C-U Biz-en-scène: 08.19.2011
“C-U Biz-en-scène” appears every Thursday/Friday on C-U Blogfidential to give our readers a succinct snapshot of the cinema activity in and near Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA. Please support the artists and their work, attend screenings and events, and otherwise become active in our esoteric little world!
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MFHQ & YOU:
It’s Time for CUBiz: The Short Form!
Copious amounts of C-U Confidential copies walked away with lucky conventioneers who visited the tables of Bachelor Pad Magazine and Kill Vampire Lincoln Productions at last weekend’s Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con, during which your humble editor reconnected with past contributors to our semi-empire: comics author Eric Rampson, who wrote for MICRO-FILM 2, and sculptor/artist Jennifer Gutowski, who appeared in MF 1 as our first-ever micro-femme! We had a blast visiting the ol’ pop culture stomping grounds and thank Java of BPM and Chris and Anne Lukeman of Kill Vampire Lincoln for allowing us presence at their displays. Right now we’re back to work downstate, distributing the remaining gratis copies of CUZine issue 5 around the C-U as well as resuming work on the C-U Confidential ’99 special issue. Watch next week for the first official word on CU99, including a street date!
ITEM OF THE WEEK
While we conquered Chicago, question marks popped into place over many a concerned movie-goer’s head on Sunday afternoon when Art Theater operator Sanford Hess gave a presentation outlining the best bets for her survival. Taking into account the major upcoming expenditure, a $75,000 upgrade to all-digital projection that is necessary once the studios eliminate film prints from their distribution process, Hess’ recommended path is transferring ownership to a community run co-op in which membership fees float the costs. CUBlog is choosing not to opine publicly about the ramifications until we’ve had a chance to discuss it with Hess and other trusted principals in the milieu, but we direct you towards immediate food-for-thought already provided by Melissa Merlie of the News-Gazette and Jeremiah Stanley of Smile Politely. We’ll also post Hess’ own words about the matter by Monday, August 22.
LINK OF THE WEEK
Here’s a cute summation by producer Lisa Dowda for IndieWIRE about how to work with the residents of a low-population town while shooting your indie film; it regards a drama called HOW TO SHOOT MOVIES AT HOME recently filmed in Biddeford, ME, pop. 21,000, for less than $30,000.
PLEASE. WRITE. NOW.
Time is ticking away, dearest readers! Treat us to your tales of cinematic wonder experienced as academic or permanent residents of MICRO-FILM Country, and in turn we’ll share it with all your fellow readers as those “five significant movie milestones” become part of CUBlog lore! Check out this earlier post which roughly describes what we’re looking for and then exercise those typing fingers by drafting anecdotes that illustrate how you live la vida cinema in Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond. Submission deadline is Friday, September 30, 2011!
PLAYING THIS WEEK
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL: SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN (8/19 on), MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (8/19, 8/21, 8/23, 8/25, 1 show each), KABOOM (8/19, 10 p.m.), LEADING LADIES* (8/20, 12 & 10 p.m.; 8/21, 12 p.m., 8/25, 10 p.m.), THE TRIP (8/20, 8/22, 8/24, 1 show each)
@ Mike ‘n Molly’s, Champaign, IL: “Weird and Wacky Film Night” incl. ONCE UPON A TIME IN 1972*, ONCE UPON A TIME IN 1973* (premiere), THE WINDOW INTO TIME*, IN VINO VERITAS*, & more (8/21, 9 & 10:30 p.m., free)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: FRIGHT NIGHT, BEGINNERS, THE HELP (8/19 on), FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) (8/19, 10:30 p.m., free)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: CONAN O’BRIEN CAN’T STOP (8/18-8/21, 7 p.m.)
@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL: THE SMURFS, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (8/19-8/21)
@ Gemini Cinemas, Villa Grove, IL: COWBOYS & ALIENS, MONTE CARLO (8/19 on)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: THE SMURFS (8/19-8/21, 8/24)
@ Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: ZOOKEEPER (8/19-8/21)
@ Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD, 30 MINUTES OR LESS (8/19-8/21)
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-In, Springfield, IL: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, THE SMURFS, ZOOKEEPER (8/19-8/20)
@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: THE CONSPIRATOR, JANE EYRE, PRIEST, SOMETHING BORROWED, HOODWINKED TOO!, DAVID HOLZMAN’S DIARY: SE, more! (8/16 on)
@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IN: SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (8/19 on)
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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Go see ‘em!
