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Ever since Dorothy Gale awoke from her fabulous dream in “The Wizard of Oz,” and Alfred Hitchcock recruited surreal imagery from Salvador Dali for “Spellbound,” moviegoers have been intrigued by the medium’s use of the surreal and the dreamlike. Join us as we consider the highly imaginative elements adopted by such visionary writers and directors as Guillermo del Toro; Guy Maddin; Terry Gilliam; Jean-Pierre Jeunet; Andrei Tarkovsky; David Lynch; David Cronenberg; Charlie Kaufman; and Michel Gondry. As we view three films that illuminate the human condition through alternative modes of consciousness, we will consider some of the serious, satiric, and comedic purposes that lie behind filmmakers’ decisions to step outside of conventional reality. We will also assess which of these artists of the cinema have been more successful in these pursuits.
GROUP LEADER: Jeff Long has offered film studies courses at WISE since 2014 and has been writing movie reviews for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette since 2008. He also taught film studies courses at Becker College and is the author of the reading guide Remembered Childhoods (2007).
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Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE)Assumption University, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester MA 01609 wise@assumption.edu 508-767-7513
