C-U Blogfidential

“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:
Yes, Alaina, There is a Chambana Claus

Before we get back to analyzing the key puzzle pieces in Champaign-Urbana’s shifting film culture – we’ve been slacking on the task for two months already – let’s throw down a more universal reality check for everyone to chew over. Many thousands of movie-passionate people are probably in the same boat as us, you know? Well, not exactly the same boat but similar metaphorical vessels land-locked across the United States, packing enough integrity to set sail in the name of the cinematic arts if the proper man- and woman-power pushes them afloat. To wit, CUBlog recently came in contact with a Columbia, Missouri, university employee pen-named Azazel Macabre through a good old-fashioned, snail mail ‘zine swap. After reading her enjoyable cut-and-paste film theory ‘zine, Super Structure #1, we e-mailed and she offered the following: “[I] finally got around to reading [C-U Confidential] over the holidays – wow! It looks great, so professional. Also, I love the focus on local film – we need you here in Columbia. I liked the articles I read, lots of information and well written.” We’re certainly humbled by Ms. Macabre’s verdict, yet intrigued by the fact CUZine could ring true to someone well removed from the C-U and unfamiliar with its main movie players. Is there a place out there, somewhere, for our style of micro-regional coverage? We now wonder what could happen if our method was applied to other cities docked in the Midwest, such as Columbia, although it will always take a particular homegrown madness – and a hell of a lot of work – to make the maiden voyage swim. Maybe it’s time to pull on those water wings, truest believers!

ITEM OF THE WEEK

Readers of Roger Ebert’s Journal, hosted by the Chicago Sun-Times, know he’s sparked heavy debate about whether video games can be considered a form of artistic expression. Champaign programming whiz Mark Johns a.k.a. “Doomlaser,” who develops amusements such as the bizarre Metal Hurlant-styled Hot Throttle featured at [adult swim] games, hopes to press the issue and inspire the C-U masses this spring with a D.I.Y. gaming expo and screening of the documentary, INDIE GAME THE MOVIE. Created by Winnipeg filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot of production firm BlinkWorks, the project dramatizes the throes through which fringe developers go to design and distribute their creations; Johns himself will appear in an expanded Special Edition due for late 2012 release as a two- or three-disc set, according to the official Web site. Johns’ ambitions include scheduling all this (and more?) the week of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival. Will Ebert see it? And, will he be swayed by the evidence before him? As we learn more of Johns’ master plan, we’ll share the details right here on CUBlog. You can also follow his further gaming developments here as well as for his collaborator, the Swedish based illustrator Cactus. We realize this geographical correlation is purely coincidental, but fans of “Ebertfest” are well aware the critic has a thing for eclectic fellow Winnipeg director Guy Maddin, having presented THE HEART OF THE WORLD, MY WINNIPEG, and THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD during prior editions; any excuse to point our dearest readers the way of Maddin is a good excuse in our book.

LINKS OF THE WEEK

For our first round-up of the New Year, we gang together items pertaining to some of our favorite people in the C-U! A week after hitting newsprint on Sunday, December 26, profiles of both Jan Chandler, owner of Celtic-inspired Heartland Galleries in downtown Urbana, and Lisa Cerezo, co-conspirator with Psychic Joker Entertainment and late-night talent buyer at Champaign’s SoDo Theatre, appeared on-line Sunday, January 1, courtesy of the News-Gazette and the hardest-working arts reporter on the beat, Melissa Merli. Her unofficial Soy Capital counterpart, Tim Cain, recently completed his year-long challenge to watch and micro-review one movie per day in 2011; he recounts his experience in his Herald & Review Weblog as well as tallying up the best and worst of the lot. Since we mentioned Mr. Johns up above we’ll go ahead and pimp his mother Kristen’s YouTube channel one more time; not only is Champaign Underground filled with an impressive array of C-U, Portland, and international music performances, but it reminded us to also pimp two other, similar video caches. Over at Flokati Rug, our man Todd Hunter documents a younger skewing pop/rock/folk segment of our music scene including perennials like Elsinore, New Ruins, The Dirty Feathers, Terminus Victor, Hathaways, and the trio formerly known as Withnail. One more big wompin’ leap and we land at Matt HarsH’s ActualEyes, busting with live cuts by the area’s underground deejays and hip-hop artists; you can also read this brief HarsH interview published last month on Smile Politely, once they complete their Web maintenance. (We’ll highlight two HarsH videos later this evening as our “Images of the Week.”) San Francisco artist and activist Dennis Neal Vaughn, a native of the Bloomington-Normal area, announced his next video project will be a personal story about acquiring his dog, Buster Bear, and recognizing the impact service animals can have on individuals living with HIV. Finally, we unearth another creative venture from Urbana movie-maker and Champaign Movie Makers head Thomas Nicol, who hits the stage with his brother Galen to perform an original two-man show titled The Boy on the Stairs on Sunday, January 15, at Sylvia’s Irish Inn, nestled near downtown Urbana; reservations must be made by Tuesday, January 10, so call (217) 384-4800 and don’t miss out on the fun!

PLAYING THIS WEEK

@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1/6 on), DRIVE (1/6, 1/7, 1/12, 10:30 p.m.), Don Giovanni (1/8, 1 p.m.; 1/10, 4 p.m.; opera)

@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL: CITY LIGHTS (1/7, 1 & 7 p.m.)

@ Danville Public Library, Danville, IL: NEVER CRY WOLF (1/9, 6:30 p.m.)

@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, WAR HORSE, WE BOUGHT A ZOO (1/6 on)

@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: THE WAY (1/5-1/8, 7 p.m.)

@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL: ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (1/6-1/8)

@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (1/6-1/8, 1/11)

@ The Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: HUGO (1/6-1/8)

@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: CONTAGION, THE GUARD, I AM, DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, SHARK NIGHT, I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT, JUSTIFIED (s2), more! (1/3 on)

@ 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

NEW! 1/17: Champaign Movie Makers meeting
@ SoDo Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.

NEW! 1/17, 1/19: PUSS IN BOOTS
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.

NEW! 1/19: Central Illinois Film Commission meeting
@ Scheels, Springfield, IL, 7 p.m.

1/27-1/28: B-Fest
@ Norris University Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

NEW! 1/31, 2/2: HAPPY FEET TWO
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.

4/15: Buttered Corn on the Cob Film Festival
@ 88 Broadway, Urbana, IL

4/18-4/22: Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI

NEW! 4/19-4/22: 40 North/88 West presents the Boneyard Arts Festival
@ various, Champaign-Urbana, IL

4/20: Issue release: C-U Confidential #6
+ Paper Opteryx, Champaign, IL

4/25-4/29: Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL

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.
1/9: NEVER CRY WOLF; 2/13: AWAKENINGS; 3/12: ADAPTATION; 4/9: UP IN THE AIR

The News-Gazette Film Series 2012
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
1/7: CITY LIGHTS; 2/11: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939); 3/17: CABARET; 4/7: EASTER PARADE; 6/2: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS; 7/7: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG; 8/4: THE THIRD MAN; 9/1: THE MALTESE FALCON

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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!

322 awesome (but way too few) peeps dig our Facebook page, while 24 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.76 © 2012 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 6th, 2012 at 9:00 pm and is filed under C-U Biz-en-scène, Column du C-U, Media Coverage, Music Video, Public Events, Roger Ebert, YouTube du C-U. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.