KNES484 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Michael Friedman KNES484 Anonymous 12/16/2025	Please save yourself the hustle and preserve your sanity. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!! NO seriously if you want to feel deflated every other day, take this class. I understand this is an upper-level class, so the workload would be more but this was another level of absurd. The professor assigns way too much work for this ONLINE course. We had 2-3 readings, lecture recording (podcasts), which were 30-1hr long if he was feeling spicy that week you get 2 podcasts, a lecture quiz, 3 discussion posts, respond to 3 peers and respond to the professor. All this is one week. He graded so harshly on the film journals. Don't get me started on the film critiques, I feel like his instructions were extremely vague and unclear. He wants you to critique a film, but does not want you to reference the film which is confusing because I need to reference the plot, characters, etc to tie it back to the themes and society. I just get the sense that if he does not like your style of writing, you won't do well on the critique, no matter how much you tie it to the themes and ideologies taught in the module. He does not keep up the grade book, so your grade can be dropping and you wouldn't know till the last minute. Interesting class, maybe if they just got a different professor.
Michael Friedman KNES484 Anonymous 12/03/2025	This class is a ridiculous amount of work. The only reason it was somewhat manageable is because he could not keep up with grading and had to adjust the schedule. Each week, you must read 1-3 academic readings (usually 20+ pages) and watch 1 or 2 ~45min-1hr lectures to be able to take the 10-question quiz. Then, you have to watch a full movie and complete a film journal with 3 open response questions based on what you learned from the readings and video. Then, you post a discussion post of those answers, reply to two people's discussion posts, reply to a reply of your post, and finally reply to Dr. Friedman's reply. There are also 3 film critiques due throughout the semester which are 4-6 pages long. Grading is pretty harsh, as the averages were typically in the 70s. Then, a final paper is due during finals week which is 6-9 pages and 20% of your grade. The workload does not match a 3 credit class whatsoever which is a shame because the content is very interesting. If you like to write a lot and waste time replying to discussion posts, this class is for you. Otherwise, take an in-person option course because this is not worth it.
Michael Friedman KNES484 Expecting an A- Anonymous 11/17/2025	This professor is one of the worst I've ever had. He assigns an INSANE amount of work (mainly just busy work) and is not clear enough about the instructions. He is terrible at responding to emails and takes FOREVER to grade assignments (but still makes another assignment due right after getting the first grade back). Also, if you are a kinesiology major, don't expect this class to have anything to do with kinesiology. It's literally just hyper-analyzing old sports movies. I HIGHLY recommend choosing a different KNES elective if you want to focus on the classes that matter more.
Michael Friedman KNES484 Expecting an A- Anonymous 10/09/2025	THIS CLASS IS SO MUCH WORK. It is an all-online class about movies, and the assignments for this class are absurd. You have to watch a 2 1/2 film each week on top of watching 1-3 "podcasts" that are just online lectures that range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour each. You also have to read the 2 required readings, which range from 10-30 pages each. After completing all of that, you have to complete a "podcast quiz" which is multiple choice, and the answers are not explicitly stated. After the podcast quiz each week, you have to complete a film journal, which has 3 short answer/essay questions that you MUST include a reference to the podcast and the readings in. After completing that, you copy and paste your answers into 3 different discussion posts, but it does not end there. You must reply to 2 different people on each discussion post, and after people reply to you, you have to respond back to one of the people that responded to you, AND respond to a practically brand new question that Dr. Friedman posts on that discussion. You do all of that for each discussion every single week. He grades so harshly on the film journals that it is not even funny. He has also assigned our first paper to be due during fall break, which does not even make sense. Overall, the class is so time-consuming, and the workload is absurd for an upper-level elective about movies.
Michael Friedman KNES484 Expecting a C Anonymous 11/15/2021	Garbage professor. His expectations of this class are that of a grad level course. his personal opinion overly influence his grading and biases his lectures. If you do not agree with his opinion he will force unrealistic expectations upon your critiques. Absolutely avoid this class. Work load is not difficult however there is no rational conversation with Friedman has he is right an any opinion that challenges him is wrong.

