Luke without Vader, Buzz without Zurg, Batman without the Joker—with all great heroes come the often more important villains. Discuss some of the most memorable movie villains and learn what makes them so lovable at McHenry County College’s next Experts and Insights speaker series Thursday, February 15 at 6 p.m. in the College’s Luecht Auditorium. “Bad Boys: Why We Love (and Need) the Movie Villain” will be presented by Film and Speech instructor Jim Stockwell.
The session will examine the qualities of a villain, the importance of the villain in story writing, and more.
“Bad Boys was inspired by the concept of the need for an opposition to the hero,” said Stockwell. “While it is exciting to have the hero save the day, it is necessary to develop a sense of drama and uncertainly in the story. Conflict is what drives stories in films, so the opposite force is vital to provide the obstacle for the hero to overcome. But, as time as goes on, the villain has also developed, making the conflicts richer and the success sweeter.”
Jim Stockwell has been with MCC since the spring of 2003. He served 11 years as an adjunct before becoming full-time in 2014. He received tenure in 2017. He teaches Introduction to Film, Introduction to Speech, and Advanced Film. In addition to his class load, he coaches both the women’s and men’s tennis teams and advises both the Film and Chess Clubs. He wrote his first textbook, Appreciating Film, which he uses in all his classes.
The session is free and open to the public. Registration is requested but walk-ins are welcome.
The next Experts and Insights session will be “Consciousness: Becoming Self-Aware” on March 21 at 6 p.m.
Interested participants, register and learn more. If you need an accommodation or a sign language interpreter, please contact MCC’s Access and Disability Services department at (815) 455-8766 or disabilityservices@mchenry.edu.
The Experts and Insights series originally started in 2019 as an opportunity for the community to experience the high quality of education and expertise provided by MCC’s faculty as they present topics in their fields of study.