Film Studies

We still need a bigger boat

Rachel Sauer — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 17:02:38 +0000

We still need a bigger boat Rachel Sauer Tue, 06/17/2025 - 11:02

Rachel Sauer

Fifty years after 鈥楯aws鈥� made swimmers flee the ocean, 探花视频 cinema scholar Ernesto Acevedo-Mu帽oz explains how the 1975 summer hit endures as a classic

On June 19, 1975, it wasn鈥檛 such a terrible thing to feel something brush your leg while frolicking in the ocean. It was startling, sure鈥攈umans鈥� relationship with the ocean has long harbored a certain element of fear, says University of Colorado Boulder Professor Andrew Martin鈥攂ut the rational mind could more quickly acknowledge that it was probably seaweed.

That changed the following day, when a film by a young director named Steven Spielberg opened on screens across the United States. On June 20, 1975, to feel something brush your leg in the ocean was to immediately think, 鈥淪HARK!鈥�

Ernesto Acevedo-Mu帽oz, a 探花视频 professor of cinema studies and moving image arts, regularly teaches "Jaws" in Introduction to Cinema Studies.

Are sharks really as scary as their reputation?

In the 50 years since 鈥淛aws鈥� made people flee the water for fear of sharks, the film has become widely recognized as a cinematic landmark.

鈥溾€橨aws鈥� is a movie I teach regularly in Introduction to Cinema Studies鈥攜es, it鈥檚 that important,鈥� says Ernesto Acevedo-Mu帽oz, a 探花视频 professor of cinema studies and moving image arts, adding that 鈥淛aws鈥� also is an important case study for misconceptions, including the evolution and de-evolution, of the term 鈥渂lockbuster.鈥�

A disaster-horror movie

The cinematic landscape in which 鈥淛aws鈥� arrived was one of greater daring and a transition away from the focus on producers in the classical Hollywood era to a focus on a new cohort of directors鈥斺€渕ostly men, mostly white,鈥� Acevedo-Mu帽oz acknowledges鈥攚ho studied cinema in college and were greatly influenced by the French New Wave.

鈥淲ith the collapse of the Hollywood studio system, suddenly there鈥檚 more opportunity for creativity, for edgy content,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n the late 鈥�60s, early 鈥�70s, you have some movies that really were trailblazers in what鈥檚 unofficially called the American New Wave. 鈥楤onnie and Clyde,鈥� 1967, comes to mind鈥攏obody had seen that kind of romanticization of violence and graphic violence before.鈥�

Young directors like Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese were more in touch with the counterculture of the time, and old-guard producers, recognizing these young mavericks might be lucrative, green-lit projects like 鈥淭he Godfather,鈥� 鈥淢ean Streets鈥� and 鈥淛aws,鈥� Acevedo-Mu帽oz says.

鈥淭here鈥檚 incentive to be risky in that juncture of the 鈥�60s to the 鈥�70s,鈥� he notes. 鈥淭hen to that context you add the economic crisis of the early 1970s, the recession and unemployment, plus the end of the Vietnam War, heads are getting hot and people are angry.

Creating doom in two simple notes

It鈥檚 possible for a universe of dread to exist between two notes: duu-DU 鈥� duu-DU

Just two notes, played with increasing urgency and speed, let moviegoers know that a shark is coming, and fast.

An element of the genius of John Williams鈥� Oscar-winning score for the film 鈥淛aws,鈥� released 50 years ago Friday, is how much it conveys in just those iconic two notes.

鈥淲illiams layers melodic tension in these notes with an increasing rhythmic motion鈥攈e accelerates the speed in which we hear the notes, and he accelerates their frequency,鈥� says Michael Sy Uy, a 探花视频 associate professor of musicology and director of the American Music Research Center. 鈥淲hen you combine that with the emotions attached to the fear, anxiety and dread of being attacked by a shark, then we start to feel how this music is living with and entering our ears, and it makes us feel actual anxiety or dread.鈥�

The two notes of duu-DU are separated by the closest interval in Western musical notation that our ears are trained and socialized to hear, he adds鈥攁 half step鈥攖hat, when played in succession, can help listeners feel a sense of melodic tension.

In the case of the 鈥淛aws鈥� soundtrack, it can help listeners feel a deep dread. In fact, some scholars argue that 鈥淛aws鈥� would not be the cinematic landmark it is without John Williams鈥� score.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to imagine movies today and over the past five decades without their soundtracks,鈥� Uy says. 鈥淲e make music a part of the storytelling because music can add an extra layer of meaning. It can contradict what is happening in a scene between actors, or it can validate what they鈥檙e saying. Music can tell the story even when words don鈥檛.鈥�

Learn more about 探花视频's film and television soundtrack connections in the American Music Research Center's Dave Grusin collection. Grusin is a Grammy-winning composer, contemporary of John Williams and 探花视频 alumnus.

鈥淭he crises of the 1970s are one of the reasons why we have the flourishing of the disaster film at that time. I would point first to 鈥楾he Poseidon Adventure,鈥� which is the best of them all, and 鈥楾he Towering Inferno,鈥� 鈥楨arthquake.鈥� And to a certain extent, 鈥楯aws鈥� is a hybrid of the classic horror monster movie and the 1970s disaster movie.鈥�

The dire economic background of the early 1970s was important to 鈥淛aws鈥� and other disaster films, Acevedo-Mu帽oz says, because 鈥渁 disaster movie, like a horror movie, tells us we are going through a really rough time, but if we all work together and we make a few sacrifices, we鈥檙e going to get out of this OK. If we follow the lead of Paul Newman or Steve McQueen or Gene Hackman, we鈥檒l eventually get out of this all right.鈥�

Driving the buzz

鈥淛aws鈥� is often called the original summer blockbuster, but relentless repetition of this idea does not make it true, Acevedo-Mu帽oz says: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no one movie we can point to as the original summer blockbuster.鈥�

In fact, he adds, the term 鈥渂lockbuster鈥� really refers to the end of a classic Hollywood distribution and exhibition practice called block booking: If theaters wanted to show big-draw feature films, they also had to book smaller, cheaper, shorter films that came to be known as 鈥淏 movies," which "were made quickly by 'B units' that often reused sets or even costumes from the big movies to cut costs. But scholarship on B movies has argued that because the studios weren鈥檛 paying too much attention to those units, some of the B movies were rather edgy and interesting."

