Movie Roundup

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 1, 2010 3:20PM

a still from 40365

• We'd be amiss if we didn't urge you to catch an encore presentation of The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans at the Siskel this weekend. It screens once on Sunday and again Monday night. Seeing it last year was hands down one of the funnest times we've ever had at the movies, a guilty pleasure consciously overstuffed with so many cop movie clichés it's hilarious. The paring of filmmaker Werner Herzog's dry-as-dust humor and Nicholas Cage's unhinged performance is stuff that cult films are made of. Along with the iguana. When you go, keep your eyes peeled for a cameo by Michael Shannon.
• The 2010 Chaz and Roger Ebert Truer than Fiction Award-winner, 45365, screens this Saturday and Sunday at Facets. Named after the zip code for Sidney, Ohio, this documentary by brothers Bill and Turner Ross examines 21st-century small town America in ways that are both heartwarming and surprising. TimeOut London calls it "a dizzingly detailed, thoughtful, sympathetic but highly pragmatic celebration of the modern Midwest in all its beauty, complexity, stupidity and brilliance," and gives the movie its highest rating.
• Speaking of Mr. Ebert, in a recent blog post he confirms plans for a new TV show. He's a bit coy, writing, "I can't reveal details about the talks we're deeply involved in," but promises that "the Thumbs will return." Yes, Thumbs with a capital T.

• Logan Square already has one beloved movie venue, the broken down but oddly charming Logan Theater, and now it can boast its own monthly brew & view event. Cinema Minima launches at Cole’s Bar (2338 N. Milwaukee) this Sunday with a Coen Brothers double feature, Raising Arizona at 7pm and O Brother, Where Art Thou? at 9:30pm. Admission is free.
• Also on Sunday, experimental and indie film venue The Nightingale (1084 N. Milwaukee) celebrates its second anniversary with a showcase of recent Chicago-made work. The Broad Shoulders Tour features a program which includes artists Jon Cates, Warren Cockerham, Nick Edelberg, Lori Felker, Jason Halprin, Emily Kuehn, Kent Lambert, Jodie Mack, Jesse McClean, Nicholas O'Brien, Jon Satrom, Kate Raney, Michael Robinson, and Jerzy Rose. It kicks off at 7pm. There is a suggested donation of $7-10 and, according to their webpage, "there will be food and cake and beer." Sweet.
• Remember when that cougar was shot in Roscoe Village a few years ago? It was a reminder that our local ecosystem is still home to some pretty wild critters. On April 14 The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum will host an in-depth look at predators with the screening of Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators, a new high-def documentary. As part of the evening a panel discussion, featuring the filmmakers, regional experts and professors, will cover the public’s reaction to the presence of predators in Chicago and focus on the current state of Chicago as an urban ecosystem. It starts with a wine & cheese reception at 5:30pm and it's a free event. Even cooler than that: attendees will be able to get up close and personal with specimens of various predators, including two large wolves, a bear, a bald eagle, and the skull of the cougar that was shot in Roscoe Village. Cougar skull!