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

After the jump, Jasper Pierce volunteered his ideas on being overworked and underappreciated, his book's roots in Champaign-Urbana, and the potential for revolution in the United States. Stick around and check it out.

You may think differently if you’re one of those sex addicts who gets satisfaction in seeing flashes of 60+ year old women in the nude, or holding onto the panties of the members of your Sex Anonymous meetings that you sneak off to the bathroom with.

But unless you fall within those parameters, the darkness of Choke isn’t worth sitting through for that very tiny glimpse of light that is the film’s conclusion.

Instead of seeing Choke, just order late night Cinemax. You’ll get the same poor acting, cheesy writing, but definitely more pleasure.

NARRATOR: Vicky sat with Cristina and Juan in a romantic Spanish restaurant drinking red wine. Juan had randomly approached and convinced both Vicky and Cristina to travel with him to his vacation home for the weekend. Vicky, who is more conservative than Cristina, doesn’t appreciate Juan’s aggressive Spanish sensuality. So, with her second or third drink, she speaks her mind.

VICKY: When I drink, I become frank…

While this is not an exact replication of an excerpt from the Vicky Cristina Barcelona script, it is the outline of a scene that well-encompasses the objective for Woody Allen’s most recent story of love.

Barcelona is a slightly drunk drama, by nature, that capitalizes on both Allen’s storytelling creativity along with its unsettling frankness.

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.

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.

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.