Class 9 - Movies

DISCUSSION: Students listed the movies they had seen over the weekend in any format. Half the class had seen movies on the Silver Screen (in the theater), led by Fast Five. We talked about the pros and cons of the big screen vs. other movie formats. We discussed genres of movies, foreign and independent movies, duties of director and producer, and the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and its rating system.

SHOW AND TELL: We discussed the concept of "persistence of vision" by passing around a deck of cards and viewing Eadweard Muybridge's horse photos. We also looked at 8mm and 16mm film.

POWER POINT: We looked at clips from "Birth of a Nation" "The Jazz Singer," and "pre-Code" movies. Because of technical difficulties, we didn't quite get to watch the three movies worst ever made (from the DVD 50 Worst Movies ever made), movie cliches and product placement. A movie now showing in theaters, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold by the director of Supersize Me is all about product placement, which we will discuss again in the chapter on Advertising.