At least, my favorite classes!
The other day, I rented the classic film "Sunset Boulevard" once again. Still as good as ever!
It reminded me of the two favorite courses I ever took during my time at Cal State Fullerton back in the day.
I have a good buddy named Paul (who still lives in that area) who is quite the film buff. He was friends with a man named Bob Porfirio, an instructor there.
He had a class coming up called "Film in the 30's"...a night 3-hour class. It was great. From 7-8pm, he'd lecture of various social implications of the film we'd see - Scarface with Paul Muni, Angels With Dirty Faces, The Grapes of Wrath, even Duck Soup (which remains my favorite Marx Brothers movie).
The next year, an even better class on the subject of Film Noir (Hollywood's dark films, mostly from the post-war late 40's if I recall correctly).
Many of us in the class went to Hollywood together one Saturday evening to catch a Three Stooges short, followed by "Dial M for Murder" both shown in 3-D. That was something!
Anyway, we had I believe two tests during the semester in which he'd ask us to write about prevailing social values and how they were depicted by different directors, compare and contrast, that sort of thing. Essay tests that really made me think - he was not an easy grader.
It's open season here for comment on the material been presented in this post.
The other day, I rented the classic film "Sunset Boulevard" once again. Still as good as ever!
It reminded me of the two favorite courses I ever took during my time at Cal State Fullerton back in the day.
I have a good buddy named Paul (who still lives in that area) who is quite the film buff. He was friends with a man named Bob Porfirio, an instructor there.
He had a class coming up called "Film in the 30's"...a night 3-hour class. It was great. From 7-8pm, he'd lecture of various social implications of the film we'd see - Scarface with Paul Muni, Angels With Dirty Faces, The Grapes of Wrath, even Duck Soup (which remains my favorite Marx Brothers movie).
The next year, an even better class on the subject of Film Noir (Hollywood's dark films, mostly from the post-war late 40's if I recall correctly).
Many of us in the class went to Hollywood together one Saturday evening to catch a Three Stooges short, followed by "Dial M for Murder" both shown in 3-D. That was something!
Anyway, we had I believe two tests during the semester in which he'd ask us to write about prevailing social values and how they were depicted by different directors, compare and contrast, that sort of thing. Essay tests that really made me think - he was not an easy grader.
It's open season here for comment on the material been presented in this post.
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