MONSTER SCHOOL!!!

 

Major announcement! Your humble blogger is getting ready to go back to school!

To learn all about monsters!!

This morning, I registered for an eight-week non-credit course entitled, The Universal Horror Film: The Birth of a Genre. The course is being offered through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), which is affiliated with the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, my place of residence for many years. OLLI classes are available to anyone over the age of fifty.

The class will meet on Wednesday at 5:30-8:30 PM from September 6-October 25, ending just in time for Halloween. I can't think of a better way to prepare for the holiday.

The instructor will be local educator, film scholar, and critic Chuck Koplinski. I've taken several film classes from Chuck since I joined OLLI in 2015. He's very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all different kinds of films but has a special love for the world of Universal horror. Chuck taught a similar class several years ago, but it was before my time. He said on occasion that he wanted to conduct such a class again someday. I'm so glad he decided to go ahead. The structure of Chuck's classes, like the film classes I've taken from other instructors, consists of an introduction to the film being shown, complete with a slide presentation, followed by the film itself, which, in my experience, has always been on Blu-ray. Then there is more information, including critical analysis, from the instructor, followed by Q & A time. Chuck's easygoing manner makes for a relaxed atmosphere that encourages people to ask questions and give their opinions. Chuck may be easygoing, but he isn't afraid to argue a point or disagree respectfully when someone challenges him. I've always found his classes to be interesting, stimulating experiences.

Film scholar and critic Chuck Koplinski

My last OLLI class was in 2020 when I took Chuck's Sports Films course on ZOOM. This, of course, was during the Covid era when we weren't allowed to meet in person. The ZOOM situation was OK, but it wasn't nearly as engaging as the classroom experience. At this time, Chuck was getting a little burned out (He has a day job teaching in a local middle school.) and decided to take a break from OLLI and the less than satisfactory ZOOM situation. Hopefully, life is now back to normal, and these film classes will continue.

Meanwhile, I'm making sure my Universal monster T-shirt collection is up to date and ready to wear to each class. The actual schedule of films hasn't yet been announced, but I'm expecting to be meeting up with some old friends: Count Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, and the Wolf Man. One should always be properly dressed when reuniting with one's friends.

You can find information about Chuck Koplinski here: Reel Talk with Chuck and Pam – Reel Talk for Real People

Chuck Koplinski (illinoistimes.com)