Calendar: March 28-April 3, 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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MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!
4/2: Will “the Thrill” Viharo (author, One-Way Ticket to Thrillville, Thrillville Press, Seatle, WA)
4/4: Kamelya Alexan (filmmaker, I’M ONLY BLIND, Alexan Productions, Chicago, IL)
PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed
3/12: Caroline “Lady Red “ Princehouse, 78 (host, “Blues House Party,” WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL, retired)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
The Report is on hiatus until May. Thank you for your readership, CUvians and Agents! You should pay attention to Smile Politely, The Daily Illini, Champaign Movie Makers, and Chambana Film Festival for breaking news and updates in our scene. CUBlog will also keep in step with our friends and share to Facebook when we come across things you would like. Keep reading!
IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing Our Scene on the Screen
Yes, this section returns this week. Check back on Tuesday!
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
25 Years Ago … Friday, March 31, 2000: The independent feature LOVE 101 opens at the Goodrich Quality Theaters multiplex in Savoy, Illinois. Filmed on location at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb during the fall semester of 1997 by the Los Angeles-based company Poya Pictures, LOVE 101 is playing 12 consecutive one-week runs in 12 cities in the hopes of attracting an avid younger audience that will be receptive to its non-Hollywood depiction of college life and relationships. Chicago stage talents Michael Muhney, Mary Kay Cook, and Jon Collins lead the cast as students who find themselves in an awkward love triangle amidst the bustle of academia, a scenario loosely based on the personal experiences of writer and director Adrian Fulle. In support of the Savoy booking, he and LOVE 101 actor Will Carpenter visited nearby Champaign-Urbana earlier this week in a rented Chevrolet RV so they could promote the movie to media outlets and the public, handing out greetings and posters as they went. The “Love Tour” wraps once the duo finishes their trek across several hundred miles and five states. Fulle and his Poya partner David J. Miller, who met while enrolled in the film program at Columbia College in Chicago, will then attempt to find distributors in the theatrical and home video markets for their labor of love. RETURN TO ME, the MGM romantic drama that is directed by Chicago comedienne Bonnie Hunt and stars David Duchovny and Minnie Driver, opens at Savoy the day after the final showing of LOVE 101 on Thursday, April 6, a rare case of Illinois-made productions appearing back-to-back in a local cinema. [R]
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Festival* presents ROOM SIX + three short subjects w/filmmakers (3/30, 4 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
AUDREY’S CHILDREN, THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER Part 1 (faith film), DEATH OF A UNICORN, L2: EMPURAAN (in Telugu or Malayalam with English sub), THE PENGUIN LESSONS, SIKANDAR* (in Hindi with English sub), THE WOMAN IN THE YARD, A WORKING MAN, THE ALTO KNIGHTS, BLACK BAG*, CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE (animation), MICKEY 17*, THE MONKEY, NOVOCAINE, ONE OF THEM DAYS “Laugh-Along” edition, SNOW WHITE (3/28 on), THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER Part 2 (faith film), HELL OF A SUMMER, A MINECRAFT MOVIE (4/3 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER Part 1 (faith film), DEATH OF A UNICORN, PRINCESS MONONOKE (animé) (re-release, IMAX), SIKANDAR* (in Hindi with English sub), THE WOMAN IN THE YARD, A WORKING MAN, THE ALTO KNIGHTS, BLACK BAG, CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE (animation), DOG MAN (animation), LOCKED, MAGAZINE DREAMS*, MICKEY 17, THE MONKEY, NOVOCAINE, PADDINGTON IN PERU, SNOW WHITE (3/28 on), THE MUMMY 25th anniversary (3/29, 7 p.m.; 3/30, 3 & 7 p.m.; 4/2, 7 p.m.), THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER Part 2 (faith film), A MINECRAFT MOVIE (4/3 on) *single screenings daily
@ Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Center for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies* presents “Japanese Paper Print Project: Film and Live Music Event” (3/28, 7 p.m.), “Videographic Criticism Talk: Tracing Media Histories Through Videographic Criticism” (3/31, 5:30 p.m.)
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents PITCH PERFECT (3/28-3/29, 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
@ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL
THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER Part 1 (faith film), DAY OF RECKONING, THE WOMAN IN THE YARD, A WORKING MAN, THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE (animation), SNOW WHITE (3/28 on)
@ Crescent Cinemas, Pontiac, IL
THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE (animation), SNOW WHITE (3/28 on)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL
SNOW WHITE (3/28-3/30), THE LAST SUPPER (faith film) (4/2), A MINECRAFT MOVIE (4/3 on)
@ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL
THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER Part 1 (faith film), DEATH OF A UNICORN, THE PENGUIN LESSONS, THE WOMAN IN THE YARD, A WORKING MAN, THE ALTO KNIGHTS*, BLACK BAG, CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, MICKEY 1*, THE MONKEY, NOVOCAINE, ONE OF THEM DAYS “Laugh-Along” edition*, SNOW WHITE (3/28 on), Indian cinema: MAD SQUARE* (Telugu w/Eng sub, 3/28-3/29, 3/31-4/1), L2: EMPURAAN (Telugu or Malayalam w/Eng sub, 3/28-3/30, 4/1), VEERA DEERA SOORAN: PART 2* (Telugu w/Eng sub, 3/28-4/1), and SIKANDAR (Telugu w/Eng sub, 3/30-4/1), PRINCESS MONONOKE* (animé) (re-release, IMAX) (3/28-3/29, 4/2), DOG MAN* (animation) (3/28-3/29), IMAGINE DRAGONS: LIVE FROM THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL (concert film) (3/29, 130 p.m.), GREASE (3/29, 4 p.m.; 3/31, 6 p.m.), CYPRESS HILL & THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: ‘BLACK SUNDAY’ LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL (concert film) (3/30, 5:30 p.m.), BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (music documentary) (4/2, 7 p.m., IMAX), SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE] WORLD TOUR (concert film) (4/2, 7 p.m., in Korean with English sub), THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER Part 2 (faith film), HELL OF A SUMMER, A MINECRAFT MOVIE (4/3 on) *single screenings daily
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
UNFORGIVEN (3/28-3/30), THE CONVERSATION (3/29-3/30), NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (4/1), “Films that Inspired Star Wars” series: METROPOLIS (1927) (4/2) and 633 SQUADRON (4/3)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
SNOW WHITE (3/28-3/30)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
THE UNBREAKABLE BOY (faith film) (3/28-3/30)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER Part 1 (faith film), DEATH OF A UNICORN, THE WOMAN IN THE YARD, A WORKING MAN, THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE* (animation), DOG MAN (animation), NOVOCAINE, SNOW WHITE (3/28 on) *single screenings daily
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema, etc., Chicago, IL
Chicago Filmmakers presents the 35th Onion City Experimental Film Festival (4/3-4/13)
@ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema, etc., Chicago, IL
Chicago Filmmakers presents “Picture ReStart” series, “Ronald Nameth’s Guna Reels” program (4/5, 6 p.m.
@ UW Cinematheque, Vilas Hall, etc., Madison, WI
University of Wisconsin-Madison presents the 27th annual Wisconsin Film Festival (4/3-4/10)
@ The Varsity Center, Carbondale, IL
SIU-Carbondale presents the 46th Big Muddy Film Festival* (through 3/29) Information
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
4/23/-4/25
25th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
5/29-6/2
The Chambana Film Festival (title TBA)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, 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, 4 p.m.
4/27: SLICE OF LIFE (documentary)
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
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
4/22: Ebert Symposium screening: HER; 4/23: Ebert Symposium keynote and roundtables: “Artificial Intelligence Imagined and Realized”
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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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