Michael Friedman
KNES484

Anonymous
12/16/2025

Please save yourself the hustle and preserve your sanity. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!! NO seriously if you want to feel deflated every other day, take this class. I understand this is an upper-level class, so the workload would be more but this was another level of absurd. The professor assigns way too much work for this ONLINE course. We had 2-3 readings, lecture recording (podcasts), which were 30-1hr long if he was feeling spicy that week you get 2 podcasts, a lecture quiz, 3 discussion posts, respond to 3 peers and respond to the professor. All this is one week. He graded so harshly on the film journals. Don't get me started on the film critiques, I feel like his instructions were extremely vague and unclear. He wants you to critique a film, but does not want you to reference the film which is confusing because I need to reference the plot, characters, etc to tie it back to the themes and society. I just get the sense that if he does not like your style of writing, you won't do well on the critique, no matter how much you tie it to the themes and ideologies taught in the module. He does not keep up the grade book, so your grade can be dropping and you wouldn't know till the last minute. Interesting class, maybe if they just got a different professor.

Michael Friedman
KNES484

Anonymous
12/03/2025

This class is a ridiculous amount of work. The only reason it was somewhat manageable is because he could not keep up with grading and had to adjust the schedule. Each week, you must read 1-3 academic readings (usually 20+ pages) and watch 1 or 2 ~45min-1hr lectures to be able to take the 10-question quiz. Then, you have to watch a full movie and complete a film journal with 3 open response questions based on what you learned from the readings and video. Then, you post a discussion post of those answers, reply to two people's discussion posts, reply to a reply of your post, and finally reply to Dr. Friedman's reply. There are also 3 film critiques due throughout the semester which are 4-6 pages long. Grading is pretty harsh, as the averages were typically in the 70s. Then, a final paper is due during finals week which is 6-9 pages and 20% of your grade. The workload does not match a 3 credit class whatsoever which is a shame because the content is very interesting. If you like to write a lot and waste time replying to discussion posts, this class is for you. Otherwise, take an in-person option course because this is not worth it.

Michael Friedman
KNES484

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
11/17/2025

This professor is one of the worst I've ever had. He assigns an INSANE amount of work (mainly just busy work) and is not clear enough about the instructions. He is terrible at responding to emails and takes FOREVER to grade assignments (but still makes another assignment due right after getting the first grade back). Also, if you are a kinesiology major, don't expect this class to have anything to do with kinesiology. It's literally just hyper-analyzing old sports movies. I HIGHLY recommend choosing a different KNES elective if you want to focus on the classes that matter more.

Michael Friedman
KNES484

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
10/09/2025

THIS CLASS IS SO MUCH WORK. It is an all-online class about movies, and the assignments for this class are absurd. You have to watch a 2 1/2 film each week on top of watching 1-3 "podcasts" that are just online lectures that range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour each. You also have to read the 2 required readings, which range from 10-30 pages each. After completing all of that, you have to complete a "podcast quiz" which is multiple choice, and the answers are not explicitly stated. After the podcast quiz each week, you have to complete a film journal, which has 3 short answer/essay questions that you MUST include a reference to the podcast and the readings in. After completing that, you copy and paste your answers into 3 different discussion posts, but it does not end there. You must reply to 2 different people on each discussion post, and after people reply to you, you have to respond back to one of the people that responded to you, AND respond to a practically brand new question that Dr. Friedman posts on that discussion. You do all of that for each discussion every single week. He grades so harshly on the film journals that it is not even funny. He has also assigned our first paper to be due during fall break, which does not even make sense. Overall, the class is so time-consuming, and the workload is absurd for an upper-level elective about movies.

Michael Friedman
KNES484

Expecting a C
Anonymous
11/15/2021

Garbage professor. His expectations of this class are that of a grad level course. his personal opinion overly influence his grading and biases his lectures. If you do not agree with his opinion he will force unrealistic expectations upon your critiques. Absolutely avoid this class. Work load is not difficult however there is no rational conversation with Friedman has he is right an any opinion that challenges him is wrong.

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