Block booking meant that the producers and distributors controlled a lot of what was in exhibition venues, "but there were occasionally movies that may have broken that pattern, and those were in some ways the original blockbusters鈥攁s in busting the block of block booking practice," he says.

While 鈥淛aws鈥� did break box-office records of the time, it鈥檚 also noteworthy in cinema history as one of the first miracles of marketing, he says. It was based on a mega-bestselling book by Peter Benchley, one that was optioned for film while still in galleys, and the film marketing piggy-backed on the name recognition of the book.

Further, 鈥淛aws鈥� was one of the first films to intentionally create buzz as part of the overall publicity and marketing plan, including strategically leaked tidbits from the film鈥檚 set on Martha鈥檚 Vineyard.

On its June 20, 1975, opening day, 鈥淛aws鈥� was one of the most prominent films to benefit from a practice called 鈥渇ront loading,鈥� which meant making more prints of the film and showing it in as many theaters as possible, rather than the previous practice of rolling openings from largest to smallest markets.

鈥淭he marketing and distribution team of Universal Pictures also decided to take a front-loading approach with 鈥楯aws,鈥� so that it was playing everywhere,鈥� Acevedo-Mu帽oz says. 鈥淥r almost everywhere. It still took months to get to my hometown, but we knew it was coming, and that anticipation was building.

鈥淪o, 鈥楯aws鈥� is important because it was this consolidation of these different practices of marketing, creating buzz, creating anticipation, creating tie-ins鈥攊t put all these things in one place that were practices that had been around before the summer of 鈥�75 but afterwards became the model.鈥�

As for the film鈥檚 effect on moviegoers and their summer vacation plans? 鈥淚 know a lot of people,鈥� Acevedo-Mu帽oz says, 鈥渨ho refused to go swimming after they saw 鈥楯aws.鈥欌€�

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to our newsletter. Passionate about cinema studies and moving image arts? Show your support.

Fifty years after 鈥楯aws鈥� made swimmers flee the ocean, 探花视频 cinema scholar Ernesto Acevedo-Mu帽oz explains how the 1975 summer hit endures as a classic.

Traditional

White

Alum thinks about crime the write way

Rachel Sauer — Wed, 21 May 2025 00:01:33 +0000

Alum thinks about crime the write way Rachel Sauer Tue, 05/20/2025 - 18:01

Doug McPherson

What happens when a freshly minted film studies graduate heads out into the world with no particular plan? How A&S alum Patrick Hoffman went from taxi driver to private investigator to successful author

Back in 1998, Patrick Hoffman had just finished his degree in film studies at the University of Colorado Boulder when he decided to head back to his hometown of San Francisco with no real plan in mind for a career.

鈥淚 was very green when I came out of college,鈥� says Hoffman. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have much street smarts. I鈥檇 lived a pretty sheltered life.鈥�

Author Patrick Hoffman, a 1998 探花视频 film studies graduate, located his newest novel, Friends Helping Friends, in Colorado.

He ended up landing a job as a taxi driver at night and working as a private investigator during the day. 鈥淒riving cabs at night in San Francisco and investigating murder cases are very quick ways to learn about the seamier side of life.鈥�

Those lessons in the seamy side of life informed his recently released novel Friends Helping Friends, a thriller set in Grand Junction and Denver, Colorado, that sees its main character infiltrating a white-supremacist compound on the Western Slope.

Before writing his newest novel鈥攐r any of his previous and acclaimed ones鈥擧offman realized that what he was seeing in his jobs as a private investigator and cab driver might make good grist for fiction.

Easier said than done, though. Hoffman would get started, but after a day or two, his motivation would melt away.

The best writing advice Hoffman ever got came from a friend who asked him what he wanted to do with his life. 鈥淚 told him I wanted to write thrillers. He asked what was stopping me. I told him that whenever I started something I felt great at first 鈥� but then on the second or third day, the inspiration would go away, and I鈥檇 feel like a complete fraud.鈥�

Hoffman鈥檚 friend then told him that the bad feelings were actually a good sign, and that the secret was to just embrace those feelings and keep going. 鈥淚 literally started my first book the very next day and everything that has followed can be traced directly back to that conversation.鈥�

It all started in film classes

Hoffman adds that his film classes were 鈥渨here it all started.鈥� Those days, he was thinking about very basic things like story and plot. 鈥淏ut those were important questions, and you really get to wrestle with them when you鈥檙e studying something like film. I had great teachers, too: Jerry Aronson, Marian Keane and, of course, the legend Stan Brakhage. I also had wonderful philosophy teachers. Gary Stahl, may he rest in peace, comes to mind. The English and Humanities Departments were wonderful, too.鈥�

Following his friend鈥檚 advice, and armed with the basics from his 探花视频 classes, Hoffman turned out his first novel, The White Van, set in San Francisco and about a troubled young woman wanted for bank robbery and hunted by a corrupt cop who wants the money more than justice.

探花视频 alumnus Patrick Hoffman drew on his experience as a private investigator to write his new novel, Friends Helping Friends.

Hoffman is adapting that book into a movie. 鈥淗opefully that happens,鈥� he says.

His second novel, Every Man A Menace, was also set in San Francisco. Clean Hands, his third novel, was set in New York City, where he lives now.

And his latest novel, Friends Helping Friends, takes place in Denver and Grand Junction, Colorado. 鈥淔or this one, it was time to come back home to Colorado,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here is a certain comfort in it. Also, Denver makes a great setting for a neo-western noir.鈥�

He admits that before his last novel, he was kind of blocked for about eight months, having a hard time coming up with ideas. 鈥淥ne day I literally just started typing. I thought, 鈥極K, there鈥檚 a woman in Denver, she鈥檚 a lawyer and she鈥檚 using steroids, and that was the start of the book. I went blindly from there. That鈥檚 how I do it, though. The tricky part is getting started.

鈥淔or me, writing fiction is 100% about overcoming self-doubt, being able to see something through to the end. The hard part is always starting the book. But then the middle and ends, of course, are hard, too.鈥�

Part of Friends Helping Friends takes place in a white-supremacist compound. To understand that arena, Hoffman says his 20 years working as a private investigator (he still does it) and handling many murder cases helped.

