Category > Reviews
When word of David Sedaris's return to Champaign's historic Virginia Theatre began spreading back in August, the typical reaction seemed to be enthusiasm tempered with annoyance. Tickets, it soon came to be known, were going for a pretty penny. It's hard for most of us to imagine what one person could do in the Virginia Theatre over the course of an hour and fifteen minutes that might be worth the $42.50 to $55 price tag he was asking. Hell, it …
The Gallery The IndiGo Art Gallary is located in the storefront formerly known as Furniture Lounge, across from the City Building in Downtown Champaign. It's an old, beautiful space with a wall of glass on the front of the store, nicely scuffed and aged wood floors, a beautiful ceiling and a nice spiral staircase connecting the upper and lower levels. The space is small but inviting, like the room's squeezing you just a little. I make mention of this because …
Whip It heralds Drew Barrymore's directorial debut and to her credit is a fun, fresh injection into the recent ho-hum selections into the box office. The film stars Ellen Page, who clearly shows that her performance in Juno was no fluke and just the start of her career. She stars as Bliss Cavendar, an "alternative" girl eager to escape the confines of Bodeen, Texas to the larger world while trying to placate her domineering mother's (Marcia Gay Harden) dreams for …
Music games have come so far since the original Guitar Hero hit the PS2. Four years ago, we tolerated questionable covers of some of our favorite songs, and even as more music labels started lending their talent to the plastic instrument titans, a handful of classic bands remained unattainable. We had the Stones and Dylan, but there was no way we'd ever see Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or the Beatles, right? Well, still no luck on those first two, but after some …
My first exposure to Archer Daniels Midland was during a campus recruiting event my senior year in college. Everything's a little bit blurry in retrospect, but I clearly recall that the aged gentleman serving as a representative of ADM was missing a couple of fingers on his right hand. Maybe I'm making this up, but not intentionally: at one point in his presentation, indicating the stellar safety record at his plant, he held up his mangled appendage and said, "We've …
Earlier this year, the Champaign-based developer Volition, Inc. launched Red Faction: Guerrilla (RFG), the third game in the franchise and the first for the current generation of consoles. The game was absolutely packed with content —from the sweeping campaign to the jet-packing multiplayer bouts— it seemed as though there was more than enough Martian architecture to blow up. However, shortly after the game's June debut, Volition and publisher THQ announced that three Downloadable Content (DLC) packs would be released in …
Many people may know Michel Gondry as the director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Others may have seen his White Stripes "lego" video a few years back. Those Gondry-geeks who follow his career also know that he is one of the most respected directors living today, winning truck loads of awards for his music video and TV commercial work. I became a big fan of Gondry after watching The Work of Director Michel Gondry (2003), his first volume …
Thomas Pynchon's new novel looks like one of those Doritos bags full of chips somehow engineered to taste like peppers or pizza or tacos. I ate taco flavor once (after three or four weeks of thinking about it, becoming more and more comfortable with the decision just to eat a bag despite the inevitable bellyache I knew would follow) and the weirdest thing about them was the uncanny taste of lettuce. The chips taste of lettuce. Later, my sister-in-law made …
Women are smart. Men are dumb. And since women cannot ever really "have it all" (i.e. a successful career and a loving relationship), the only option they have is to "slut" themselves up in order to land a man. Men will be so bedazzled by the generous display of womanly assets that they will fall susceptible to all of the carefully orchestrated mind games a woman has employed in order to make the seduction scene complete. Thus, this smoke and …
Choices. Translating beloved books into successful movies always involves careful choices. The decisions that comprise adapting the wildly successful Harry Potter series into a cinematic, palpable vision make the challenge nearly overwhelming. A balance between preserving the sanctity of J.K. Rowling's text and forwarding the drama and intensity of the story visually must be achieved. And thankfully, the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series accomplishes this task admirably and does not disappoint avid fans of the book series nor …
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…