C-U Biz-en-scène: 11.20.2011
“C-U Biz-en-scène” normally 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:
Khan You Feel It, Kiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkkk?
It was a rather discombobulated week here in MICRO-FILM Country, tempered somewhat by surprise job prospects materializing for your humble editor and enjoyable evenings spent at Urbana’s Station Theater to see Way-Off Broadway, the newest stage production created by local filmmaker Mike Trippiedi, and Champaign’s Art Theater to watch STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN in glorious 35mm. That said, we’re once again serving up a lean slice of the Biz since we’re tardy in posting the news and views you expect from us. Plenty will be discussed on C-U Blogfidential in the coming weeks, including our decision to flat-out postpone the publication of C-U Confidential ’99, so check in often to gobble up the goods!
LINKS OF THE WEEK
The Pantagraph provides our external reading this time out, starting with an article posted on Tuesday about the high school board of small town Eureka suspending first-year teacher Rhett Felix for showing segments of THE DAILY SHOW during a class. One day later, the newspaper gifted us with this piece about a new public service announcement (PSA) produced for the State Farm Insurance Company, headquartered in Bloomington, which features William Shatner musing over the dangers of mishandling turkey fryers during Thanksgiving; make sure to watch the PSA itself, which douses Shatner with some of the craziest CGI flames you’ll ever see!
PLAYING THIS WEEK
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL: MARGIN CALL (11/18 on), STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (11/18, 10:30 p.m.; 11/19, 3:30 & 10:30 p.m., 11/20, 3:30 p.m., 11/23-11/24, 10 p.m.), Esmeralda (11/19, 11/20, 12 p.m., ballet)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN, Part 1, J.EDGAR (11/18 on), TOWER HEIST (11/18-11/22), THE MUPPETS (11/23 on)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: THE TREE OF LIFE (11/17-11/20, 7 p.m.)
@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL: TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN, Part 1, JACK AND JILL (11/18 on)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: COURAGEOUS (11/18-11/20), THE MUPPETS (11/23 on)
@ The Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: TOWER HEIST (11/18-11/20)
@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4, BEGINNERS, LARRY CROWNE, BELLFLOWER, “Three Colors” trilogy (Criterion), more! (11/15 on)
@ The Viaduct Theater, Chicago, IL: Illinois International Film Festival* (11/18-11/20)
@ Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, etc., St. Louis, MO: St. Louis International Film Festival (through 11/20)
@ Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: Closed for the season!
@ Route 66 Twin Drive-In, Springfield, IL: Closed for the season!
@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IN: Closed for the season!
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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Go see ‘em!
COMING SOON
11/26: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT. 1 & 2
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
11/29, 12/1: THE HELP
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
12/3: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
NEW! 12/6: MIFF presents Best of the Midwest Awards Gala
@ Rockit Bar & Grill, Chicago, IL
NEW! 12/12: SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS w/shorts
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL, 2 p.m.
NEW! 12/15: Central Illinois Film Commission meeting
@ TBA
NEW! 12/15: A CHRISTMAS STORY w/live band
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, 6:30 p.m., free
NEW! 12/16: LOVE ACTUALLY
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, 10:30 p.m., free
NEW! 12/17: HOME ALONE w/HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! animated
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, 10 a.m., free
NEW! 12/22: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION w/A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS animated
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, 7 p.m., free
4/15, 2012: Buttered Corn on the Cob Film Festival
@ 88 Broadway, Urbana, IL
4/18-4/22, 2012: Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
NEW! 4/20, 2012: Issue release: C-U Confidential #6
+ Paper Opteryx, Champaign, IL
4/25-4/29, 2012: Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL
UPDATED! Fall 2012: Issue release: C-U Confidential ‘99
+ Paper Opteryx, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY FILM SERIES
The New Classics: Great Books to Great Films from the Past 50 Years
@ Danville Public Library, Danville, IL, 6:30 p.m.
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.
12/3: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
UNIVERSITY FILM SERIES
AsiaLENS: AEMS Documentary/Film Series
@ Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m.
12/8: WINGS OF DEFEAT
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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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321 awesome (but way too few) peeps dig our Facebook page, while 23 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.69 © 2011 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.