FILM3331 · Fine Arts
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
How might contemporary independent cinema be seen as both an alternative and a response to mainstream Hollywood fare? How has the acquisition of indie studios, such as Miramax and New Line Cinema, transformed the industry? Has the affordability of technology and accessibility of audiences truly created a democratization of film? This course emphasizes critical examination of contemporary American Independent film from the 1980s films of John Cassavetes, Steven Soderbergh, Spike Lee through the 1990s and 2000s with features from Kevin Smith, Allison Anders, Richard Linklater, Quentin Tarantino; shorts from Wes Anderson and Jane Campion; and current festival hits.
Course experience
Averages use the original five-point historical evaluation scale.
Organization
4.6 / 5
How well the course was organized
Challenge
4.3 / 5
How intellectually challenging students found it
Attendance
4.6 / 5
How necessary attendance was
Assignments
4.5 / 5
How helpful assignments were
Weekly effort
~3
hours per week
Estimated from the original workload response buckets. Individual sections may differ.
Instructor options
Ratings below reflect only recovered evaluations connected to this course.
Across time
Section-level results available in the recovered archive.
Spring 2025
1 sectionSpring 2024
1 sectionSpring 2023
1 sectionSpring 2022
1 sectionSpring 2021
1 section