Entertainment & Film   

What makes us human? What enables/motivates our relatedness to the rest of creation? We’ll consider these questions in a broad context, from cloned humans to A.I. Sometimes conscious or unconscious desire to dominate others is cultivated by one’s historical time-period or community. From desire to control motivated by obsessional jealousy to the interface between slaveholder/enslaved, numerous relationships will be examined, with an eye to how significant life-meaning is found even within oppressive circumstances. Why is the humanity of another often disregarded or exploited? Can this hierarchical tendency ever change? Can we ever evolve to a more spiritual outlook that honors the divinity of others? Films like Never Let Me Go, Get Out, Jefferson in Paris, Leave Her to Heaven, The Shape of Water, Silence, and Artificial Intelligence showcase strength/resilience despite challenging dehumanization, and resistance to control/enslavement.

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

Guessing which way the plot will change (when forewarned) will be added fun when watching the eight films listed here (one per week) at home. You’ll consider questions I send as a guide for our (remote) class. We’ll also consider filming snafus, actors’ quotes, and who refused to work with whomever again (as when Kubrick demanded 50 takes.) Schedule: Cinema Paradiso; All That Jazz; Whiplash; Fight Club; Silver Linings Playbook; Shawshank Redemption; Parasite; and we’ll pick one or two from your suggestions or No Way Out; The Great Dictator; Invisible Guest; Identity; Enemy. We’re not experts; just film-lovers. New remote course. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

Homer and the ancient Greeks knew a good plot when they saw one: the curse on the house of Atreus, theepic Trojan War, the tragic story of Jason and Medea.Twenty-plus centuries later, film directors Michael Cacoyannis, Jules Dassin, and others also recognized these archetypical stories and turned them into great films. We’ll discuss and watch at least seven. Classes run long to allow for discussion.

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

RECOMMENDED BOOKS: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, Edith Hamilton, ISBN 9780446574754; The Greek Myths, Robert Graves, ISBN 9780241952740; The Odyssey, Homer, ISBN 9780140268867

An interactive course designed to help those with just a very basic understanding of bridge. You will get to the next level where you can have fun playing with some attempt to compete for a good score. Using screen sharing, we look at actual deals to discuss the guidelines for opening bids, responding to opener’s bid, making a defensive bid, playing a hand and defending. This is a fun and light-hearted class that is judgment free. You will learn how to log on to the free program to learn and play: bridgebase.com.

Repeat remote course. Format includes hands-on learning.

SUGGESTED BOOKS: Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction, Audrey Grant, ISBN 9780939460908; The Fun Way to Serious Bridge, Harry Lampert, ISBN 9780671630270

This course explores the evolution of film noir into its modern counterpart — neo-noir — through seven essential films. From the sun-drenched fatalism of Body Heat to the dystopian haze of Blade Runner, the occult horror-noir fusion of Angel Heart, and the teenage hardboiled detective world of Brick, to the self-aware wit of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, students will examine how neo-noir reinterprets classic themes of moral ambiguity, identity, and corruption for contemporary audiences. Discussions will delve into race, technology, paranoia, and genre-bending storytelling, tracing the genre’s cinematic and cultural legacy. Ideal for film lovers who crave style, mystery, atmosphere, and existential tension.

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

CONTENT ADVISORY: Some films include scenes of violence, sexuality, strong language, and mature themes. These elements are part of the genre’s exploration of darker human experiences. Viewer discretion is advised, and thoughtful discussion will be encouraged.

As we continue our Sherlock Holmes series, starring Jeremy Brett, this episode includes one of the most oftquoted lines spoken by Holmes in the Canon. It involves the theft of a great racehorse and a barking dog.

New remote workshop. Format includes discussion and film.

Continuing our survey of the thrillers coming from Universal Studios as they add to their successes by exploring new elements to established lines and creating new horrors. Embark on a journey as we explore eight more films during this period that gave us the conventions and atmospheres that were used in many thrillers for decades to come. Discussion will include the history, production values, performers, directors, and impact that these films had on what followed. New in-person course. Format includes film.

West Side Story (1961) was a monumental film winning numerous film awards and it became a lasting tribute to its creators, Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, and Stephen Sondheim, three musical geniuses. In 2021, another genius, Steven Spielberg, remade the movie to honor his father, who loved the musical. It is a daunting task to tackle a masterpiece, but I sincerely believe his version was up to the task. We will watch clips from both movies to relive this wonderful experience and to enjoy and discuss both movies.

New remote workshop. Format includes discussion and film.