I've never taught film - though I've been a student in film classes from high school to graduate school (I do teach music). It depends on what you want to achieve. If a class discussion is going to be integral to your students' experience of the film, then it is probably better to screen it in class. I forgot what the original idea was in creating "The Invisible Cinema" --the isolated seating arrangement of the original location of the Anthology Film Archives here in NYC - where it was impossible to see anybody else in the theater. On the other hand, for many films, the presence of an audience changes one's perception of the film. (This is one reason why one of my teachers used to threaten the class if they watched a film on TV.) Very often the wide experience of a random audience will reveal additional meanings or humor. I can think of two experiences for illustration: I saw BRINGING UP BABY at the Museum of Modern Art on a Sunday afternoon where the audience was populated by children. I dreaded it, but it was one of the funniest experiences of seeing films, because the kids picked up on a lot of gestures that I would not have thought funny. A more somber experience (in the same theater) was seeing NUIT ET BROUILLARD (NIGHT AND FOG). There are always unpredictable results with this horrifying film -- even laughter (not at the subject, but as a release of tension). Hope this gives some ideas for you and your class. Bob Kosovsky Graduate Center -- Ph.D. Program in Music(student)/ City University of New York New York Public Library -- Music Division bitnet: [log in to unmask] internet: [log in to unmask] Disclaimer: My opinions do not necessarily represent those of my institutions.