Smile Politely. Speak Directly. A Champaign-Urbana Culture Blog

Thunder is the most refreshing, brave and entertaining comedy of the year, and it didn’t come from an independent studio or an up-and-coming filmmaker.

Ben Stiller perfectly assembles pieces of pop culture, satire and humanity to present a much-needed comedy that really was either going to be a hit or a miserable miss.

Clear skies ahead for Thunder. You are now free to roam about this review.

It has been said that in politics, we get the candidates we deserve. The same could be said for movies. Nothing dictates more what you see at the multiplex than what has been successful at the box office and, as such, the rule is that vacuous, low-brow entertainment is what is playing on most screens. There have been some rare exceptions this year (Iron Man, The Dark Knight and Tropic Thunder) but by and large, what has cluttered nation’s screens have been made to distract or bludgeon us, and any movie that has the temerity to try to engage viewer’s minds or hearts has been brushed aside. Case in point: Kevin Costner’s fine, pointed political dramedy, Swing Vote.

This weekend I took a trip out to the Octave Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul, Ill. The museum contains a number of extensive indoor exhibits showcasing the history of the Chanute Air Base from when it opened in 1917 until it's closure in 1993. The air base was also original home to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II and the museum features an exihibit on the history surrounding the squadron. In addition to the indoor exhibits, the hangar includes a vast collection of aircraft from very early gliders through modern jets.

With so much art lining the streets of downtown Champaign this Saturday for the annual Downtown Festival of the Arts, it will be easy to miss some creations, but Cindy Sampson’s art will probably grab your attention.

Sampson’s display, “Uncycled Oddities” a series of surreal sculptures portray toy baby doll heads popping out and hoisted on objects such as a coffee carafe. The creations will be on display Saturday courtesy of Wind, Water and Light during the street festival.

August is looking to be as bleak a month for new DVDs as it traditionally is for theatrical releases. This coming week's new DVDs are, unlike our theaters, blissfully Brendan Fraser-free, but don't get excited. Mr. Fraser's participation in two of the country's top five movies means that there is a week somewhere in the near future during which we will once again be berated with family friendly one-liners from the immediate classics Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D and The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Crystal Skulls or whatever it's called. And despite his absence from our video store shelves, not a whole lot else is happening on them.

Tomorrow night, Illini Union Board hauls their big screen out to the Quad for the last time this summer to present the Marvel super hero flick, Iron Man. The movie explodes at 9 p.m., and the view — under the stars, of course — won't cost you a thing, save a few mosquito bites.

It comes as no surprise that the latest, and probably final, chapter of the X-Files saga is failing at the box office. Not only is it going up against the box office juggernaut that is Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight — but it also is based on a television show whose popularity peaked a decade ago and went off the air in 2002. However, I think there’s another element at play here that is keeping away crowds in droves: it’s too damn smart for the average American film goer.

Critically and commercially, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is turning out to be the biggest hit of the year, maybe of all time. Both the amount of box office records it has broken and its staggering 94 percent rating on rottentomatoes.com has surprised nearly every industry analyst; no one expected it to be so good or so successful. It is a very lengthy sequel to a moderately successful (in the world of superhero movies, anyway) reboot of a franchise based on a character who had already had six films based on him — eight if you count the 1940s serials. Everyone knew it was going to be big, but it had enough working against it that no one thought it would be this big.

It’s no secret that Urbana Free Library has a great collection of films on their shelves for borrowing. But, tonight, — and this might be lesser known — the library is pulling out their projector for a showing of The Bothersome Man as the last selection of Art Flicks Film Series.

Cynthia Oliver's proverbial plate is piled high. In no particular order, she's a mother, professor, poet (with her body and on paper), dancer, an artist, choreographer...the list seems endless and demanding — yet she always appears calm and collected. On her website, a quote she wrote reads, "In my work I want to get dirty, acknowledge demons, hail the angels, tell secrets and celebrate conflicted, complicated, glorious lives fully lived." And oh — does she ever.

On that note, Smile Politely brings you Cynthia Oliver.

Consumed by: My passion for art, making it, performing in it, seeing it and talking about it.

