Understanding Movies: The Art and History of Film: The Modern Scholar

This is great info, and I am learning a lot. But, I have a real pet peeve about mouth noises (saliva or lack thereof), swallowing. The microphone picks up everything and well, it's a little gross, to be honest. Like I said, he's great, but the noises and swallowing are getting in the way of my total enjoyment. It could be remedied with hydration or pulling away from the mic when he pauses to swallow.

This book delivers what it advertises. It serves as a great history of film and is presented by a very intelligent lecturer who offers great insight into each film as well as show how it contributes to each period of film. However, the presentation has one fatal flaw: the lecturer continuously hard-swallows right into the microphone. This becomes so distracting, that it is hard to pay attention to the lectures after a while. Perhaps hire a professional voice man next time, or a least some recording etiquette training for the lecturer.

Great author and book, but if you're listening whith an ipod and you find drinking, cotten mouth and swalling offensive, you're going to have a hard time. How could such a good book receive such a poor recording?

The information, really. The narrator seemed to be passionate about the material.

A lot of information presented with excitement in a digestible way.

Only if he can get a handle on his mouth noises. Or an editor cut them out.

No.

Between the narrator and whoever produced or quality checked the audio, someone should have said something about the mouth noises and swallowing. Obnoxious and really distracting, which is a shame because the information and passion is there.

I agree with all previous reviews, the lecture is pretty interesting, especially if you are a beginner in this topic, BUT these noises, it is SO annoying, he doesn't even shot the mike to take a sip of water... egh.. sounds disgusting (despite the fact that he has very pleasing sound voice)

Mr. Shargel is a passionate and charismatic lecturer, compelling to listen to. But he's a hard swallower, I must admit. But anyway, if you're interested in film studies, don't hesitate to buy it.

Professor Shargel delivery is passionate and joyous. Unfortunately, halfway through, this scholar lost me. As he presents "Casablanca" and "Now, Voyager", he mentions the name of Jerry's daughter in the latter as "June". JUNE!? Any self-respecting fan of "Now, Voyager" knows the girl's name was Tina!!! June was the name of Charlotte's niece (portrayed by Bonita Granville), not Jerry Durrance's daughter!