Drive-In Double Feature! The Detective and The Dude

Drive-In Double Feature! The Detective and The Dude

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Come out for a big night at Cascade Drive-In, the largest outdoor cinema in Illinois, and take in two great noir films: Robert Altman’s seminal 1973 classic The Long Goodbye, and the Coen Bros.’ 1998 cult classic The Big Lebowski. Filmspotting hosts Adam Kempenaar and Matty Robinson abide.

6:00 pm - The Long Goodbye
8:30 pm -
The Big Lebowski

UPDATE: Due to the fact that the only existing and usable print of The Big Sleep in the nation is unavailable for this event, we have confirmed a Filmspotting-approved replacement: The Long Goodbye (1973).

Booming in the United States in the early 1950s, the Drive-In Movie Theater became one of the best ways to see multiple movies with the family in the comfort of your car.  In 1952, the Cascade Drive-In opened as one of the largest in Illinois (with 1,200 car spaces) where it remains one of the few still in business.  The Cascade Drive-In is located at the intersection of North Avenue and Prince Crossing Road in West Chicago, which is about an hour drive due west of the city. 

Click here for suggested directions to Cascade Drive-In, located in West Chicago, IL.

Featuring a pair of detective films from different eras and a fully stocked concession stand (we recommend a Cherry Slushy and a bag of popcorn), you will be able to use outside window speakers or hear the movie audio on your FM car radio.  This event will be a true blast from the past!

The Long Goodbye, directed by Robert Altman, is a 1973 American contemporary film noir adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s 1953 novel of the same name. The screenplay is by Leigh Brackett, who was one of the writers on the screenplay of The Big Sleep in 1946. The Long Goodbye features Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe.  Unlike the novel, occurring in the 1950s, this cinematic version of The Long Goodbye occurs in the 1970s — a 1970s mirror of the lifestyle and culture of Hollywood. In their genres, the novel and the film are “a study of a moral and decent man cast adrift in a selfish, self-obsessed society where lives can be thrown away without a backward glance … and any notions of friendship and loyalty are meaningless.”

The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy written with elements of noir written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to (and also refers to himself) as “The Dude.” Incorporating several hard-boiled detective elements, the film draws frequent comparisons to the work of Raymond Chandler, including The Big Sleep. The Big Lebowski’s cult status has spawned annual Lebowski Fests all over the country.

Your hosts:

Adam Kempenaar is the co-host and executive producer of the popular film discussion podcast Filmspotting, also broadcast on WBEZ. Kempenaar holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Iowa and bachelor’s degrees in Film Studies (Iowa) and English (Grinnell College).

Matty Robinson co-hosts the popular Filmspotting podcast/WBEZ broadcast. Robinson holds an MFA in Acting and a B.A. in Creative Writing and Drama.

Kempenaar and Robinson have collaborated to teach three film classes at the University of Chicago’s Graham School – “The Auteur and the Hack: Hawks vs. Curtiz”, “The New Hollywood: Films of the ’60s and ’70s” and “Nobody’s Perfect: The Films of Billy Wilder”.

Admission:*PLEASE NOTE: ONLINE PRE-SALES FOR THIS EVENT ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR.$15/per carload$12/per carload for WBEZ members$12/per carload for Filmspotting fans Click here to buy tickets

This event is sponsored in part by:

The Chicago ReaderFilmspotting