8 1/2 Analysis

Is it the greatest film ever about film making? Is it as relevant today as it was in 1963? Is Marcello Mastroianni the epitome of cool? The Classroom Critics say yes, yes, and yes. What do you think?

Prying eyes, loss of privacy, revealed secrets––these fears are not new. Hitchcock explores these and much more in his 1954 classic, Rear Window. Part thriller, part murder mystery, this film has the Master of Suspense at the height of his powers.     

Sometimes the truth is so absurd, one must choose to laugh or weep. Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove is a satirical gut-punch, perhaps because the film’s absurdity may not be as much of an exaggeration as we would like.   “Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that.”         John Lennon 

Frank Capra's It Happened One Night is so much more than your run-of-the mill "opposites attract" screwball comedy. Not since Shakespeare has fictitious love been expressed with such simultaneous humor and depth.   

This week in the Classroom, the Critics discuss Mudbound, a tale of two families whose fates are interconnected by history, war, hatred, and love. 

A tale of two versions. Both adaptations have their flaws and strengths while still conveying the power of the Charles Portis novel.  

With "Shark Week" coming up, the Classroom Critics discuss Jaws, often cited as film history's first summer block buster. Join us as we delve below the surface and discover this film's surprising relevance to the many non-aquatic horrors we are facing today.is

This week, the Classroom Critics discuss one of the more unique and compelling horror films of recent years.