鈥淪o, all of that, of course, informs the fiction. But also, I鈥檒l just Google around and look for federal cases.鈥� And he searches public records for indictments. 鈥淚 love talking to journalists, too. My wife is a journalist, so she gives me introductions to her friends and colleagues, and I force them to answer all my questions.鈥�

Up next for Hoffman is another book鈥攖his one set in Boulder, a place he鈥檚 now reminded of regularly when riding the subway in New York.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing to see Coach Prime make CU trendy. I see people wearing CU Buffalo jerseys and jackets. I鈥檓 just like wow! It鈥檚 amazing. Go Buffs!鈥�

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to our newsletter. Passionate about cinema studies and moving image arts? Show your support.

Traditional

White

It鈥檚 a bird! It鈥檚 a plane! It鈥檚 another superhero film!

Rachel Sauer — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:45:54 +0000

It鈥檚 a bird! It鈥檚 a plane! It鈥檚 another superhero film! Rachel Sauer Wed, 02/19/2025 - 13:45

Doug McPherson

Following a blockbuster opening weekend for Captain America: Brave New World, 探花视频鈥檚 Benjamin Robertson reflects on the appeal of superhero franchises and why they dominate studio release schedules

Captain America continues to conquer obstacles and crush villains鈥�not bad for a man approaching age 85.

The comic book hero made his debut in print in December 1940, then on TV in 1966 and hit the silver screen in 2011鈥�gaining massive momentum along with way. This past Presidents Day weekend, the fourth installment of the superhero series, 鈥淐aptain America: Brave New World,鈥� hit the top spot at the box office in the United States, and earned $192.4 million around the globe.

Benjamin Robertson, a 探花视频 assistant professor of English, notes that superhero franchises are comforting in their repetitiveness.

It鈥檚 the fourth-best Presidents Day launch on record, behind three other superhero movies: Black Panther, Deadpool and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

What鈥檚 going on here? What鈥檚 giving Captain America his muscle? And why do folks keep going back to these same stories, characters and worlds over and over?

Benjamin Robertson, a University of Colorado Boulder assistant professor of English who specializes in popular culture, film and digital media, says there are two answers: 鈥淥ne, the genre is comforting in its repetitiveness. This is the least interesting answer, however,鈥� he says.

The second answer appears a little more sinister. Robertson says viewers return to these stories because creators make 鈥渟tory worlds that solicit consumers鈥� attention and that must always grow and that turn increasingly inward.鈥�

He says the first Iron Man film is about America intervening in the Middle East following Sept. 11, but later MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise behind many superhero movies) films seem less and less about real or historical matters and more about the MCU itself.

鈥淎s a colleague once put it, every MCU film is simply the trailer for the next MCU film, the result of a strategy that seeks to create a fandom that can鈥檛 escape from the tangled narrative that the franchise tells,鈥� he explains.

In short, Robertson says if consumers want to know the full narrative鈥攖he full world that these films and series describe鈥攖hey have to go to the theater. 鈥淎s this world becomes about itself rather than about external history or real-world events, a certain 鈥榣ock in鈥� manifests, making it harder and harder to not see these films if one wants to understand the world they create.鈥�

鈥楩latter American identities鈥�

Actor Anthony Mackie plays the titular Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World. (Photo: Marvel Studios)

Another trick is that MCU films tend to 鈥渇latter American identities鈥� by celebrating militarism, focusing on charismatic heroes who try to do the right thing unconstrained by historical necessity and suggesting that everything will work out in the end, Robertson says.

鈥淚 can see the more comforting aspects of these films having appeal to many consumers. Don鈥檛 fear climate change, fear Thanos [a supervillain] and other embodiments of badness,鈥� he says.

As to the question of whether franchises are just growing their worlds and the characters in them, or retelling the same story because it makes money, Robertson says each MCU film is a piece of intellectual property, but an individual film is far less valuable than a world.

鈥淎 film might spawn a sequel or sequels, but without developing the world, the sequels will likely be of lesser quality and, eventually, no longer be profitable or not profitable enough to warrant further investment,鈥� Robertson says. 鈥淏ut if producers develop the world into a complex environment that contains numerous characters with distinct and yet intersecting story arcs, well, then you have the foundation for potentially unlimited storytelling and profit in the future.鈥�

He adds that in that context, Captain America has obvious value as an individual character, but he has far more value as part of a world that can develop around him and allow for new actors to play him as he evolves with the world.

So, as the world grows as an intellectual property and in narrative development, "so does the potential for profit, although we may now be seeing the limits of this dynamic as some MCU films have not been doing as well at the box office over the past five years, although there are likely several factors that contribute to this decline.鈥�

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to our newsletter. Passionate about English? Show your support.

Following a blockbuster opening weekend for 鈥楥aptain America: Brave New World,鈥� 探花视频鈥檚 Benjamin Robertson reflects on the appeal of superhero franchises and why they dominate studio release schedules.

Traditional

White

Top photo: Marvel Studios

Say hello to my little friend, the gangster movie

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 20:16:36 +0000

Say hello to my little friend, the gangster movie Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/26/2024 - 13:16

Bradley Worrell

In honor of what would have been Al Capone鈥檚 125th birthday, 探花视频 cinema researcher Tiel Lundy explains the enduring popularity of gangsters in film and the American imagination

What is the most quintessentially American genre of film?

Some might argue for the Western, but there also is a case to be made for the gangster film, says Tiel Lundy, associate teaching professor with the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Cinema Studies and Moving Image Arts. Lundy should know鈥攕he鈥檚 been teaching a class on the portrayal of gangsters in film for almost 10 years as part of the Libby Hall Residential Academic Program (RAP), recently rebranded as Creative Minds RAP at Libby.

Movies about gangsters date back to the early days of modern motion pictures, and hundreds of them have been made over the years. In fact, following the success of the first recognized gangster film, Little Caesar, in 1931, starring Edward G. Robinson as a small-town mobster rising through the ranks of organized crime, Hollywood made more than 50 gangster movies the following year.

