From the schoolyard to the film fest

Say the words “kick ball,” and immediately I’m back in fifth grade, getting a pre-taste of athletic terror courtesy of Mrs. Holloway in her purple pant suit. The dusty field. The big rubber ball. The shuffling of gangly feet.

That may still be how it is in the schoolyard, but in Chicago the sport has grown up into a full-contact, foul-mouthed, hard-drinkin’ freakout. See for yourself when “Left Field,” a documentary about local geeks’ punishing pastime, premieres at 7:30 tonight at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee.

Here’s a trailer of what looks like a hilarious film, which we found via Chicagoist: