Entertainment & Film   

Do you vaguely remember skipping classes in college to play bridge? Or being the reluctant fourth when your parents needed to fill an empty chair? Have you always wanted to learn bridge but never found the right venue? Consider joining us for a class that invites you to “start at the very beginning.” You’ll learn the basics, and you’ll be playing bridge before you know it. Neither Barbara
nor Anne is a bridge master — they simply love the game and enjoy helping others grow to love it as well. Repeat in-person course. Format includes discussion and hands-on learning.

SUGGESTED MATERIALS: Bridge at a Glance, Audrey Grant, ISBN 9780910791625

As a filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock was adept at telling stories about intimate personal relationships and the larger geopolitical issues of his time. In this two-week online workshop, the third installment of our “Best of Hitchcock” series, we’ll consider four Hitchcock films from the early 1940s that demonstrate his uncanny ability to portray both domestic drama and international intrigue. Student  should watch the films on their own; in class, we’ll look at brief film clips and discuss key themes and motifs. Join us for another lively trip into the fascinating, suspenseful, unsettling world that Hitchcock created on film.

New remote workshop. Format includes lecture and discussion.

One of the positive aspects of Hollywood’s Studio System was the ability to pair different performers from opposing studios to create wonderful films. Many of these pairings were extremely positive but sometimes the chemistry was magic! It wasn’t always romantic, but there was definitely something between those two. We’ll look at seven films during this time period and explore what made them so special. Included will be films of Astaire/Rogers, Tracy/Hepburn, and five other couples, some you may guess, and maybe one or two who will surprise you. Class will run long to allow for discussion.

New in-person course. Format includes film and discussion.

Their lives stand for much more than acting and directing. Let’s appreciate their contributions to American life. Briefly-referenced film schedule we’ll choose eight from: Africa; Condor; Candidate; Philadelphians; Perdition; Color; Verdict; Luke; Hud; Hustler; Summer; Cat; Fool; Sting; Butch. The script for class is to consider emailed questions on each week’s movie and wide-open discussion of aroused concerns — about both movies and life. No need to critique at the level of Ebert’s critical eye. But we’ll have some fun.

New remote course. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

AI is everywhere. If you watch the news, use the internet, use your smart phone, or use Zoom, etc., you know it
to be true. AI has been used in sci-fi movies for decades, with both positive and negative outcomes. So, let’s watch some sci-fi movies related to AI and talk about them! We will watch eight films from the 1960s to the 2010s including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terminator 2, and Her and discuss how they differ and what, if anything, they say about us. We will watch the films before each class and discuss during our time together. New remote course. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

REQUIRED FILMS: (rent, borrow, or buy) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); Blade Runner (1982); Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991); Ghost in the Shell (1995); The Matrix (1999); A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001); Her (2013); Ex Machina (2014).

Watson convinces Holmes to take a much-needed vacation because of a nervous and exhausted condition. Unfortunately, at the small Cornish cottage they go to for convalescence, Holmes and Watson end up investigating the death of a young woman who is found dead with no apparent injuries and her two brothers have become raving lunatics overnight.
New remote workshop. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

The best science fiction always holds a mirror up to its audience and allows issues to be considered from a safe distance. Star Trek: The Original Series was no exception, so let’s take a look at eight of the episodes that had something to say and discuss whatever aspects we see in the mirror. Each week we will watch a complete episode and then spend the rest of the class talking about we’ve seen.
 

New in-person course. Format includes discussion and film.