BY JIM DeROGATIS POP MUSIC CRITIC

In keeping with its tradition of presenting a strong roster of music-oriented movies along with its other fare, the Chicago Underground Film Festival (which began Wednesday) has included among this year's offerings screenings of "My Brother Is James Chance," a documentary about the brother of the No-Wave legend; "Sound Class," a video history of the Jamaican sound systems of the reggae era and how they influenced the birth of hip-hop; "I Was Born But ...," a road movie by Roddy Bogawa that opens with the death of Joey Ramone and travels to Los Angeles to revisit punk clubs from the late '70s and early '80s, and "The Myth -- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Fan Movie," which explores the followers of everybody's favorite literary goth-punk. But the most interesting of the music-related films is the world premiere of a documentary called "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?"

Chicago filmmakers Heather Whinna and Vickie Hunter head to Downstate Bushnell to attend the Cornerstone Christian music festival and branch out from there to survey a thriving Christian punk underground. The Christian rock genre is no longer confined to Stryper and third-rate wannabes that couldn't get a gig outside church or a TV evangelist's revival tent, and the film looks at modern god-fearing rock bands ranging from underground locals such as the Blamed, the Detholz! and Ballydowse and to more established national cult acts like Pedro the Lion, the Danielson Famile and Duvall.

If you weren't straining to hear the lyrics or privy to Whinna and Hunter's revealing interviews, you wouldn't know that many of these groups are singing about loving Jesus instead of loving a boyfriend or girlfriend. As one of the members of Celestial Static says, "We're out here to minister but not necessarily to preach." And the filmmakers keep their own belief systems in check as they let their subjects tell their own stories, in their words and through their music.

As a fascinating and respectful window to an underexamined subculture, the movie didn't exactly make me a believer -- I have to say I still prefer Slayer to all of these groups, except for Josh Caterer's new band, Duvall -- but it did make me a lot less quick to scoff at the notion of the devil's music being employed in the business of Godly proselytizing.

"Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?" screens at 8:30 p.m. Sunday and again at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Three Penny Cinema, 2424 N. Lincoln, and tickets are $7. For a full schedule of all of the films, visit www.cuff.org.

While the festival is rolling, organizers also are hosting several nights of music at clubs around town. Highlights include indie-rockers Chris Brokaw and Grandpa's Ghost performing at 9 tonight at the Hungry Brain, 2318 W. Belmont (the suggested donation is $5; call 773-935-2118); garage-rockers Cheater Slicks, the Mistreaters and Vee Dee starting at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western ($10 cover; 773-276-3600), and a party for "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?" at 10 p.m. Monday at the Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, featuring the Detholz! onstage and Steve Albini and Tim Midgett of Silkworm as DJs (suggested donation is $5; call 773-227-4433).

Pop Music Critic Jim DeRogatis co-hosts "Sound Opinions," the world's only rock 'n' roll talk show, at 11 p.m. Sundays on WTTW-Channel 11 and from 10 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays on WXRT-FM (93.1). E-mail him at jimdero@jimdero.com or visit him on the Web at www.jimdero.com.