Don Levine - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Professor: Don Levine

Department: Comparative Literature

College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: COMLIT383
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Levine thinks he's hilarious, but really you're in for an hour and a half of dreadfully boring and pointless lectures which only describe the plot of the movie and phallic symbols. He's never going to help you out, and there are no excused absences. If you miss even one discussion he might fail you. There are better film courses, don't bother here.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: COMPLIT383
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He really doesn't care about his students at all, he leaves early and comes in late, and won't really answer anyone's questions. He's also dreadfully boring. The movies are interesting, but he's not that great.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CMPL381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The films in the class are great. You can usually get your TA to help you out with your paper. Levine's lectures tend to be pointless, ridiculously boring, and lack any sort of continuity. I hated going to lecture. The class attracts film snobs, so watch out. Took it as a Gen-Ed. I wouldn't recommend the class to anyone, but the films, def.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CMLT695
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Easily one of the best profs I had a umass. Brilliant and funny and very supportive outside the clasroom

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CPLIT695A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This guy is hilarious. He's got tenure so he just says whatever he wants. He does teach the material in depth but factors in extra class time when planning out his classes in order to allow himself to go off on tangents. All movies contain phallic symbols when he analyses them. Don't expect for him to answer questions, he'll just say what he wants.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CMLIT381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Not a difficult class, but not a very enjoyable one either. Levine is alright, he looks exactly like Newman from Seinfeld and even talks like him a little bit. The pre-film lectures are useless, but attendance is mandatory. The TA was the worst part, a pretentious moron who used our discussion as a second lecture for himself and his own beliefs.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: NARRAVANTGARD
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I enjoyed the class but i think Levine is overrated. Unless you take his honerst section, you will never talk to him in person. If you do take the honors section, he will not teach you anything, he will just critisize everything you do and push his own agenda. He might be an interesting person but as i dont think he cares about his students.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: NARRAVANTGARD
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I found his lectures rather unnecesarry but highly entertaining. He goes on forever and simply describes EVERY single scene in the movie and relates everythign to sex. The Movies are wonderful if youare into avant garde film. Final grade consists of one 5 page paper and a 10 page paper or a film project. I really enjoyed this class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: AVANTGARDE
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

One of the best lecture professors I've had. His deliverance is flawless, and he looks like Newman from Seinfeld. Film selection is pretty decent too, in terms of Avant Garde, it is great.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: SELFREFLEXIVE
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I loved this class. Just because this wasnt the mindless film survey one might have thought prior to signing up, doesn't mean you should knock it. The films were great and his teaching style, although off beat was refreshing. take this class is you like film and sarcasm. word.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: SELFREFLECTIVE
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I like him.He knows a lot, he has amazing and unique sense of humor. I love when he makes fun of Hollywood and Meryl Streep:)He seems like a friendly and warm guy,I cannot blame him for not making friends with students in such a big class. The films are interesting for most part but you HAVE to love film in order to enjoy them.His TAs are not fun..

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: NOIR
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Much more enjoyable than Avant-Garde. Long class sometimes leaves attention wandering during lectures, but still decent. Movies interesting; take his courses if you have more than the 'average' person's interest in film, or else you probably won't like the class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: AVANTGARDEFILM
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Don Levine is a wonderful teacher and from what I can tell a lovely human being.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: NARRATIVEAGFILM
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: 381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: AVANTGARDEFILM
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The Pixies wrote their song "Debaser" about this guy. I thought he sucked, his class sucked and his snotty TA's sucked. You are told EVERYTHING about the movie before you see it yourself, which doesn't allow you to have a pure opinion on the material. And if I hear "Oh don't give me that **** with a heart of gold story..." one more time!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: COMPLIT383
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Levine *is* reachable, but you actually have to make the effort to talk to him, he won't seek you out. Very helpful if you do talk to him and clearly knowledgeable about his field. Lectures often funny/informative, movies bizarre and interesting. Take this course (avant-garde) if you like film.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: COMPLIT383
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

i fall asleep in class all the time. The films are good choice though.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: AVANTGARDEFILM
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Levine is a bit of a character, never taking off his puffy winter jacket and often his sunglasses too. The movies, in my opinion, range from fairly interesting to very boring and inaccessable, but I'm no avant-garde movie buff. He doesn't allow for ANY unexcused absences.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: COMPLIT381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

awesome class