Category > From the Box
I don't know how you guys feel, but politics and obviousness aside, Avatar rocks. And it's also led to a number of shared experiences among people my age who both love it and hate it. Like: two words suddenly dawned on me during that scene when Sam Worthington-Smurf and Zoe Saldana-Smurf are woken by a bulldozer after their alien-copulation: "Fern Gully." It's not like Fern Gully is the only environmentalist movie made, or even the only movie about deforestation. And it's …
While sitting down to write this article, a trailer for the webisode series/eventual-DVD-movie of Circle of Ei8ht came on television, which inspired two thoughts: (1) I hate it when films replace letters with numbers in their titles, especially when the shapes don't even fit. Replacing "o" with "0" is one thing, but Se7en doesn't make any goddamn sense. Neither does 6ixty9ine. And (2) mass producers of food products should not make films.
Back From the Box with New-ish DVDs You may or may not have noticed that I disappeared from the Smile Politely premises sometime around September of this year. A new job and grad school applications have been distracting me from any sort of column-writing duties, though I somehow have managed to watch about thirty films and get way too into fantasy football in the meantime. I'm a little behind on the new releases as a result of all this other …
Despite my dismissive reference last week to a certain teen sensation (the namesake of a certain large, rural, and mountainous state on the west side of this country) and her new film being the only offering on video this week, there are a few releases worth checking out. Irrelevant to impecunious people such as myself, Criterion keeps shoveling out Blu-Rays, this week releasing both Jacques Tati's modernist farce Playtime and Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior). Playtime is well worth …
This week, anyone interested in an illustrative example of just what we lost with the death of John Hughes can watch the redundant teen film 17 Again, in which a washed-up Friends star is magically transformed into a young up-and-comer who has no idea of the misery, obscurity and addictions awaiting those who peak too early. I must admit I didn't bother watching this Freaky Friday/ 13 Going on 30/ Big/ that one movie with Judge Reinhold re-hash.
The impending release of G.I. Joe, a film surrounded by the noisome stench of box office death-but which nevertheless looks a thousand times better than the giant robot movie-has gotten me thinking: what terrible television program from my childhood haven't they adapted into an overbudgeted Hollywood film yet? Admittedly, I was old enough to catch the 1990s X-Men and Spider-Man cartoons that have sent young men my age and older to the cinemas for the last eight years, but Transformers? …
The San Diego Comic-Con is, for aficionados of comics and popular film, a lot like Disney World. It's a phony, overpriced, overhyped, capitalistic scheme that originated as something (at least imagined to be) organic and beautiful. Comic conventions were once cheap, fan-run events where people could get together and talk about their mutual obsession in all those pieces of media and merchandise that were preventing them from getting laid. Now, as evidenced by SDCC, they're corporate-run, money-guzzling, exploitative excuses for …
New Releases From the Box Watchmen I'm saving the best for last here, so you can assume (and in fact, I'm telling you) that this is the worst. Zack Snyder's follow-up to 300 stays as faithful to the best superhero comic ever written as it can while still retaining virtually none of the book's brilliant but deadly serious self-consciousness. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's 1985 work is a post-modern masterpiece about the atomic age, American imperialism, and, that most important …
Among the few new DVD releases this week was a documentary on one of the Midwest's most popular and most droll author, Garrison Keillor, aptly titled The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes. Keillor has a very recognizable voice that has been in my life for as long as I can remember, from the time he was a nameless boring guy my parents listened to on the radio to today; I now think of him as the "dry" …
Physical copies of filmed media like DVD and Blu Ray are far from dead, but growing services like On Demand and online streaming technology could be signs of what's to come. Netflix and iTunes both rent (and iTunes sells) digital, disc-less copies of films online. As hard drives increase in size and home media becomes more and more consolidated, the pleasure people like me find in a shelf full of cases might be outweighed by the sheer practicality of having …
Most Recent Arts Comments
Local, I forgot to offer you a piece of sage advice. Don’t bag on 39 south because they represent your potential collector pool. Even though I haven’t lived in Champaign since 1997, 39 south is still the only arts entity that has promoted my work as an…
Lest 39 South feels picked on: Check this from the Urbana City Public Arts Program: “Calling all Champaign County Artists! We’re pleased to announce a Call for Entries for a new initiative called Murals on Glass, which will feature artwork reproduced in adhesive vinyl displayed on the…
You forgot Jonathon Fineberg was also personal pals with the Christo’s. I’ll agree that Dr. Fineberg has done a tremendous job communicating to undergrads why this stuff is important, but I won’t kiss the ring because he also contributed to the dismantling of crafts at the U…
And boom goes the dynamite.
I think the best and most exciting arts programming in Champaign-Urbana is at the Krannert Art Museum. The depth and quality of the museum’s permanent collection speaks highly to the intelligence of the art history faculty at the University. I have to say taking Art History with…
Another mystifying thing is 39 South touts the fact that when you consider all things that are considered “art”, i.e. music, exhibits, movies, performances, craft fairs, circuses, ect; art in Champaign County apparently generates $60 million dollars of “economic activity” every year, so says 39 South. And…
I have to agree, I’m a bit confused as to the purpose of 40 North, although I am aware that the organization is in a period of restructuring and re-examination. And yes, the “staff of 1” does work tirelessly to keep the operations afloat, but the fact…
“Making art accessible to everyone and cultivating the art and artists in Champaign County is 40 North’s main mission.” FACT: When the Urbana City Council proposed to form a new public arts council of its own in 2008, 39 South actually sent letters from board members Cody…
On behalf of the New Art Film Festival, I’d like to thank you for highlighting our event in this article. It is our pleasure to put together this showcase for the community and the recognition is highly appreciated by all of us involved in the NAFF. Also,…
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Most Recent Comments
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles
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Thanks for the sage advice Mary Anna, but I’m long done with the sucking up and being thankful for the scraps. The most important thing an artist can do to live with yourself is tell the emperor he’s got no clothes, and spray paint something on his…