Tiel Lundy, a 探花视频 associate teaching professor in the Department of Cinema Studies and Moving Image Arts, teaches a course on the portrayal of gangsters in film.

With this month marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of America鈥檚 most famous gangster, Al Capone, Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine asked Lundy about the continued popularity of the genre, how it has evolved over the years and what makes for a good gangster movie. Her responses have been lightly edited for style and condensed for space considerations.

Question: Given how many gangster films have been made, it seems fair to say the genre is popular with Hollywood producers.

Lundy: It is. And I think that, much like the genre of the Western, there鈥檚 always a question about gangster movies amongst film scholars: Does it continue to be viable, or has it pretty much reached its terminus? But just when people want to pronounce it dead, it finds its next incarnation.

I have some thoughts as to why it remains a really enduring genre. From its beginnings, the gangster film is an American cinematic invention. Other national cinemas have adopted it and riffed on it, but it is an American genre, and the genre itself really was contemporaneous to the history of gangsters in America, like Al Capone. I think that鈥檚 part of what explains its continuing appeal鈥攖hat it鈥檚 rooted in actual history. I also think the gangster, as this mythic figure, is kind of the embodiment of this American identity.

Question: It seems like early gangster films focused on Italian-American or maybe Irish-America mobsters, but later films have broadened to represent greater American diversity.

Lundy: You鈥檙e definitely touching on something that is core to the genre. The genre is about American identity. And you can鈥檛 extricate race and ethnicity from American identity just because of the sort of unique nature and way this country has come together and continues to evolve. So, early films from the 1930s reflected the immigration patterns of the day. If you look at the late 19th and early 20th century, many of the immigrants were coming from southern Europe, and from Italy in particular.

As our questions about American identity become refined and maybe more focused on second- and third-generation Americans, I think they start to become less concerned with immigration status and ethnicity and really more at the intersection of race and class. I鈥檓 thinking now about Boyz n the Hood, for example. That is not the classic rise-and-fall story. That is a story that condemns racism and the failures of democracy and capitalism.

If you look at other films that are slightly more recent, for instance, The Departed, they do look at ethnicity, but I think their focus is really more on capitalism.

Question: Do you have any thoughts on Hollywood鈥檚 treatment of perhaps America鈥檚 most famous gangster, Al Capone?

Lundy: The obvious two films that we would look to would be the original Scarface, by Howard Hawks, and then the remake from 1983 from director Brian De Palma. And they鈥檙e remarkably similar in the way that they depict Capone, or in this case, 鈥楾ony.鈥� Tony Camonte is the name of the character in the original movie and Tony Montana is the remake with actor Al Pacino's character.

What I think they share between the two depictions, as well as the actual Al Capone, is that this man who is very aware of his presentation publicly and who really has worked to craft a kind of persona and public image of himself. And that鈥檚 my understanding as to part of why Al Capone has lived on in our memory, because he was a very good kind of social promoter鈥攁lmost like an influencer of his day. The gangster鈥檚 identity has everything to do with how the public sees him, so he goes to great lengths to create this kind of mythic, larger-than-life impression in the press and popular culture.

John Singleton's 1991 film Boyz n the Hood condemned racism and the failures of democracy and capitalism. (Photo: Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)

Question: Movie-wise, it seems like the American gangster has gone through several incarnations over the years.

Lundy: You鈥檙e right, there are definitely different iterations. And those iterations are a function of the release date of the film as well as when it鈥檚 set. They also are very much impacted by censorship.

If you look at the bulk of what we call the classic cycle of gangster films鈥攖hose films that come out from the mid-1930s to the late 1940s and early 鈥�50s鈥攖he content of those and the depiction of the gangsters was strongly enforced by the Hollywood Production Code.

The writers and directors were always somewhat hamstrung by the demands of the Hayes Office and the Production Code. If you were to try and really abide by the letter of the law, you couldn鈥檛 have a gangster that was flouting the law or remained sympathetic 鈥� because then you are creating a figure who doesn鈥檛 exemplify proper values. But, of course, that also makes for a really boring gangster.

So, the directors were always trying to find a way to kind of thread that needle to create a gangster who was charismatic, and was interesting, and who satisfied audiences鈥� craving for criminality and ruthlessness鈥攂ut at the same time, that they could get it past the censors and release their films.

So, up until Bonnie and Clyde from 1967, movies were very much informed by the restrictions of the Production Code. By the time you get to Bonnie and Clyde, you have a different set of parameters, and a little bit more latitude as far as how to depict these gangsters.

Question: Prior to the Production Code, it seems like Hollywood romanticized gangsters a bit, but after the code Hollywood turns its attention to romanticizing law enforcement, correct?

Lundy: During the Great Depression, there was a feeling of disenfranchisement and dissatisfaction with American institutions, and that鈥檚 really embedded in gangster films at the time. They (gangsters) are there to challenge those institutions like banks and other institutions that were seen as utter failures that had let people down.

So, in the 1930s the gangster was most certainly romanticized. Those gangsters had qualities that made them more sympathetic to audiences and they had certain vulnerabilities.

Edward G. Robinson starred in Little Caesar, considered the first gangster film. (Photo: Museum of Modern Art Film Stills Archive)

Once we get into the official Production Code era, after 1934 until about the end of the 1940s, that 15-year or so period is when the Production Code was enforced most vigorously, and as a consequence the gangsters became less romanticized because the code was leaning hard on the studios to make gangsters less sympathetic and make law enforcement more sympathetic.

Question: With the enforcement of the Hollywood Production Code, it seems like movie gangsters were predestined to end up dead or in prison by the end of the movie.

Lundy: Exactly. You could have a gangster committing crimes, but ultimately, he had to be punished for them. So, that鈥檚 why you have movies like Little Caesar and Scarface and Public Enemy, where the gangster always goes out in a hail of bullets. He鈥檚 effectively 鈥榩unished鈥� by dying. But it鈥檚 a very dramatic, spectacular death that satisfied audiences craving for that kind of action and violence and drama.

Question: Besides being focused on gangsters, are there some general unifying themes in this genre of film?

Lundy: What those movies鈥攅specially The Godfather and Scarface鈥攈ave in common is this ongoing central theme about social mobility in America and the kind of tension between the gangster wanting to move up the social ladder and acquire a certain kind of class respectability鈥攂ut at the same time never wanting to really fulfill that social contract. He wants to get to the top, but he wants to find the shortcut way to get there.

