Re: Black dots Thanks, Gene Stavis, for your answer on the black dots in the corner of the screen for reel changes. That's not what my student meant, I think; and it is something I knew about--though you did explain more than I knew. My student was asking about the end of certain films when a black dot grows from the center of the screen, rather than a cut or fade or dissolve to black--as a way to end the movie. I have just a dim memory of this myself and have yet to check for it in order to give a better description. But maybe someone out there knows what I mean and can describe/explain it better. And give the name for the effect. Anyone also interested in my question about the non-diegetic "chora" (image/sound womb) of film and theater? Or is that question also unclear? (Sorry for misspelling your name, Don Larsson.) To clarify, I'm questioning whether a non-diegetic sound track and uncanny imagery (cf. Zizek on Hitchcock) is actually outside the diegesis, or rather at its communal core--especially if the allure of the diegetic world is thus increased? (This might be done either to draw us towards an unconscious horror, as with Artaud/Hitchcock, or to repel us with more conscious incongruity, as with Brecht/Godard.) Does such a comparison of theater and film seem valid to the members of this list? Mark Pizzato ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]