Fri., April 11 and Sat., April 12Midnight Movie: “Point Break”Tower Theatre (876 E. 900 South) Midnight$8
In this Hollywood civilization of ours, it seems the premier source of valuable life lessons has become the big-budget action flick. Perhaps the perfect example of this — at least in my life — is the emotional yarn strung tightly between adrenaline-fueled FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) and surf-gangster Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) in the masked-bank-robbing, gnarly-wave-shredding classic “Point Break.” Respect, friendship and a love for hanging 10 bind the hero-villain duo, and as Bodhi runs off into the distance to face the tubular Bells Beach swells, Utah directs his government-issued sidearm toward the heavens, and friendship triumphs over the law. Bang, bang, aargghh, bang, aaaarrrrggghhhh!!! Maybe this explains why my friends have introduced me to so many angry police officers.
Sat., April 12Poetry Reading: Alex Caldiero — “It Rains Even on Who’s Already Wet”Ken Sanders Rare Books (268 S. 200 East) 7 p.m.Free
Born in Sicily, raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and currently residing in Orem, Utah, Alex Caldiero’s mixed-media poetry readings are as diverse as the scenery of his childhood. Caldiero has become known for weaving elements of music, dance and art into the performance of his stylistically irreverent poetics. Having showcased his works from New York’s New School for Social Research to the airwaves of Brazilian television, a home-state show by Caldiero is not to be missed — that is, if he hasn’t already moved on to somewhere equally as bizarre as Orem.
Sat., April 12SLC Film Center Presents: “The Kite Runner”Salt Lake City Public Library (210 E. 400 South)3 p.m.Free
Khaled Hosseini’s first novel, The Kite Runner, won the hearts of millions with its emotive story of adolescent friendship and betrayal, set against the backdrop of the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan. It’s silver-screen adaptation, helmed by director Marc Forster of “Monster’s Ball” fame, was nominated for two Golden Globes and one Academy Award, garnering equal acclaim and shedding light on the history of a nation that has become extremely important in modern international politics. For a cinematic experience that’s as entertaining as it is educational, the Salt Lake City Public Library is the place to be Saturday afternoon.
Sun., April 13Fighter Kite WorkshopSalt Lake City Public Library (210 E. 400 South)Noon to 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.Free
Key to the plot of “The Kite Runner” is the sport of kite fighting, or in Afghanistan, Gudiparan Bazi. The aim is to slice the string of an opponent’s kite with your own glue and glass coated strings. To go along with your Saturday afternoon lesson on Afghani culture, take some time Sunday to enjoy this unique Afghani sport.
Tues., April 15SLC Film Center Presents: “King Corn: You Are What You Eat”Salt Lake City Public Library (210 E. 400 South)7 p.m.Free
A few years ago, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, two college friends from the East Coast, headed to the Midwest to raise their own field of our fast food nation’s most important crop: corn. The product, “King Corn: You Are What You Eat,” is a startling revelation of how disconnected we’ve become from the true sources of our foods. Tickets are free, but bring the organic, family-farmed, Earth-Balance-margarined popcorn and natural, nutritional yeast-based, faux-cheese topping from home.