I think that鈥檚 common to some extent across American gangster films. They express that tension between wanting to be accepted in the highest levels, maybe even have political capital, but be able to commit crimes with impunity.

I鈥檝e been thinking more about this recently, and I think that explains why this genre continues to remain vital: It鈥檚 pretty hard-baked into the American consciousness, that tension between being a renegade and also wanting to do your part so that we can have a functioning society.

Question: With so many gangster films to choose from, how do you narrow down the list of ones you will focus on in class to a manageable level?

Marlon Brando (right) starred as Don Vito Corleone, the titular godfather, in The Godfather. (Photo: Paramount)

Lundy: Basically, that鈥檚 what goes into shaping the syllabus. What can we do in about 14 weeks? If this is the only time that a student is going to watch gangster films, what are the ones they absolutely must see? What are the films that express those key turning points in the genre that express the central conflicts and themes?

I always know where the starting point is going to be. It's going to be the first film, Little Caesar. I don鈥檛 always know what the last, most recent film is, because I always move chronologically. But there are always going to be some films that that will never go away, like The Godfather. I would be drawn and quartered by my colleagues if I taught a gangster class and left out The Godfather.

Question: Is there anything specific that you think makes for a good gangster film?

Lundy: Beyond the technical effects, I think what the most endearing films have in common is the scope of the story. These are master narratives with sweeping stories that cover decades in a family鈥檚 story. I think that, in part, that鈥檚 why The Godfather trilogy is such a favorite.

Movies like The Godfather and Goodfellas offer really broad, sweeping narratives. I think why they work so well and are so appealing is that, with that kind of scope, they can really engage in questions about America and American identity that is always going to be core to the gangster genre. It鈥檚 always going to be interrogating Americanism and the promises of America.

Maybe my answer is not so much what makes for a 鈥榞ood鈥� gangster film, but what makes for the most enduring and popular gangster films for American audiences.

Top image: scene from Howard Hawks' 1932 film Scarface, starring Paul Muni (center) as Tony Camonte. (Photo: Bettman Archive)

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to our newsletter. Passionate about cinema studies and moving image arts? Show your support.

In honor of what would have been Al Capone鈥檚 125th birthday, 探花视频 cinema researcher Tiel Lundy explains the enduring popularity of gangsters in film and the American imagination.

Traditional

White

Award-winning filmmaker gives persistence, 鈥榚nergy鈥� to next generation

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 22:51:30 +0000

Award-winning filmmaker gives persistence, 鈥榚nergy鈥� to next generation Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 06/14/2022 - 16:51

Cody DeBos

John W. Comerford, who discovered the power of film at 探花视频, arranges major gift to the Brakhage Center for Media Arts

A gust of Colorado night air washed over John W. Comerford (鈥�90 Psych & Film) like a tidal wave.

The 探花视频 alumnus recalls stepping out for a breath of fresh air after viewing the hard-hitting Leni Riefenstahl Nazi propaganda piece Triumph of Will for a film-studies class.

Looking for a sign of where to take his career, that gust of wind led to an epiphany.

Film can change the world.

Under the wing of legendary experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage, Comerford would go on to pursue a career in film and push the boundaries of what it means to tell stories on the big screen.

鈥淚 learned that the impact of film is a lot bigger than I had ever imagined,鈥� Comerford says, reflecting on his time at 探花视频.

At the top of the page: As principal at Paradigm Studio, John Comerford has helped produce and write a wide array of films. Above: Comerford hopes the gift he arranged to 探花视频 will help inspire young filmmakers to pursue a career in the industry.

He also reflected on a propaganda film from the Spanish Civil War period that Brakhage chose to show in class. The piece depicted scenes of seemingly normal life while the narrator spoke of sickness and suffering among the people. By all appearances, the people were healthy.

鈥淭his film demonstrated the power of narrative voice,鈥� Comerford says.

He also pinpoints this as a pivotal moment in his career. He learned early on that film can be powerfully suggestive and that such power could be used to illuminate rather than manipulate.

Now, 30 years later, Comerford works as principal at Paradigm Studio, a production company. Comerford lends his visionary eye for the meaning of film to a wide array of projects and experimental pieces.

One of which, Around the Fire, co-written and produced with longtime friend and fellow 探花视频 alum Tommy Rosen (鈥�90), is slated for its 25th-anniversary re-release this year. The award-winning coming-of-age drama explores topics like adolescence, drug use and the importance of music culture.

Comerford attributes much of his success to 探花视频鈥檚 spirit of discovery.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get a lot of direction from my parents growing up as far as what sort of career to pursue,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen my acceptance letter from 探花视频 arrived, it was actually dated on my birthday, Jan. 18. I thought, well, that鈥檚 a sign.鈥�

Comerford鈥檚 first on-campus experience is committed to memory.

He reflects, 鈥淐oming down 36 and seeing the Flatirons for the first time, I thought, 鈥榃ell this is going to be amazing.鈥欌€�

Indeed, it was the start of something special for Comerford.

He has helped produce and write a number of critically acclaimed documentary and narrative films via Paradigm Studio, exploring topics from jazz music to gun violence. Themes of late include the environment and media literacy.

Lynch: A History made a splash as an experimental piece. It stitches together more than 700 internet video clips of former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch to form a narrative on race, media and the world of professional sports.

Comerford notes the piece has received praise from athletes at all levels, including from Lynch himself. He says it has also sparked discussions about the media鈥檚 impact among players and coaches throughout the sports industry.

Currently, Comerford has several projects in the works. He is producing a narrative feature film based on a true story of the fight to preserve California鈥檚 native redwood trees, authored by David Harris.

He鈥檚 also working with fellow Boulderite, filmmaker and musician Charles Hambleton on a film titled Kensu Maru. It highlights the search for a Japanese hospital ship laden with gold scuttled in the Philippines during WWII.

None of our productions happen without persistence. ... That persistence, and most importantly the persistence inspired by collaboration, is really essential.鈥�

The story is about more than treasure, though. It is a tale of justice and defeating personal demons.

