Film & Music Appreciation   

In this class, we will examine the evolution of Leonardo DiCaprio from teen heartthrob to one of the most critically acclaimed actors of his generation. Beginning with his early breakout roles and moving through acclaimed performances in films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Titanic, The Departed, Inception, The Revenant, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and One Battle After Another, we’ll explore how DiCaprio built a career rooted in risk-taking and reinvention. Through curated film clips, historical context, and guided discussion, this course will highlight his intense, often method-influenced screen presence, frequent collaborations with major directors, and commitment to complex, often morally ambiguous characters, thereby solidifying his status as a modern legend of the silver screen.

This lecture traces the meteoric rise and lasting legacy of the "King of Rock and Roll." We explore how Elvis blended diverse musical styles to spark a global cultural revolution, inspiring a generation of legends like John Lennon, David Bowie, and Bruce Springsteen. The journey follows Elvis from his humble beginnings in poverty to his dual stardom in music and film, through the lean years of the British Invasion, and into his triumphant 1968 "Comeback Special." We conclude with his final era as a Las Vegas headliner—a period marked by massive success, personal struggles, and his untimely death at 42—to understand his permanent impact on popular culture.