FOW: “Fermented Flicks” are fine
A toast to Friday, dearest connoisseurs! We celebrate with our next “Flickers of the Week” consisting of three wine-centric dramedies making up “Fermented Flicks,” the latest themed film series to play the Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign. On each of the consecutive nights, January 28-30, wine experts from nearby Farren’s Pub & Eatery will offer a different choice bottle for sale (along with samples, we presume) to audience members, who can enjoy one of the following cinema vintages while in the house: BOTTLE SHOCK (2008), a retelling of the “Judgment of Paris” blind wine taste test in 1976 starring Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, and the late Alan Rickman (Thursday, January 28), BIG NIGHT (1996), the story of immigrant brothers played by Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci who prepare a grand feast at their Italian restaurant in 1950s New Jersey (Friday, January 29), and SIDEWAYS (2004), the tale of two college buddies (Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church) who attempt to stave off middle-age doldrums with a road trip to California wine country (Saturday, January 30). Shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $4. That said, we’d like to salute the Champaign Park District staff member tasked with drumming up these groupings for his or her relatively creative efforts, in particular to differentiate them from the News-Gazette’s once-a-month “classic Hollywood” presentations. While both SIDEWAYS and BIG NIGHT rated as independent box-office hits and critical darlings when first released, BOTTLE SHOCK comes out of the blue, to us at the least; Google it for general impressions or, if you are of the MICRO-FILM mind, take a look at this Film Independent “case study” on how its filmmakers managed to finance, produce, and distribute the picture. We found it informative as should any of our friends involved with recent Sleepy Creek Vineyards video shenanigans.
~ Jason Pankoke
p.s. Splashing visions of vineyards and vino on the Virginia’s silver screen at this time might just be an act of programming providence. On the very same Friday, January 29, the UIUC Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana will host the ninth annual “Tastings” gala, presented by Art Mart and organized by the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum as a fundraiser for the latter. Proceeds from gala tickets, auction bids, and (presumably) wine sales will go towards operating costs for the museum and upkeep for the 101-year-old Orpheum Theatre in downtown Champaign where its attractions are housed.
p.s.2 Those readers who are enamored with this “Reel Deals” set in particular should get a cultural kick out of the “home version” launched by Turner Classic Movies back in October.
p.s.3 Interested in picking and pontificating over the “Flicker of the Week” for the C-U community? Write us at cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com!
[Updated 1/23/16, 12:30 a.m. CST]
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BOTTLE SHOCK artwork © Freestyle Releasing