In recent years, Comerford has been thinking about how to give back. 鈥淭he first thing that popped into my head was Stan,鈥� he says.

鈥淚 did some research, and I thought of the Brakhage Center and the University of Colorado. I just thought, 鈥榃ow, that is the perfect place to return to the world, if you will, the energy and spirit of that gift given to me by Stan.鈥欌€�

Comerford helped arrange a gift of $30,000 to the Brakhage Center for Media Arts at 探花视频. To be rolled out over three years, the gift is one of the largest ever received by the Brakhage Center.

He hopes the gift will help inspire young filmmakers to pursue a career in the industry. Comerford also hopes that students studying at 探花视频 will be able to gain a higher understanding of media literacy and its impact on consciousness.

Hanna Rose Shell, assicuarte professor and faculty director of the Brakhage Center for Media Arts, says the gift will do just that: 鈥淲e at the Brakhage Center are thrilled to have the support and deep engagement from John Comerford, which will help enable students to enrich their horizons in the multiple realms of experimental film and beyond.鈥�

When asked to share a bit of wisdom with those interested in pursuing a film career, Comerford offered two words:

鈥淐ollaboration and persistence.鈥�

鈥淣one of our productions happen without persistence,鈥� he adds. 鈥淧articularly as a producer, where you have the longest relationship with the motion picture of anyone involved. That persistence, and most importantly the persistence inspired by collaboration, is really essential.鈥�

John W. Comerford, who discovered the power of film at 探花视频, arranges major gift to its Brakhage Center for Media Arts.

Traditional

White

Libraries, cinema studies win support to teach film preservation

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 20:55:12 +0000

Libraries, cinema studies win support to teach film preservation Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/04/2021 - 14:55

Doug McPherson

The $188k grant will help develop curricula to give undergraduates hands-on experiences in film archiving and preservation.

The University Libraries Rare and Distinctive Collections and the Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts at the University of Colorado Boulder have won a $187,585 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to create five advanced, 鈥渆xperiential鈥� classes focused on media archiving and preservation for cinema-studies undergraduates.

It will be one of the only programs of its kind in the country for undergraduates, according to Sabrina Negri, assistant professor in cinema studies and moving image arts, and Jamie Wagner, faculty fellow and moving image archivist for University Libraries, the grant鈥檚 principal investigators.

They say programs that teach media archiving and preservation skills are limited to graduate students at private universities in major coastal U.S. cities and that 探花视频 would be the only public university to offer this type of program in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions.

Sabrina Negri, assistant professor in cinema studies and moving image arts, is one of the grant鈥檚 principal investigators.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have a preservation program located at a public university that鈥檚 not on one of the two coasts,鈥� Negri said. 鈥淚t gives access to the profession to a broader and more diverse group of students, and it would provide trained media archivists for smaller archives that aren鈥檛 located in big cities.鈥�

Negri and Wagner say advances in technology, especially the transition from tape to digital media formats, have introduced a need for more media to be archived and for more archivists and conservators. 鈥淪o that means there鈥檚 a growing need to teach individuals how to care for and preserve historical materials,鈥� Negri said.

Students will learn the theory and practice of film archiving, restoration, preservation and how to preserve analog tapes鈥攚hich are actually more endangered than film, Negri said. In addition, students will learn how to archive and preserve digital files and how to manage a media collection.

The program will also include paid fellowships in media preservation for undergraduate students working with the libraries鈥� moving-image archival collections and digital-media lab.

Wagner adds that the program will also feature a community-oriented internship program that pairs undergrads with under-resourced institutions and organizations that have media preservation needs for their own historical materials.

鈥淪tudents will use the skills they learn to directly benefit at-risk cultural heritage material throughout the Front Range area,鈥� said Wagner.

Wagner said what 探花视频 is doing with the curricula, fellowship and internship could serve as a model for other universities around the country.

The director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Crosby Kemper, said the 2021 grant awardees are 鈥渞esponding to the gaps in our society, under-resourced communities, professional development for underrepresented members of our communities, and the programs and services with impact on the daily lives of 鈥� people.鈥�

Students will use the skills they learn to directly benefit at-risk cultural heritage material throughout the Front Range area."

Wagner will teach the first class, which is on collection management, in spring 2022. All the other classes are scheduled to be taught in academic years 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The idea to create the curricula came to Negri when cinema studies and moving image arts received a gift of preservation equipment from GW Hannaway and Associates, a Boulder-based imaging and video company.

鈥淕iven that a lot of media are in need of preservation, it made sense to think to use that equipment to train new media archivists,鈥� Negri said.

Negri taught seminars in film archiving and preservation in 2018 and 2020 and said they were well received.

鈥淣ow with the collaboration of the University Libraries and the grant, cinema studies and moving image arts can expand the project to include the five different classes,鈥� Negri said.

Wagner adds, 鈥淲e hope we can build a model for a curriculum or a certificate that has demonstrated success and data to inform next steps for the program.鈥�

The $188k grant will help develop curricula to give undergraduates hands-on experiences in film archiving and preservation.

Traditional

White

Cinema Studies is getting rave reviews

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 20:17:16 +0000

Cinema Studies is getting rave reviews Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/30/2018 - 14:17

The 探花视频 Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts has made The Hollywood Reporter鈥檚 list of the top 25 film programsin the nation.

The department, formerly the Film Studies Program at the University of Colorado Boulder, hailed the recognition by the top trade journal in the movie industry.

鈥淔or an academic unit like ours, this is comparable to a mention in the US News & World Report鈥攁t least for minor bragging rights,鈥� said Ernesto Acevedo-Mu帽oz, professor and chair of the department.

He continued: 鈥淭his humble feather in our cap joins the list of honors such as the Film Society of Lincoln Center naming in 2010 five of our faculty among most important experimental filmmakers of the last decade, and our naming as 鈥楤est in the West in Cinematography鈥� by MovieMaker magazine in 2017.鈥�

Mu帽oz added, 鈥淵es, we came in at #25 among the 鈥楾op 25,鈥� but we鈥檒l take it.鈥�

In June, the CU Board of Regents voted to rename the Film Studies Program and to grant it the status of a department.

Acevedo-Mu帽oz said the move made de jurewhat is already the de factoplace of the unit in the College of Arts and Sciences.

