Hollywood is an industry that has always depended on blockbusters, beginning with The Birth of a Nation and continuing with epics like Gone with the Wind, The Ten Commandments, and The Sound of Music. But beginning in 1974, two young filmmakers, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, would together change the way the movie industry made movies. Spielberg’s Jaws and Lucas’ Star Wars (neither of which was predicted to be a hit) helped launch the careers of the most influential directors of our time. Whether they were making films together (like Indiana Jones) or separately (E.T., Jurassic Park, The Empire Strikes Back), they introduced the age of the “modern blockbuster,” which featured elaborate special effects and thrilling spectacle. This presentation will look at their four decades of filmmaking and discuss how they changed the movies.

(At the instructor's request, we have changed the topic of this class.  We will be offering "Criminal Law Basics" during the upcoming winter term.) Join John McCarthy, Montgomery County’s longest-serving State’s Attorney, and renowned defense attorney Barry Helfand for an insightful discussion on their combined 90+ years of experience in criminal law. Helfand, recognized as one of Washington’s Best Legal Minds by The Washingtonian Magazine, has built a distinguished career representing both the famous and infamous. Despite facing each other in court numerous times, McCarthy and Helfand share a deep mutual respect and friendship. Their conversation offers a unique look into the evolution of criminal law in Montgomery County through the lens of two pivotal cases.

We will watch this TED talk together and then engage in dialogue about it. People can be exposed to hundreds of lies each day about both serious and harmless things. Because of this, it’s important to be able to understand how to recognize deception. Using verbal and non-verbal clues, anyone can learn to analyze body language to become a truth seeker. Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting, shows the manners and "hotspots" used by those trained to recognize deception -- and she argues honesty is a value worth preserving. Refreshments will be served! (See other TED Talk discussion: class #645.)

Take a class tour of Miriam Makeba’s life in music and activism from an American perspective. Audio-visual clips display Makeba’s wide range of music and collaboration with artists and activists through her phenomenal international career. Said to be the first to bring African music to the world stage, Makeba also brought world attention to the struggle for liberation in South Africa. Some surprising aspects of Miriam Makeba's career are revealed using archival resources, including historic federal agency records.

There is no greater tragic hero in the history of jazz than Billie Holiday. From her impoverished childhood on the streets of Baltimore, to her constant struggles with addiction, to her eventual early demise, her story is that of legend. This class will listen and watch her sing, putting her music in context with her sad and troubled personal story.

Using historic and contemporary photographs, local historian Eileen McGuckian takes a journey through time down the Rockville Pike, from its beginnings as a Native American path to its current status as Montgomery County’s “Golden Mile.”  (Old Rockville Pike photo courtesy of Montgomery History.)

Stephen Schwartz has been working steadily in American musical theater, both onstage and in film, for over 50 years. Godspell was his first success, produced when he was only 23, leading up to his mega hit Wicked, written more than 30 years later. Much like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Schwartz brings a contemporary pop sound to musical theater.

Music affects your mood in many ways. When we listen to a rhythm, our hearts sync with it. Music can also affect our brain chemistry. Research shows that we choose music based on our current mood. But we can also use music to reverse negative moods as well. We will listen to a palette of music in different styles, moods and rhythms, performed for you and discussed by guitarist and singer Vladimir Fridman.

It’s never too early to start planning ahead and talking about safe driving for yourself and/or your loved ones. We’ll cover important considerations in planning your and your loved ones’ mobility.  Topics will include assessing driving skills; adjusting driving habits; alternative transportation options; and how to have productive and caring conversations about driving safely.  Ideal participants for this class include drivers, spouses, caregivers, and family.  Thank you to MileOne Cares/MileOne Autogroup for their generous support of this program! This session will take place during the day; there is also an evening session scheduled on the same day if more convenient.  See class #612.

It’s never too early to start planning ahead and talking about safe driving for yourself and/or your loved ones. We’ll cover important considerations in planning your and your loved ones’ mobility.  Topics will include assessing driving skills; adjusting driving habits; alternative transportation options; and how to have productive and caring conversations about driving safely.  Ideal participants for this class include drivers, spouses, caregivers, and family.  Thank you to MileOne Cares/MileOne Autogroup for their generous support of this program! This session will take place during the evening; there is also a daytime session scheduled on the same day if more convenient.  See class #611.

In central Montgomery County, vibrant parks, walkable streets, centers of activity and new buildings are arriving in areas that were once a sea of asphalt. The movement began with the 24-acre Pike & Rose development that replaced the 1960s Mid-Pike Plaza at Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike.  This program will explore how community planning in Montgomery County has transformed parking lots into places.

Franco Zeffirelli was one of the greatest set designers and directors for the stage, film, and opera. Know for his opulent and lavish designs he was unsurpassed in his field. This talk will explore some of his work in opera, including La Boheme, La Traviata, Pagliacci, and Turandot. It has been said that that fewer artists have had a greater impact on the history of The Metropolitan Opera than Zeffirelli.

This is the tale of the British ship, the HMS Wager, that foundered off the coast of Chile in 1741.  Not all the sailors survived and those that did wound up imprisoned by the Spanish for years before making it back to England; the poet Lord Byron’s grandfather John Byron was one of those survivors.  The experienced author combines his best-selling approach to history with his very modern sensibility. Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated, Zoom discussion. (Note: Please join the meeting at 3 pm if you would like some assistance using the features of Zoom. Otherwise, join us at 3:15 pm for the start of our discussion.)