Storm Lake Public Library Debuts Adult Film Series Featuring Undercover Detective Stories
Storm Lake Public Library launched an adult film series called "Undercover," opening with the Oscar-winning 1971 neo-noir "The French Connection" starring Gene Hackman as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle.
The Storm Lake Public Library kicked off "Undercover," an adult-oriented film series built around "edge-of-your-seat stories of undercover detectives and their operations," with screenings scheduled on three consecutive Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. at 609 Cayuga St.
The series launched with a film that needs little introduction to crime-movie fans: *The French Connection*, a 1971 American neo-noir action thriller directed by William Friedkin and starring Gene Hackman as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle. At the 44th Academy Awards in April 1972, the film earned eight nominations and won five, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hackman. The story follows NYPD detectives Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo in pursuit of wealthy French heroin smuggler Alain Charnier.
The library's program listing described the opener as "a 1971 neo-noir action flick starring Gene Hackman and Detective Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle," signaling that the series intends to feature films where the line between hunter and hunted stays deliberately blurred. In the film, Popeye is a rough police detective who routinely breaks the rules to catch criminals, and on an individual basis carries many negative qualities, making him a morally complicated hero. That tension is exactly what the library appears to be spotlighting with the "Undercover" theme.
The series carries an explicit adult-audience advisory. Library and event listings note the programming "is best suited for adult audiences," consistent with the gritty material on offer. In 2005, the Library of Congress selected *The French Connection* for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
The two remaining Wednesday screenings have not yet been publicly announced by the library, and the full film lineup for the series has not been confirmed. The library has also not released details on whether admission is free, whether registration is required, or what accessibility accommodations will be available. Patrons interested in attending can contact the Storm Lake Public Library directly at 609 Cayuga St., Storm Lake, IA 50588.
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