes in the land of the living is to make sure that our stories will be told. This brings us to Skip Huston’s former business partner and a dyed-in-the-wool paranormal investigator, author, podcaster, and entrepreneur, Troy Taylor.
Having published dozens of volumes in the last thirty years through his imprints, Whitechapel Productions Press and American Hauntings Ink, and conducted ghost haunting tours in Decatur and elsewhere as American Hauntings since 1994, the man knows his stateside arcana and has opened an exhibit space in his hometown of Alton catering to all those tales of the strange, criminal, and unexplained. Launched in early 2024, the American Oddities Museum is quite a sight from what little we can see from afar at this Facebook page, but we say that deliberately because somehow, via a previous Facebook account linked to Taylor’s ventures, hackers took over and stole what amounted to his operating funds just before the holidays last year. That’s a bad deal no matter who it happens to, especially in a volatile climate such as this one for small businesses, and we’d like to push this GoFundMe account if you’d be willing to help him out as a good number of others have already done. We’ll also share a separate GoFundMe drive that was started to mitigate the debt facing the Huston family. Friends of Skip and his beloved Avon have stepped up in kind as well, but anything further you can give on either front will surely be seen as a blessing.
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Considering how central and spectral the modern Avon success story had been to both men – Taylor recalled the shock of his encounter with the ghost of the late Avon manager Gus Constanopoulos in a recent segment of PRAIRIE FIRE on WILL-TV, an unusual and defining moment for them in the early going – it’s too bad the old Whitechapel book about the location is apparently out of print as it is not present in the American Hauntings web store. Flickering Images: The History & Hauntings of the Avon Theatre, first appearing in 2001 and reissued with a full-color cover a few years later, takes a look at the legacy of theaters, opera houses, and nickelodeons built to entertain the masses in the Soy Capital during the early 20th century and anticipating the Avon’s arrival in 1916, then continuing on with the Avon’s up-and-down timeline leading to the new millennium. Skip and company had reopened the venue in 1999 and its longevity was not a foregone conclusion, although it comes through quite clearly in their words how exciting a prospect it turned out to be. The stage was then set for a solid twenty-five-year run.
So, can we enjoy this unique Avon memory bank at all? Some of Flickering Images may have been incorporated into the 25th anniversary Haunted Decatur volume that Taylor released in 2020, based on the product description, and the Haunted Illinois website reprints the heart of the book, presumably with the author’s consent, but unless one finds a stray copy of it in the wild somewhere like at the Old Book Barn in Forsyth or through a web merchant, where we’re finding asking prices of $50 to $80 for something that originally cost $9.95, one may not get to enjoy it fully here in 2025. There is no eBook of it. Maybe a second edition or follow-up would be worth Taylor’s and the Hustons’ while as a heartfelt postscript on a job well done. We’ll see if any sort of tribute comes about once the grief subsides. In due time…
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LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Lincoln Hall, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Film & Video* meeting (2/17, 7 p.m., Room 1090)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Festival* and ShortTV present The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2025: Live Action (2/16, 4 p.m.) and Animation (2/16, 6 p.m.)
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
3rd annual CU International Film Festival* (2/15, 6:30 p.m. red carpet gala, 7:30 p.m. program)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (music documentary), CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, NE ZHA 2 (animation) (in Mandarin with English sub), PADDINGTON IN PERU, ROB PEACE*, COMPANION*, CHALLENGERS*, DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 1900 (in Mandarin with English sub), DOG MAN (animation), HEART EYES, I’M STILL HERE (in Portuguese with English sub), LOVE HURTS, MUFASA: THE LION KING, ONE OF THEM DAYS* (2/14 on), HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (re-release, standard and 3-D) (2/14-2/16, 2/20), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (2/17, 7 p.m.), LEGENDS OF THE CONDOR HEROES: THE GALLANTS (in Mandarin with English sub), THE MONKEY (2/20 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, PADDINGTON IN PERU, YOU ME & HER, BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (music documentary), COMPANION, HEART EYES, LOVE HURTS, DOG MAN (animation), MOANA 2 (animation), MUFASA: THE LION KING, ONE OF THEM DAYS, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3, WICKED (2/14 on), CASABLANCA (2/14, 7 p.m.), HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (re-release) (2/14), HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (re-release) (2/15), HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE 20th anniversary (re-release) (2/16), TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (2/16, 3 & 7 p.m.; 2/19, 7 p.m.), HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (re-release, standard and 3-D) (2/20), THE MONKEY (2/20 on)
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (animation) (2/14-2/15, 7 p.m., free w/i-card)
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
@ AMC Classic Springfield 12, Springfield, IL
Springfield Art Association presents the 31st annual Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series feat. TOUCH (2/16, 1 & 4 p.m.; 2/18, 7 p.m.)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
Closed for business.
@ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, PADDINGTON IN PERU, DOG MAN (animation), FLIGHT RISK, HEART EYES (2/14 on)
@ Crescent Cinemas, Pontiac, IL
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, PADDINGTON IN PERU (2/14 on)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (2/15, 9 p.m.), “Silver Screen Series” feat. DR. STRANGELOVE, OR, HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (2/20, 1 p.m.)
BACK OPEN! @ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD (2/14-2/16)
@ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, PADDINGTON IN PERU, BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (music documentary), COMPANION, DOG MAN (animation), FLIGHT RISK, HEART EYES, LOVE HURTS, MUFASA: THE LION KING, ONE OF THEM DAYS (2/14 on), Indian Cinema: LAILA (Telugu w/English sub, 2/14-2/18), BRAHMA ANANDAN (Telugu w/English sub, 2/14-2/18), and THANDEL (Telugu w/English sub, 2/14-2/18), DESPICABLE ME 4 (animation) (2/14-2/16, 11 a.m.), Marcus “Mystery Movie” (2/17, 7 p.m.), Black History Month: DO THE RIGHT THING (2/19, 3 p.m.) and COMING TO AMERICA (2/19, 6 p.m.), The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2025: Animation (2/19, 7:30 p.m.) and Live Action (2/20, 4 p.m.), A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (2/19, 4:15 p.m.), DUNE PART TWO (2/20, 7 p.m.), THE MONKEY, THE UNBREAKABLE BOY (faith film) (2/20 on)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
CASABLANCA (2/14-2/16), DINNER IN AMERICA (2/14-2/15), THE PRINCESS BRIDE (2/14-2/16), ISU Queer Coalition presents “In Her Image” series feat. DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! (documentary) (2/18, 7 p.m.), ISU and the Chicago Sinfonietta present CHARLES IVES’ AMERICA (music documentary) (2/19, 7 p.m., free), The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2025: Documentary (2/20)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
PADDINGTON IN PERU (2/14-2/16).
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA (2/14-2/16).
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, PADDINGTON IN PERU, DOG MAN (animation), HEART EYES, LOVE HURTS, MUFASA: THE LION KING (2/14 on), HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (re-release) (2/14), HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (re-release) (2/15), HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE 20th anniversary (re-release) (2/16), POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (re-release) (2/20)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Chicago Filmmakers Historic Firehouse Cinema, Chicago, IL
Chicago Filmmakers presents “Picture ReStart” series, “Surface Tensions” program (2/15, 6 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. And for northern Illinois industry news, be sure to read Reel Chicago and Screen Magazine.
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
2/22
42nd Insect Fear Film Festival*
@ Foellinger Auditorium, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 5 p.m., free
2/22
THE EVOLUTION OF THE BARBER* documentary showing
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 6 p.m.
3/25, 3/27
Rantoul Film Festival*
@ Rantoul Business Center, Rantoul, IL
3/27-3/29
2025 Big Muddy Film Festival*
@ The Varsity Center, Carbondale, IL
4/3-4/13
35th Onion City Experimental Film Festival, Chicago, IL
4/3-4/10
27th annual Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/23/-4/25
25th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
5/29-6/2
The Chambana Film Festival
@ TBA, Champaign-Urbana, IL
9/21
The Chambana Music Film Festival (title TBA)
@ TBA, Champaign-Urbana, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
Chambana Film Festival* screening series
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
2/16-3/2: The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2025 – Live Action (2/16, 4 p.m.), Documentary (2/23, 4 p.m.), and Animation (2/16, 6 p.m.; 3/2, 4 p.m.)
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2024 Weekend Films”
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w/i-card
2/21-2/22: GLADIATOR II: 2/28-3/1: SEPTEMBER 5; 3/7-3/8: WICKED; 3/14-3/15: MUFASA: THE LION KING; 3/21-3/22: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM (animation); 3/28-3/29: PITCH PERFECT; 4/4-4/5: NOSFERATU; 4/11-4/12: WALL-E (animation); 4/18-4/19: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3; 4/25-4/26: THE WILD ROBOT (animation); 5/2-5/3: CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD; 5/4: STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies* event series
@ Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Center for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
2/27: DOG DAY AFTERNOON screening; 3/28: “Japanese Paper Print Project: Film and Live Music Event”; 3/31: “Videographic Criticism Talk: Tracing Media Histories Through Videographic Criticism”; 4/22: Ebert Symposium screening: HER; 4/23: Ebert Symposium keynote and roundtables: “Artificial Intelligence Imagined and Realized”
Springfield Art Association presents the 31st annual Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series
@ AMC Classic Springfield 12, Springfield, IL, 1 & 4 p.m. Sunday + 7 p.m. Tuesday
2/23, 2/25: THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN; 3/2, 3/ 4: THE TASTE OF THINGS
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
© 2025 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential
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