The Dark Knight descended on the box office this past weekend breaking records by amassing more than $155 million and doing more than its fair share to reinvigorate a decidedly mediocre offering of summer movies. Director Christopher Nolan created a more than worthy sequel to Batman Begins, continuing the saga of Batman, the reluctant tragic hero. Evil never looked so glamorous in large part due to a hauntingly beautiful Chicago, luminescent and eerie, ably appropriating the crime besieged Gotham City.

Watching Wanted a few weeks ago, I was amused and surprised to see a bar I have passed every day on the train during my summer in Chicago featured prominently. I chuckled aloud in the theater, only to see heads turn my way, the faces expressing their disdain for someone so easily excited by familiar sights on the big screen. I realized that people from Chicago must see stuff they recognize all the time in films and that it was totally not cool of me to think anything of it.

I can't help it, though: I'm from Champaign-Urbana, which somehow ranks below Peoria and Decatur on the "Illinois towns people recognize" rankings. On the rare occasion we get mentioned in a film, we throw parties, like the birthday party for the HAL 9000 that kicked off Ebertfest ten years ago. So here I present a list, albeit a short one, of films that make me go, "Hey! I'm from there!"

The history of female comedic duos is a mighty short list: Ethel and Lucy, Laverne and Shirley, and now, one for the 21st century, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Reared in the school of belly laughs — Chicago’s famed Second City — the Saturday Night Live players (Fey as alum), put forth their first offering on the big screen as a team.

The film, Baby Mama, unspools under the stars tonight on the Quad as part of the Summer Quad Cinema Series hosted by the Illini Union Board.

Jason Patterson's at it again — showing his artwork in local coffee shops. This time around, his pieces of art deck the walls at Cafe Kopi in downtown Champaign with new ones added into the mix from his last shows at Art Coop and Caffe Paradiso. Right when you walk into the cafe, you are forced into a viewing. A new piece of Patterson's, "Malcolm X Triptych" is a portrait of the civil rights leader in white pastel and charcoal on raw canvas including a lesser known quote from Malcolm, "I don't believe in any form of unjustified extremism, but I believe if a human being is exercising extremism in the defense of liberty, it's no vice. And when one is moderate in the pursuit of justice for human beings, I say he's a sinner." It stands seven feet high and 15 feet long, "Malcolm X" is the largest and one of the more complicated pieces he has had to finish. It took two and a half months to pump out.

If you didn’t read Where the Wild Things Are as a kid, then you are probably either a.) too cool to read, or b.) illiterate. Next you’ll tell me that you missed out on Dr. Seuss, as well.

However, those who are not yet acquainted with the story of Max and his band of mythical beasts need not fear; Maurice Sendak’s childhood classic is making the jump to the big screen in 2009. I, for one, don’t know whether I should jump for joy or sneer in disgust. It’s definitely a well imagined story, but is Where the Wild Things Are destined to join the leagues of other books that never should have been made into movies?

What is art? It's a seemingly innocent question that doesn’t offer an immediate response. While few could debate the pastel enchantment of a Monet, the brooding introspection of a Hopper, or even the cultural relevance of a Warhol — abstract art has always been a less defined arena. Does art have to relate a cohesive narrative? Does the scene have to clearly depict people and places or can there be lines, patterns, non-discernible images or even scribbles? Can it be labeled art if a child is capable of its creation?

Elise McAuley can be found dancing her little heart out in the ballet (she's been at it for 17 years), behind the camera or occasionally photo blogging on Things and Stuff. Write her an e-mail and her response will drip with color, sweetness and sincerity. These characteristics of her personality are definitely reflected in her photographs, which closely resemble the most candid elements of our society; her eye is trained to take in the emotion that most people omit in their everyday lives.

Now Elise opens up for Smile Politely.

Consumed by: Nostalgia, comfort and exoticism.

When I was 18, I brought my first real boyfriend home from Champaign for Easter weekend. I was thrilled — my parents a little less so. After I had gotten "D" settled on our pull-out couch downstairs, I came upstairs — and my father swiftly locked the door behind me. I protested vehemently, but my dad insisted that "D" had a bathroom, a refrigerator and anything else he needed downstairs (i.e. away from his daughter's room). It didn't seem prudent to remind my father that I had a single dorm room, so I set my alarm for 6 a.m. with full intention to open the basement door so "D" wouldn't feel like he was trapped in a bad horror flick.

