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I was a film major in college, and as a film major you have to take at least one film history class.  In that class you just watched movies and wrote out notes.  There wasn’t much discussion as far as suggestions for other Classics to watch outside of the class.  Lucky for me I had the privilege of working for Carrie Specht and she sent me the info for her page and now my Netflix Queue is bursting at the seems with classic films:

Classic Film School

(Carrie Specht on the left is the creator of ClassicFilmSchool.com We met in Cannes 2009)

The main page is a welcome page, where you can get a feel for the layout.  The buttons are along the top row and are clearly labeled, but if that wasn’t easy enough, there is a sitemap in the top bar, just in case you need to find something specific.  The sections include:

1.  About (Home Page)
2. 1939 (The Golden Year of Film)
3. Commentary (Analysis/Pertinence of Classic Films by Carrie Specht)
4. The Lists (Top 100’s of Classic Films that need to be seen)
5. Theaters (Places in LA dedicated to Classic Cinema)
6. TV (Stations that show Classic Films)
7. Print (Magazines/Books on Film History)
8. Online (Other resources on the web for Film History)
9. Rentals  (Places in LA that offer rentals of Classics)
10. Links (Various Film Related Websites)
11. Site Map
12. Contact

There is a plethora of knowledge for all the film buffs out there, from a credible source that is still very active in the industry.  It has lists of all the must-see films from the golden days of old, to modern classics.  There are enough films in the lists that you could never get a “New Release” from Netflix again.

The commentaries contain links to where you can purchase the films being analyzed and the names through the commentaries can be clicked to bring up that actor’s IMDB page.  The commentary on Rear Window was my personal favorite.  It explains the premise of the movie and has comparisons of Rear Window to other films by Alfred Hitchcock.  The comparisons made me want to watch the three films spoken of including, North by Northwest, Psycho, and Vertigo.  Carrie has a great handle of the English language and gives thoughtful insights on the nuances of Rear Window, which has a simple premise, but deep meaning.

I personally think it is awesome that there are the venues in LA that are dedicated to playing classic films, it makes me more excited to get out there.  I’d much rather see classic films in a theater than on a computer or TV.  The page really sums up every output of Classic Film in a way that you don’t feel overwhelmed.  If you want to find something on TV you can just go to the TV Page, that lists the channels that show classic films.  If you’re interested in online sources, you can visit the page labeled. . . Online and check out similar webpages. What are you waiting for?  Start getting all the films from the lists!

I used to be much less enthusiastic about classic films until I was introduced to them by people that knew where a novice should begin and what to watch for in Classic Film storytelling.  I feel that Classic Film School is a great page for just that, introducing people to something they would like to enjoy, but don’t know where to begin.  This is the starting point for understanding Classic Cinema; whether you are a novice or have been indulging in Classic Films for years Classic Film School will have something for you.