The Western Film Discussion Series was very successful with over 50 people attending each event. The final program, featuring the newly released film Appaloosa, included a spaghetti dinner! Participants volunteered to bring desserts, snacks and beverages and I'm quite certain no one left hungry. The film itself received mixed reviews, both from media and participants, but that's what makes for good discussion. I wasn't able to view the film during the program as duties in the kitchen called, but I did sit down Saturday night with my handsome husband and watch it. Appaloosa didn't disappoint us. We liked the characters, their relationship and the story. We laughed and gasped at all the right places. I'm not a huge Western fan like my spouse but I was entertained. I think Appaloosa is worth watching. I gave it a rating of four stars in Infosoup.

Dr. Jack Rhodes' Suggested Criteria for Film Evaluation:
1)Meaningful Observations on Human Nature ("The Human Condition")
2)Depth of Characterization (Do the experiences change the main characters?)
3)Craftsmanship and Sense of Style ("What oft was thought but ne'er so well expressed")
4)Creative Ability within the Limits of the Chosen Medium ("It's what you do with what you've got that matters in the end."),
5)A Tale Worth Telling (Does the story move us? Do we continue to think about later? Do we share in its depiction of choices and values, whether we agree or not about the specific actions of the characters?)