He knows his stuff... VERY long lectures so it is hard to stay awake and around for the films... but you should. There are 2 papers.. They are pretty easy... do research on them. I loved my TA Mary Samuelson... she knew her stuff and was willing to help you out. There is a lot of information so study alot before the midterm and final. Everything is worth 20 percent. I enjoyed getting to know the studio business etc. But it is not about dissecting the films... You watch some classics at the end but the beginning is pretty tough to stay awake. I got a B.

Favorite part of 106A was the films - definitely worth watching if only to expand your appreciation of great American films. Kuntz is a great lecturer and very reasonable - he oftentimes cut his lecture short in order to give us a break or let us out a little early from the film. The class has a lot of hours, but the papers are not hard - however, I would recommend getting to know your TA well and emailing them your paper prompts before you turn it in because they are the sole graders of your papers and tests. The essay tests are reasonable, with short IDs and a longer essay, but require some memorization and review beforehand. The book is not necessary. Overall, a great class for learning more about film history!

Okay. So I'm not sure if I would recommend this class. Yes, Prof Kuntz knows his film history and is a pretty great orator, but the subject matter isn't that exciting. Plus, the book was a waste of money. His choice of movies was also pretty questionable. It seemed like a lot of people struggled in this class from what my TA said. If you're good at memorizing information then this is the class for you.

Even though nine hours of class time a week for one class seemed difficult for many in my class, I rarely had trouble with it - I suppose it takes a certain amount of patience & a love for movies for that to be so.
I was extremely impressed with Professor Kuntz' orating ability. Most days he spent about an hour or two lecturing with a slide presentation to guide him, but he never had to look back at his podium for notes. Everything he said seemed to come naturally. The man truly is a walking film encyclopedia! And, he showed an immense joy for his subject (which is refreshing!).
Everything is graded by the TAs, however, so it's all about luck in that department. Now, this definitely isn't a class where an A just falls in your lap... Students are expected to know the films that are presented & the book tends to come into play at times (but reading isn't entirely necessary since Kuntz outlines it). Missing a few lectures will not kill your grade (Kuntz is kind enough to have the films & slides online), but attendance at discussions is mandatory (participation is 20% of grade). The essays require a lot of researching &/or dissecting movies (one research paper & one film analysis), but the grading depends entirely on the TA. The tests basically require continuous writing for ninety minutes, but the answers (short-answer identifications of people/terms & an essay) come right from the lecture notes. There is additional terminology given in discussion & the book provides supplemental information to make your answers more elaborate.
I really enjoyed this class. Then again, I came in with a love for cinematography, so that probably made it easier for me. I didn't bust my butt off (though I did at some points) & I missed a few lectures (when I needed to spend more time on other classes), & I got an A.
I definitely recommend this class - especially to people who enjoy film & history. :)

Great class, great professor. Four hour lectures were a bit difficult at times, but he usually lectured for about two hours and showed a movie for the other two hours. It's obvious that Kuntz is very passionate about the subject, and his passion makes lectures more vibrant and interesting. The grading really depends on your TA, but they don't seem to be too difficult of graders, so if you come to class and pay attention, a good grade shouldn't be too difficult.

Relatively easy and enjoyable class.

After reading the review, I expected something really easy and really fun. It's not THAT fun and THAT easy, but it's definitely one of the easiest upperdiv classes at UCLA. It's kind of long, but bring a laptop and learn how to type fast cause he types fast. You don't really need to buy the book - I bought it and didn't really use it. Just listen to all the lectures nad take good notes. You learn A LOT of things about film...like who made what company and how Fox went to jail and stuff like that. Your grades depend on your TA. But I say it's pretty easy to get an A...just a lot of work. 2 papers - do not procrastinate - especially on the research paper! It's annoying at times but Kuntz is really good and really knows his stuff. People who say he's hard and stuff are just people who expect to do nothing in the class and get an A. I thought I was going to get a B, but I ended up with an A. Talk during discussions, take good notes, finals and midterms are easy essays/IDs, write 2 good papers, and watch SOME of the movies (leave after lecture...that's what I did a lot), and you should be A ok! Take this class...it was annoying, but worth it

Johnny Kuntz is amazing. He does a great job providing interesting information and picks a lot of good films. Including the silent stuff I only walked out on one. As many have said, the TAs can be picky and have all the power, so its a good idea to try and get on their good side if you can. One thing I would recommend would be to write out answers to essay questions for big topics in the class. You're expected to put a lot of information out there for a good grade, and if you've already written it out and organized before it'll be a cakewalk once you get to the test. This is a must-take class, and from what I've heard about a lot of the other Visual and Performing Arts GEs, despite this not being the easiest it seems to be the best.

the class was not that difficult, i think that has been reiterated numerous times here, but it is true. his lecturing style could be sometimes monotone. i thought he talked really fast sometimes, but two of my classmates beg to differ. he was a cool guy, with a love for what he was teaching. he knew a lot of the material and would just make fun with it. because melnitz (where the class is usually held) is right by sunset, we were streets down from some of hollywood's scandals and he would always make sure what happened close by, which was really cool.
i didnt like how the duration of the class was strenously long. two hours lecture and then a two hour movie. i was alseep more hours than i was awake just because i was always tired. but i still managed to pull of a B.
the midterm wasnt too difficult. i looked up a past midterm in a test bank and the questions asked were relatively similar. once i saw the actual midterm, the final became predictable. after seeing what was asked of me on the midterm, i knew what he would want on the final. it's not a hard class at all. the reading is fairly interesting, very historical obviously. but nonetheless, i walked out of the class well-taught. i recommend the class IF you are willing to dedicate 9 hours a week for this class.

This class was not difficult but with 9 hours of class per week, two tests, and two papers, it was pretty time consuming. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable class -- you have the opportunity to watch original prints of movies in a movie theater and get credit for it! Prof. Kuntz also makes this class worthwhile -- he is organized, knows what he's talking about, and conveys his own passion for the subject to the students. His lectures (with the exception of this one with silent shorts -- you'll see if you take the class) were always interesting and useful. I only focused on my lecture notes instead of the reading and I got an A- in the class. The TAs do all the grading so that kind of depends on your TA, but I got the impression that if you do what you are supposed to, you'll get a good grade. Kuntz rocks!