Everyone needs a laugh, especially during these tense times and following a contentious presidential election year. If you are a fan of Mel Brooks’ iconic movies or love the off-beat vibe of the Coen Brothers or maybe prefer the outright zaniness of Woody Allen or Peter Sellers, then you will want to participate in this class. This is a continuation of the course that we coordinated this past Fall. This semester’s selections are from some of the craziest, thought-provoking, hilarious, and just plain funny movies of the past 50 years. They poke fun at the normal conventions of society and stop and make you look through a slightly bent prism at our world. Movies may include Young Frankenstein, Big Fish, Black Klansman, and Married to the Mob.

Format: Each week we will watch a film at home and discuss it in class. One or two class members will collaborate on presenting one movie, each leading the discussion for one segment. Every class member will be a discussion leader at some point. Questions may be sent out ahead of time to help the class focus on particular aspects of the movie, or an alternate class exercise may be offered. A slide presentation is not required.

Resources/Expenses: Films are available on Amazon Prime, Netflix, Tubi, Kanopy and other streaming services; some with a small fee. Check your library, too.