At the time of the vote, he added, 鈥淥ur students are better served graduating from a department rather than a program, which might be erroneously perceived as having somewhat lesser standards or rigor.鈥�

The 探花视频 Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts has made The Hollywood Reporter鈥檚 list of the top 25 film programsin the nation.

Traditional

White

Biochemistry and cinema studies now have department status

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 16:17:52 +0000

Biochemistry and cinema studies now have department status Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/22/2018 - 10:17

At its regular meeting on Thursday at the 探花视频 campus, the University of Colorado Board of Regents voted to approve a new online Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies and two new departments for the Boulder campus.

Traditional

White

#StopTheCrazyTalk aims to change words, attitudes

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 01:24:36 +0000

#StopTheCrazyTalk aims to change words, attitudes Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/25/2018 - 19:24

Clay Bonnyman Evans

探花视频 students create PSA to illuminate language that stigmatizes mental illness

Boulder resident and former 探花视频 art student Lisa Solheim watches Andrew McGraw (film studies, '19) interview Micah Salazar (MCDB, '18) in the lobby of the Roser ATLAS building. McGraw and Meagan Taylor (Jour, '02) made a PSA on combating verbal stigma surrounding mental illness. Salazar discussed his work as a pharmacy technician in a mental-health centered pharmacy, while Solheim discussed her experiences with schizophrenia. Photos by Meagan Taylor.

Consider the following comments you wouldn鈥檛 be surprised to overhear in a coffee shop:

鈥淪he鈥檚 so bipolar! One day she鈥檚 happy, and the next she鈥檚 completely depressed.鈥�

鈥淵eah, that guy is completely schizo, totally unpredictable.鈥�

鈥淢an, I鈥檓 so OCD about what shoes to wear.鈥�

Each one makes colloquial use of a word or shorthand phrase related to a mental-health diagnosis鈥攂ipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder. All are not just imprecise and misleading, but also have the potential to stigmatize people with mental illness.

鈥淲hy do we casually insult others with mental health labels such as 鈥榩sycho鈥� or 鈥榠nsane鈥�?鈥� asks Meagan Taylor, a 2002 journalism graduate who is now studying integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder. 鈥淲e will never get rid of stigma unless we can change our underlying perceptions of mental illness, and that begins partly with how we use our words.鈥�

So, she decided to do something about it. Tasked with creating an outreach project for her abnormal psychology class, Taylor worked with Andrew McGraw, a film studies major, and Lisa Solheim, a former CU art major who is now a mental-health advocate, to create a short public-service video to highlight the problem of stigmatizing language. That video was published this week.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 go around saying 鈥榯hat鈥檚 so gay鈥� anymore, or calling people 鈥榬etards,鈥� because we realized that the way we used those words could be harmful to people who overhear them,鈥� Taylor says. 鈥淥ur underlying attitudes need to change, so language has to change, and bringing attention to this is a start.鈥�

Taylor and McGraw鈥攚ho met while working for CU鈥檚 Emergency Medical Services鈥攔ecruited volunteers to talk about their experiences with language that stigmatizes mental illness. After conducting pre-interviews, they sat conducted on-camera interviews on April 13.

鈥淭here is really a desire in the market to tell these kinds of stories, to challenged people鈥檚 reality and use of language,鈥� says McGraw, who began making films for YouTube in high school. 鈥淚 like telling stories that make a difference, make people question their world and challenge them to do better.鈥�

Besides their student volunteers, Taylor and McGraw also turned the lens on Solheim, who has served on the speaker鈥檚 board for the nonprofit Mental Health Partners.

Mental illness isn鈥檛 the same as someone who鈥檚 just screwed up. The guy in Las Vegas who shot up all those people? There was no evidence of mental illness.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of times, somebody says 鈥榮chizophrenic鈥� and they mean somebody who鈥檚 just having a hard time or something,鈥� Solheim says. 鈥淏ut mental illness isn鈥檛 the same as someone who鈥檚 just screwed up. The guy in Las Vegas who shot up all those people? There was no evidence of mental illness.鈥�

But tossing out 鈥渕entally ill鈥� any time someone does something harmful or anti-social is surprisingly common, says Solheim, and that can reinforce harmful stereotypes. Solheim recalls the time she sat down for an interview with a man who was renting a room in his house. After he told her he was an alcoholic, she decided to open up about her diagnosis.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ow, we鈥檙e admitting our foibles here,鈥� and said, 鈥榃ell, I鈥檓 schizophrenic,鈥欌€� she says. 鈥淗is immediate reaction was to say, 鈥榊ou aren鈥檛 going to come kill me in the middle of the night, are you?鈥欌€�

Polls have found that 60 percent of Americans believe people with mental illness are 鈥渓ikely鈥� to act violently toward others. While some studies have found a slight correlation between certain specific diagnoses and violence, more refined investigation has found that other factors, including substance abuse, childhood abuse and family history, are more important.

The 2005 MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study at the University of Virginia, for example, controlled for substance use and other environmental factors and found no significant difference in the rates of violence among people with mental illness and other people living in the same neighborhood.

Taylor, who plans to become a physician鈥檚 assistant, said her work as a volunteer at a hospital and working in emergency services increased her compassion for people with mental illness. She hopes the PSA will be a small step to help change the way we use language.

鈥淭he mental-health community and their allies need to stand up for proper use of terminology, stop casual labels, and promote language empathy if we want people with mental illness to be culturally integrated,鈥� she wrote in her proposal for the PSA.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not talking about political correctness or policing language,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about being sensitive human beings.鈥�

Abnormal Psychology, PSYC 3303, is taught by Professor June Gruber.

[video:https://youtu.be/T9UdXCeP-aw]

探花视频 students create PSA to illuminate language that stigmatizes mental illness.

Traditional

White

Filmmaker alums tackle nuclear weapons buildup

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 16:23:08 +0000

Filmmaker alums tackle nuclear weapons buildup Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/19/2017 - 10:23

Jeff Thomas

'We want to broaden the discourse and dialogue to talk about the lingering effects,' Eric Stewart says

The nuclear weapons buildup and the protests against it were for many simply the news of the day, but for two filmmakers from the University of Colorado Boulder it may turn out to be a provocative theme for a historical documentary and multimedia oral-history archive.

鈥淭here鈥檚 the popular idea that danger from the nuclear buildup kind of stopped with the end of the Cold War,鈥� said Eric Stewart, who received his MFA in filmmaking from 探花视频 in 2016 and now works as an assistant professor of photography at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo. 鈥淏ut we want to broaden the discourse and dialogue to talk about the lingering effects.鈥�

Eric Stewart at work in the field. Photo courtesy of Eric Stewart. At the top of the page, an image inside the protected area of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant in 1978. The buildings in the foreground include 984, 992, 991, 989, and 968. These buildings made up the Building 991 complex. Building 991, Plant D, was the first operational building on site, constructed in 1951 as the final assembly and shipping and receiving building. To the north and northwest of Building 991 are the underground vaults and tunnels used to store weapons components. Photo by U.S. Department of Energy, Legacy Management.

Over the past two years Stewart and fellow CU filmmaking MFA Taylor Dunne (2014) have been working to create the feature-length experimental documentary 鈥淥ff Country,鈥� a project they hope to have completed in the next two years. Dunne is a former 探花视频 and Naropa University instructor who is now an assistant professor in mass communications at Adams State, and who also happens to be Stewart鈥檚 partner in life.

Ending up in Alamosa has turned out to be a blessing for the pair鈥攂eyond the fact they are both now tenure-track professors鈥攊n that it puts them within easy reach of their locations in New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been spending a lot of time in the Trinity location (site of the first atomic bomb test) in New Mexico, so that鈥檚 really convenient,鈥� Stewart said. The project as a whole examines Southwestern locations, including the former Rocky Flats Plant, the White Sands Missile Range and the Nevada Test Site.

Stewart said he has always been attracted to stories about working for change through civil disobedience, and the Rocky Flats protest history was the initial draw to the research. Here he has been assisted by former 探花视频 faculty member LeRoy Moore, a founder of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center.

The project examines the effects of the entire industry, from uranium mining, plutonium production and weapons building and testing, but Stewart said Flats activists here were actually a lot more successful than in other areas of the Southwest.

鈥淓ven if it wasn鈥檛 a perfect outcome at Rocky Flats, communities in central and northern New Mexico haven鈥檛 seen the same kind of results and change,鈥� he said. Moore was instrumental in getting the pair started on the history and getting them in touch with anti-nuclear peace activists.

Dunne noted the test areas are largely populated by Hispanic families, so the film will be bilingual. That deepens the involvement for herself, Dunne said, in that they are 鈥渦nderrepresented histories鈥� that the film documents.

鈥淲e are trying to tell a story through the perspective of the people's history,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his film is an extension of my previous work, where I have focused on stories about women and Indigenous people.鈥�

While the documentary deals significantly with oral histories, Stewart said he and Dunne are still fundamentally experimental filmmakers, so the piece will not come out looking like a television documentary. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been an opportunity to do this with more mainstream media, but we鈥檙e committed to make a non-traditional film,鈥� he said.

Taylor Dunne at work in the field. Photo courtesy of Taylor Dunne.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 against is direct didactic narrative, I don鈥檛 want to tell them (the audience) what to think,鈥� Stewart said. Instead, he said, the audience should interpret film much as they would have to any piece of art.

鈥淭his leads the viewer into a more engaged experience in the material. The viewer has to make up as much as the artist. Where do we go from here? Where does Boulder County go? How do we go on showing solidarity with communities in New Mexico and add to the accountability there?

鈥淲orking with these long landscape shots has been a challenge; we鈥檙e not going to cut in film of nuclear bombs going off,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e weaving these interviews with these shots of beautiful places in the West, and dichotomize these with a less than gorgeous history and less than gorgeous impacts.鈥�

The project was initially supported by the fund named for the founder of CU鈥檚 Film Studies Program, the Virgil Grillo Memorial Award, and has also received funding from the Puffin Foundation. With perhaps two years left of filming and editing the pair is still about $7,000 short of its $10,000 goal on KickStarter funding at http://bit.ly/OffCountry.

Locals invited to help document anti-nuke/peace movement

Filmmakers Taylor Dunne and Eric Stewart are inviting Boulder County residents to participate in an effort to document the anti-nuclear/peace movement that centered on the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Facility here, by joining in a discussion in Nederland from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Art House of Nederland, 171 E. 2nd Street.

Dunne noted that the work goes far beyond the feature-length documentary the pair is filming, and will include an oral history archive.

鈥淚 make research-based films, and what goes into the final piece is only the very tip of the iceberg,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is really unsatisfying to leave out so much, so we are putting all of the complete interviews in an archive so the history will be available to anyone. Adams State University, where we work, has offered to house the archive to get it started, but we are hoping it will be expanded and (also be housed) in New Mexico or Utah.鈥�

Their project focuses on anti-nuclear and peace activists engaged in direct action and civil disobedience. The archive will document and catalog a diverse chorus of voices whom history has neglected to be a tool for researchers, historians, and activists, to learn not only about history but the human stories of people resisting environmental contamination and political oppression.

Their work was started with a small grant from 探花视频 Film Studies and has gone on to receive support from the Puffin Foundation. They are fiscally sponsored by Basement Films, an Albuquerque-based media nonprofit, and are currently raising funds through a KickStarter campaign.

Traditional

White

Film Studies

We still need a bigger boat

Are sharks really as scary as their reputation?

Related Articles

Alum thinks about crime the write way

Related Articles

It鈥檚 a bird! It鈥檚 a plane! It鈥檚 another superhero film!

Related Articles

Say hello to my little friend, the gangster movie

Related Articles

Award-winning filmmaker gives persistence, 鈥榚nergy鈥� to next generation

Related Articles

Libraries, cinema studies win support to teach film preservation

Related Articles

Cinema Studies is getting rave reviews

Related Articles

Biochemistry and cinema studies now have department status

Related Articles

#StopTheCrazyTalk aims to change words, attitudes

探花视频 students create PSA to illuminate language that stigmatizes mental illness

Related Articles

Filmmaker alums tackle nuclear weapons buildup

'We want to broaden the discourse and dialogue to talk about the lingering effects,' Eric Stewart says

Related Articles