Howie Movshovitz unreels Film 102 tonight

In the dark about the history of movies? Get a clue from critic Howie Movshovitz, who'll be teaching Film 102, a four-class series that starts tonight at the Sie FilmCenter. Film 102 will look at the four major elements of cinema: color, genre, sound and melodrama. The first session, on melodrama, runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. tonight; it includes clips from First Blood and Avatar, and features King Victor's Stella Dallas.

See also: Best Movie Theater Programming 2013 -- Sie FilmCenter

Next Monday's class focuses on genre; the featured film is Notorious (with a clip from Shane). The February 3 class will concentrate on sound, with clips from Citizen Kane and Nashville. The final session on February 10 will be devoted to color, illustrated by clips from Swing Time and the feature Ju Dou.

But the education doesn't end there. Lisa Kennedy's series on film criticism starts February 5; Bob Denerstein will offer a series of classes on film noir starting March 1.

The four-class Film 102 series is $150, or $125 for Denver Film Society members; find out more on the DFS website.