----------------------------Original message----------------------------
In response to Gene Stavis, and some of the other critics who have excoriated
the *American Cinema* series, although I agree with much of the criticism that
has been voiced on Screen-L thus far, many of the comments on the installments
of the series are more reflective of academic arrogance and nit-picking than
realistic criticism of a series geared as an INTRODUCTION to the topics
presented in each show. On that level, I find what I've seen of the series
informative and most applicable to introductory film history courses, or even
as introductions to genre courses. I believe some of us need to be reminded
that our expectations for the *American Cinema* series should not eclipse what
the filmmakers have set out to do:  Create a series interesting to mass tastes.