There is more than meets the eye lurking in the back alleys of downtown Champaign.

A life drawing class at the Boneyard Pottery was started years ago by Bill Baher. After Baher's passing, Ron Karlstrom, an artist and good friend of Baher's, and Michael Schwegmann — owner of Boneyard and artist — decided to keep it going. Now called M.E.L.D. (Monday Evening Life Drawing), the group meets every week at 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. inside Boneyard Pottery on 403 S. Water St. in Champaign. The class costs a mere $7 and newcomers are always welcome.

Set in the back room of Boneyard Pottery, the studio space is cozy and raw, the group is lively and come from various levels of drawing skills. They provide chairs, stools, table space and tray tables — and if you prefer an easel, you can bring yours along.

Through the end of July, the Orpheum Children's Science Museum will proudly host their first, but not last, art show. Local students have created the artwork on display and their collection represents one of the larger social purposes of art — art therapy. The majority of the paintings are a copy of one of Leonardo Da Vinci's most widely-recognized painting — the Mona Lisa. Another aspect of the show asks its viewers to interact with the exhibit — the viewer can select a piece of photocopied artwork and color it in. The viewer's artwork can then be displayed on an easel alongside of the paintings in the Museum.

Colleen Montgomery, curator of the show and an associate at the Museum, brought "The Mona Show" to the Museum last week and so far, it's been well-received. Smile Politely interviewed Montgomery about the exhibit and its success. Click the jump to read her answers.

A little bit of rain didn't stop the show last Wednesday night at Mike 'N Molly's. Opening up the show was Dave Samuel's side project Mordechai in the Mirror, followed by Peoria's Tina Sparkle, and closing with The Living Blue. Expect an iTunes release of The Living Blue's new record Walk, Talk, Rhythm, Roam this August.

Friday brings us the release of Pixar’s Wall-E, and what better way to celebrate than a top five countdown? In the short history of computer-generated imagery, there have been some great feature length films, and it’s only fitting that we pay homage to the best of the best.

So here you have it, ladies and gents: my top five CGI films of all time.

5.) Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks, 2008)

In what may be a terribly premature inclusion, I’m tipping my hat to Jack Black and the creators of Kung Fu Panda. When posters and previews for this movie first started springing up, I was ready to christen it this year’s Napoleon Dynamite. However, after giving in to the buzz and heading to theaters to see the flick myself, I won’t hesitate to spread the word: Kung Fu Panda is the real deal.

Did you know a praying mantis can help keep unwanted insects out of your garden? Our recently hatched garden friend will eat whatever he can get his "hands" on. You can order them online here. They will hatch in two to four weeks. Check out the super creepy but radical video after the jump.

This coming Sunday, authors Jeffrey St. Clair and Joshua Frank will be hosting a discussion of their new book, Red State Rebels: Tales of Grassroots Resistance in the Heartland, at the Illini Union Bookstore at 2 p.m. Red State Rebels is a collection of essays from various authors describing modes of activism in middle America. St. Clair kicked off their book tour with a date in Bloomington, Indiana on Wednesday night. He and Frank were kind enough to answer some questions:

Smile Politely: How did your first appearance go in Bloomington last night? Any significance to that being the site of your appearance on the book's release date?

Jeffrey St. Clair: Is there a better place for opening day than summer in Bloomington, where rednecks and eggheads converge in hop-induced harmony at Nick's on Kirkwood? Besides, I'm from Indiana and two of our contributors and one of our subjects resided there.

England has Stonehenge, Peru: Machu Picchu. And this summer solstice, Champaign-Urbana can count on Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

The Woody Woodward Trio along with singer Rachael Lee will be there, providing a stellar backdrop of jazz renditions on summer and the heavens.

I was talking to some friends who have lived for quite a while in Champaign-Urbana and was very surprised to hear that they have never been to Monticello, Ill. "What? How can this be!" I exclaimed. Not only is Monticello a great little town with all sorts of fun things to do, but it's where the wonderful Allerton Park is located. Home to an amazing glassworking studio, an independent record store and great restaurants, Monticello is definitely the place to visit this summer. And by the way, I've heard that Monticello puts on the best Fourth of July fireworks display in all of East Central Illinois (being held this year at Lodge Park north of Monticello at dusk on July 3).

