Oscar nominee at Brandeis

Michael Shannon, the best and least embalmed part of "Revolutionary Road," will appear at Brandeis this Thursday (2/12) for a screening of the film and a Q&A led by alumnus Scott Feinberg of the L.A. Times. It's part of the university's "Los Angeles Times East Coast Screening and Q&A Series" and will be held at the Edie and Lew Wasserman Cinematheque. Further information is here. Shannon, nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his role as a mentally unsound neighbor, has been building up an excellent little filmography of cranks, misfits, and wise men; he's something like a latter-day Ray Liotta with a lazier but equally dangerous energy. With luck, Shannon's recent Sundance entry "The Missing Person," in which he has a lead role as a modern-day gumshoe, will reach theaters in the coming months. For now, here's a chance to ask him what it was like to go crazy in a motel room with Ashley Judd in "Bug."