COMING SOON
9/2: THE ST. FRANCISVILLE EXPERIMENT w/Troy Taylor
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, time TBA, free
9/2-9/4, 9/8: THE ROOM
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL, times TBA
9/3: OUR DECATUR – 1955*
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, 11 a.m., free
9/9: COPS and THE KID w/live accompaniment
@ Ellnora: the Guitar Festival, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 6:30 p.m.
9/10: THE GREAT FLOOD w/live accompaniment
@ Ellnora: the Guitar Festival, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 1:30 p.m.
9/13: DVD release: LEADING LADIES*
+ Wolfe Video, New Almaden, CA
9/15-9/17: IMC Film Festival*
@ Independent Media Center, Urbana, IL
9/16-9/18: Route 66 International Film Festival*
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL
9/22: GREEN FIRE: ALDO LEOPOLD AND A LAND ETHIC FOR OUR TIME
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
9/23-9/25: Chicago Horror Film Festival, Chicago, IL
9/23-9/25: B Movie Celebration, Franklin, IN
10/6-10/20: Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
10/13-10/22: Heartland Film Festival, Indianapolis, IN
10/21-10/22: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, time TBA
10/21-10/23: CHICAGO 8: Small Gauge Film Festival, Chicago, IL
10/21-10/23: Dark Carnival Film Festival, Bloomington, IN
10/28-10/30: Freeky Creek Short Film Festival
@ Sleepy Creek Vineyards, Fairmount, IL
11/3-11/12: Reeling Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
11/4-11/5: Drunken Zombie Film Festival
@ Peoria Theater, Peoria, IL
11/10-11/12: Embarras Valley Film Festival
@ EIU campus/Will Rogers Theater/etc., Charleston, IL
11/11-11/13: HorrorHound Weekend (Horror culture), Cincinnati, OH
11/10-11/20: St. Louis International Film Festival, St. Louis, MO
4/15, 2012: Buttered Corn on the Cob Film Festival
@ 88 Broadway, Urbana, IL
4/18-4/22, 2012: Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/25-4/29, 2012: Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY FILM SERIES
Horror Films
@ The “Haunted” Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, 10:30 p.m., free
10/7: THIR13EN GHOSTS (2001); 10/8: DOG SOLDIERS; 10/14: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968); 10/15: DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004); 10/28: JEEPERS CREEPERS; 10/29: TRICK ‘R TREAT
The New Classics: Great Books to Great Films from the Past 50 Years
@ Danville Public Library, Danville, IL, 6:30 p.m.
9/12: TRUE GRIT (2010); 10/10: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; 11/14: ORDINARY PEOPLE; 12/12: FAIL SAFE (1964); 1/9/12: NEVER CRY WOLF; 2/13/12: AWAKENINGS; 3/12/12: ADAPTATION; 4/9/12: UP IN THE AIR
The News-Gazette Film Series 2011
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
9/10: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT; 10/8: THE EXORCIST; 11/5: THE GODFATHER; 12/3: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
UNIVERSITY FILM SERIES
Global Lens 2011: International Films
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL
9/15: THE TENANTS, Brazil; 10/20: A USEFUL LIFE, Uruguay; 11/17: WHITE MEADOWS, Iran
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That’s it for the “business of our scene” this week!
If you have relevant news, opportunities, dates, or promotions that you would like included in CUBiz, please forward the who, what, where, when, and how much to cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com.
Compiled by Jason Pankoke
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We welcome your virtual presence in the Confidential scheme!
309 awesome (but way too few) peeps dig our Facebook page, while 21 astounding (yet way way way too few) comrades keep a watchful eye on our YouTube channel, the C-U Confidential Revue! We’d place our bets in a heartbeat that many more would enjoy our social/video outreach if they knew about us! Have you joined us on-line? Will you be ambassadors for our indie film cause and send your recruits in our direction? The more attention we receive, the better we can serve the interests of local artists and the movies of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond!
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“C-U Biz-en-scène” no.56 © 2011 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.