What amazes me about M. Night Shyamalan is he seems to have friends. How else would he get such talented actors like John Leguizamo, Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel in one film? They certainly can’t be signing on because of the integrity of the project. And I don’t believe Shyamalan has enough money to coerce them into ruining their careers in one foul swoop. Maybe outside of his whiney press releases, where the writer/director/producer complains how Disney dumped him and explains away the bad reviews for his films as a failure to realize the “scope of his visions,” he redeems his name by throwing good parties. He probably spends hours telling his guests hilariously improbably stories, leaving his guests rolling, and in turn, mistakenly giving him the idea that these ridiculous premises could make good movies. If that’s the case, please, someone, direct Mr. Shyamalan into making comedies.

I am always a little skeptical of the self-help genre. I don’t say this from a place of smugness (trust me — I’m not above receiving help) but just from the sheer fact that it is hard to completely legitimize a section that also houses titles such as Why Men Love Bitches and has book covers plastered with Dr. Phil leering at you in the aisle. Nevertheless, there has been considerable press about the wonder of the book, A New Earth, so I decided to plunge forward.

Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t seen Sex and the City or do not want to know what happens, stop reading now.

As a devoted fan of Sex and the City, I eagerly awaited the release of a feature length film. I have seen every episode more than once and my friends and I felt a certain affinity to Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte. And even though we are middle class thirty-somethings and are more Payless than Prada, there is still a common bond between us.

What though, could we possibly have in common with a group of moneyed Manhattanites?

Therein lies the secret of Sex and the City.

"You Will Believe A Man Can Fly."

That was the promise made by director Richard Donner via the advance advertisements for his ambitious undertaking, Superman: The Movie and it was one that I and thousands of other comic book fans hoped he could deliver on. There were few movies from my youth that I anticipated more than this one. Sure, when the Star Wars and Indiana Jones sequels were being heralded, I too, was jockeying for my place at the front of the line to see them. However, Superman was different, primarily because fans of the last son of Krypton had waited so long for a big careen adaptation that would do their hero justice and the many false starts that preceded Donner’s film made us doubt it would ever get done. Thankfully, it did and surprisingly, it surpassed any of the preconceived notions that the audience might have had.

We really do have the best of both worlds living in Champaign-Urbana. We have all the comforts and benefits of city life and yet, in a matter of minutes, we can find ourselves in the beauty of the Illinois countryside. This truly is bliss.

By now most of us have seen the film Juno at least once. It’s now out on DVD — and you can even find a pretty decent online version of the movie. So many people loved this movie, and if they didn’t love it most people thought it was at least quirky and witty. Seriously, in my humble opinion, Juno sucked. It’s really difficult for me to organize my gripes about this movie with much coherency, but it’s worth a try.

I don’t want to say that Sex and the City: The Movie is only for faithful viewers of the HBO series, but I will say the uninitiated probably won’t “get” the film.

The movie thoughtfully begins with the clueless viewer in mind with a short montage of names, faces and their relationship status. This is a nice moment for those of us who have seen all the episodes to reminisce on why we loved these girls so much. There’s the centerpiece, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) who’s a sex columnist and author of three books; Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) manages an art gallery and lives with her adopted baby girl and her husband; Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) is a lawyer with a hubby and kid in Brooklyn; and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) is a publicist for her boyfriend model/actor in L.A. Thankfully, the entire original cast remains, as does the snappy dialogue, the twisting dramas and the form of the characters.

We’ve all been there — going along in a relationship, thinking everything is hunky dory and then all of the sudden your partner lowers the boom on you.

While you’ve been in a state of bliss, they inform you that they’ve been suffering quietly and they need a change, they need to move on, they need to find themselves. They assure you that it’s not you, it’s them — but that doesn’t help when you’re left with a broken heart that will soon change into a festering heap of resentment and hate…or so I’ve heard.

Walter Vale is coasting. Actually, it’s worse than that — he’s drifting aimlessly without purpose. The widower sleepwalks through the college courses he teaches, goes through the motions of trying to learn the piano, the instrument his wife mastered with great success and has no problem laying authorship to work that is not his own. Making no further emotional connection with the outside world would suit him just fine. However, fate, and the bi