1.What value, outside of
entertainment value, do films have? What is the value of studying film?

·2.How do you think noticing
details of a film and analyzing film components assists you in the development
of critical thinking skills?

·3.You are about to begin
directing your first feature film. Create your own idea of what this film
should be, but set it in a specific time---either an era of the past, such as
the Depression or the 1980s, or the future. In order to convince audiences of
your film’s authenticity, what are three main considerations you should address
before filming begins?

·4.What do you think constitutes a great film?
Would you consider any of the films you have recently watched to be great? Why
or why not?

·5.Do you agree with Roger Ebert’s that good
movies are a civilizing force? Do you often identify with a character through
whose point of view the action is unfolding? Does this help to expand the scope
of your own experience?

6.Are there movies that you return to, as if
listening to an album again after a long time? How did your perception of the
film change? What did you notice that you had not noticed before?

·7.Roger Ebert notes how he refined his opinion
on films after thinking more deeply about what their meaning may be, as in the
case of Groundhog’s Day. What films
have you watched that benefit from deeper reflection? What themes or ideas became
more clear with further viewing and reflection?

8.Ebert mentions the idea of tired formulas. Many
of the genres you will study in the next few weeks, such as comedy and horror,
are constantly reinventing themselves as audiences become used to the same old