He could not be less helpful on anything that he teaches. I mean he says "read the book" and then there's a test on it without him explaining what he wanted out of it! it's increadible how unclear this class is

Class is easy if you focus, do your work, and read the material.

Says he grades on a point system in the syllabus, but he uses percentage instead. My grade would have been a letter grade higher if he graded the way his syllabus says he does.

One of the worst classes I've ever taken and the most egotistical and condescending professor ever. The syllabus had so many SAT words in it that it was impossible to discern what he wanted in papers. He taught and graded work based on his own biased opinions and the lectures were completely one-sided. I learned nothing. Lectures are 3+ hours.

Worst film professor in CSULB he's very boring and his lectures tend to drag on and on, also his quizzes online are a joke. Also, grading on the essays are TERRIBLE. I'd avoid him as best as you can if you're looking for an easy class because he's the exact opposite when he really shouldn't be. BTW get ready to spend money on books, you need them.

-class is extremely boring, he just goes over the textbook chapters, reading the slides to you for 3 hrs (I could just do that at home). -he wonders why no one answers his questions, after condescendingly correcting his students (there are polite ways to encourage students to talk and guide discussion) -class environment is discouraging.

If you work full-time or even part-time I suggest not to take this class. I understand that it covers multiple classes on your transcript however, if you don't pass the class then you would've just wasted a semester. I've had to call out of work a few times to finish a paper. He's a tough grader and his lectures seldom interests me as a film major.

The TOUGHEST class I've ever had to take, both in his teaching method and grading. The subject could've been so interesting, but he killed any and all interest for me. Goes through texts at breakneck speeds, but expects you to write an end-game paper. Talks down students a LOT. When 80% of the class is struggling, it's not the students at fault����

Ask around for an easier WI course, this isn't it for film students. It's always "students did this wrong" and "it's probably because students misread-" when it's his prompts that are extremely confusing. Quizzes are worth whole letter grades, 10 Qs , no curve. Even in COVID situation, his grading standards remains the same. Nice man, bad teacher.

His style of teaching is highly ineffective, they way he speaks is almost incoherent and the point gets lost in his rambling trying to make himself sound smart. The prompts for assignments are VERY unclear and even when you do follow them he gives you a bad grade with little to no feedback on how to improve. Find a different WI class.

He is the least helpful professor Ive ever had. Im an English and Film student who has been consistently A and B level all four years. Nearly every single student failed the first two papers and he didnt curve or reevaluate his lessons. He is not lenient in the slightest. Only has high scores from students who got an A. Everyone else struggled.

Don't think you're stuck with this class for your "WI" because you can take a different class. His tests are so dense and difficult, he tries to tick you with changing a few words. Lacks in communication & blames the school for not preparing you for his class. I have a 4.0 and I don't think I'm going to pass.

The worst professor ever. He is unclear when it comes to what he requires from you. He never told the class to start reading one of the books nor was it in his syllabus to start so when it came quiz time, the entire class were ill prepared. The WI part comes in with the final paper, which is still difficult and unclear as to what he wants.

The single worst class I have ever taken at CSULB. Smith is extremely unclear as to what he expects in his papers, with convoluted and overwritten instructions only serving to further frustrate students. Lectures are comprised of Smith rambling about nonsense in an effort to make sure that everyone knows that he is smart. Avoid at all costs.

Don't take this class if you aren't ready to writ many papers. This professor is the only professor that I've ever written a review for because of how annoying this class and professor is. Definitely recommend taking something else to fulfill your unit. This class isn't worth it and is literally a waste of time. If you HAVE to take this class GL

I only got the grade I got by the skin of my teeth. He's a monotone lecturer and drones on for 3 hours, he doesn't deviate from the book so you don't learn anything that you can't already do yourself, and his papers are graded incredibly specifically BUT he does not clarify what he wants from you beforehand. DO NOT TAKE! I'd give him a zero!

I got the answers out of the slides and the book for the test and received a low grade. I brought this to his attention and he says "I can find the answers in the slides and the book". I told him I did and he says you have to find the best answer. So be careful, you aren't looking for the right answer, but the right answer according to him.

As a film major, I took this course to fulfill my writing intensive requirement. All of the Zoom meetings are just 70 slide lectures featuring a monotoned reader. After submitting my first paper, I learned that Smith is not a good professor. I normally write A and B papers, and received an F with more 'feedback' than the length of my paper. RUN.

For a course that he deems his "easy class," he's overly critical in terms of papers. There isn't much clarification until you receive his unreasonably lengthy feedback. Class time consists of group discussions and then him just reading off of the slides for nearly 2 hours, which he hardly ever finishes. Wouldn't recommend.

He's prolly the worst prof I've ever had. He swears he's informative but he's just pretentious. He thinks there's only one correct answer to things, and that he's the only one that knows it. Idk HOW he's taught this long. For someone named Larry, he is not livin like Larry fr. I wish I could write more but you get the gist: DO NOT take this class!!

Condescending. Difficult. Brutal. For no reason, if you can avoid him, please do. pass the word

I had him twice this semester one for his writing course and the other was FEA 316. His lectures were about 70 plus slides with no breaks. The paper rubrics are long and confusing and when you ask for help it makes it worse. He is very condescending and thinks he is right all the time and that a student is never fully right. I do not recommend him.

Larry Smith is not a good professor. Class is just an hour long breakout room and then him reading off of slides for like 2 hours. His feedback was weird and unhelpful. I really regret taking his class and would not recommend him to anybody. 0/10 class

Larry Smith is a good person, but a poor professor. The class is structured in an hour long breakout room in which students discuss the previous week's film/readings, and then the professor lectures for 2 hours straight. He reads off incredibly dense slides and he reads them word for word. Don't take him if you don't have to.

This has to be the absolute worst professor I've ever had during my time here at Cal State. Don't get me wrong, as others have said he's a nice guy and he seems to know quite a lot about the what he's teaching. But there's the thing, his teaching format is incredibly horrendous. Be ready for arduous slides where he reads off of them! Good Luck!

Larry Smith is all that is wrong with the CSULB program. He has not deviated his ways and methods of teaching since 2005. His lectures are littered with useless and irrelevant information that he simply reads off of during his lectures. He doesn't get his audience involved instead he mumbles on quickly giving students a tough time to focus.

Get ready to follow along as he reads off his 20-40 slide lectures in 12-point font. All of the text uses verbose language and expect no good explanation. Each slide contains nearly a full lecture worth of information and is impossible to digest it all. My class was broken into 45 minutes of group discussion and 2 hours of lecture with no break.

I couldn't tell you what the class was even about as we haven't debated anything like the class promises. His lectures have nothing to do with debates and instead he for 2 hours explains the technical aspects of the movie we are to watch rather than any type of debate. Only debate I've done is debating if I should skip his class for the day or not

You know the class is boring when the transition effects he uses for his slides stimulate my brain more than anything he is saying. 8 page final essay, RUN

Actually mad at myself for not reading the reviews before registering for this class. If you are reading this do not take this class I repeat DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I feel like I'm in a cruel experiment by scientists on how the brain handles boredom every time he begins his lecture. 3 hours of nothing

Truthfully, at first, it is fine if you can keep up with the workload, but if you are juggling a job, film projects, do not take this class. I am a normal A student. I study and I got a C. If you are already intellectual, then most of the research could be found if you dipped your nose in the material. Your time is valuable, reconsider please.