Ok guy, hope you like long essays, and he thinks he knows the world about movies

Class was entertaining anyway.

I thought he made this class extremely entertaining. He's a geek, he knows it, and he's proud and so he's not afraid to talk about silly pop culture things. Also, he assigns 8 essays with the restriction that you only have to write 4 of them, whenever you want/it is Convenient for you.

he was fairly entertaining and the four out of eight essay deal is the best yet...plus extra credit and a replacement essay...and he grades fairly easy on forthright assignments, a pretty fun class, especially if you dont mind talking to make it interesting..and he is easy to distract.

Prof. Best made this class very entertaining and he doesn't act like he's smarter than you. I have a new respect for comics thanks to him, and being able to choose when to write my essays really made this class easier. A great class for someone who wishes they didn't have to take an Eng Lit class.

very informative and intelligent. makes class fun and easy to discuss.

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Took him for Intro to Film...one of the best profs I've had. Kept the class interesting even though it could be incredibly long, and all the movies that we watched I found to be at least alright. I want to take another film class because of him.

One of the best classes I've taken. He cuts you alot of breaks by giving you choices on test(which are really easy if you sutdy a little), and lets you skip some writing assignments, which aren't long and he's an easy grader as well. Great guy as well, easy to talk to, sometimes like a big kid.

Professor Best is in his element when he is talking film/comics/pop culture. But it isn't empty lecture--it's informative, interesting, and fun. He's the kind of person you want to hang out with, yet he does maintain a professional image because of his immense knowledge.

The name says it all. You would think a literature course/english comp would be boring but it's not. His lectures are great. He really helped me out on my writing too. You watch 5 films outside of class and write 5 response papers and 5 essays. At the end you do 2 revisions. Lots of work but you'll be a better writer, thanks to Dr. Best. Great prof

Just awesome. Self proclaimed nerd so when talking about things like video games/comics you know he's knows what he is talking about. Cool and easy on grading papers. Relaxed atmosphere during lecture facilitates discussion which are interesting and fun to partake in. Easily one of the best profs I've had during my college career.

I had Mark for World Film History and he's an awesome film professor! Very laid back and friendly, not condescending and snobby like some film profs here. He knows a ton about film. Easy class, just attend lecture and study class notes. I highly recommend him!

Awesome class and awesome professor... keeps the class entertained during lecture and the books are really good... i went into the class thinking i would hate westerns but they were actually really good

This class is a writing class but the papers required are short and they are about fun topics. I had Prof Best for Englit Narrative and Technology. I highly recommend this class for an English requirement. Prof Best is a huge nerd but he is very friendly and makes class very interesting. He grades fairly (short reading quizzes and papers).

Great professor, knows what he's talking about. He really wants you to do well, but he will be critical of your writing; it's helpful. extremely interested in/outside of class, if you ever need to talk/go over something he's always there and really nice

Mark was great! I definitely feel as though having him for Seminar in Comp has improved my writing. He was always clear as to what he expected from his students; he always gave ample feedback on our drafts. As long as you put in effort and revise what he wants you to revise, you should do well. Not a super easy grader per se, but a fair one.

I took his World Film History class and really enjoyed it. I feel like my knowledge of film has expanded enormously. Not all of the films were well known; you'll definitely learn something new and get a lot out of the class. You'll do well if you study the assigned reading. It's kind of a big time commitment compared to other classes, but worth it.

World Film History was interesting at times, but the tests were hard to study for since practically any question from any film could be put on there. Take very detailed notes in class and outline chapters and you can get an A though.

Great Guy! Very down to earth. Class, however, was very boring and uninteresting. Quizzes on readings were hard but responses and papers were easy as long as you follow directions.

Great class, I would take more of his classes if I needed more electives. Like most classes, read the book do the reports and you will do fine.

Mark Best is one of the best professors here at Pitt, hands down. Class was easy but interesting (mandatory attendance but that's not a huge deal), and you practically had to put effort into getting anything lower than an A. Fantastic class, would absolutely recommend it.

Mark Best is the man

Favorite professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the man.

Gave hilarious, memorable lectures. Took him for graphic novel and actually enjoyed writing the assignments. An interesting and fun class to take for a literature requirement.

Professor Best is a great teacher and really passionate about the subject. He is very knowledgable and teaches the material well. You have a lot of reading to do, and if you skip it your grade will suffer. He is funny too which can break up some dense subjects. Hint: find a bible audiobook on youtube and put it on 2x speed to power through readings

Interesting films and interesting discussion for class. Best is a super cool guy and has a dry sense of humor that's pretty cool. Very knowledgeable and passionate about film. Good grades are easy as long as you actually put forth effort to discuss the films.

Mark is a really fair grader and definitely makes it possible to do well. There are 8 short papers but he'll only count 4 into your grade so you can replace low grades. The take home exams and essay are more work than I expected for a film class but he grades pretty easily. If you're willing to put in the work, Mark will help you out.

The best thing about Professor Best is that everything is crystal clear in his class. He implements a clear grading criteria, he's clear and effective in teaching during lectures, and he's very clear on what you need to gain from each film we watch and on what we need to know for each exam. Great guy. Really comfortable in lectures & funny too.

I had Professor Best for Postmodern Lit and he was easily one of my favorite professors at Pitt. He gives weekly 5-point reading quizzes so make sure you keep up with the books, he drops your two lowest. Other than that we had two short papers (4-5 pages) and one long one for our final (8-10 pages). Easy grader, great lectures, definitely recommend

Attendance is highly recommended since so much material is covered in a single class. While Mark's powerpoints are not interesting, the lectures aren't too bad. He does what he can to make the topics exciting with his fun attitude (and love of cats). Mark really knows what he teaches and I would definitely take another one of his classes.

I took Marks class on Film Westerns. Great class, his lectures are entertaining, encourages participation and he is hilarious. Big fan and a great class to take if you are in the need of an elective.

There's a quiz every week, and because it's on all the readings for that week (from the Bible and the textbook) plus lecture from the previous week, it's hard to feel prepared for it. Some questions are obvious, but you have to know everything. He's funny, and leaves time for a good discussion, but the quizzes are the worst part.

This class was very interesting, and Professor Best made each lecture engaging with the material taught. The novels were (for the most part) really interesting and fun to read. There are discussions each class, but participation does not count toward your grade. You have to write two papers and either a final essay or test. GREAT feedback.

Dr. Best was awesome. I took the class with staff listed, and he ended up teaching it. So glad I took it. I never used to like English lit, but horror is the first genre I actually enjoyed because of this class. He gives weekly quizzes but if you read youll pass. Really good feedback on essays and you can revise. Hes also really nice. Take him.

Hilarious dude, but crazy hard stuff. