movies I use in my intro to film class, in order

List creator: trishmael Created on: July 14, 2003 - 11:58 AM PDT Description: I try to use some films my students haven't seen and supplement the obvious choices, like Citizen Kane, with a few films that work well with the concepts in the course text but are a bit off the beaten track as well as my favorites.

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	Rear Window (Special Edition) (1954)
We start with Rear Widow because it tells us so much about what we do when we watch movies.
	Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography (1993)			Not Rated
We do some modest filmmaking in my course (8mm) and the wonderful cinematography here inspires.
	The Lumiere Brothers' First Films (1996)			Not Rated
The Lumiere camera is very like what my students use. And the Lumiere shorts are so lovely . . .
	Lumiere & Company (1995)
I base my first assignment on the assignment given to the directors here.
	Heavenly Creatures (1994)
I use this wonderful film to teach movement--the camera movment here is so sympathetic to the characters.
	Wings of Desire (Criterion) (1987)
Next we have a unit on sound. The visuals are lovely, but the mix in the opening sequence really helps me teach sound.
	North by Northwest (50th Anniversary Edition) (1959)			Not Rated
It's just a great film, but its use here is for the editing unit.
	The General (Special Edition) (1927)
The perfect narrative structure, so I use it to teach narrative. And it's hilarious.
	Dead Man (1995)
Probably my favorite film ever, here I use it to teach genre and how it responds to culture.
	Strangers in Good Company (1991)
A somewhat perverse choice to use for the acting unit, but the performances here are so honest. The performers play versions of themselves, so it complicates the actor/non-actor deal.
	Fast, Cheap, & Out of Control (1997)
Okay, this ties with Dead Man for my favorite film. Used here as the basis for the final filmmaking project, a montage based on a poem. Students must film like the poem poems.
	Antonia's Line (1995)
Most intro textbooks have a chapter on film and politics. I use AL to teach sexual politics. I often pair it with Citizen Kane, for contrast.
	Citizen Kane (1941)
It's obligatory, but it's still great. I usually integrate all the course's concepts and land them here.
	The Player (1992)
Sometimes I use Player instead of CK, to keep myself fresh. It makes a nice frame w/Rear Window--start with filmwatching culture, end w/filmmaking culture.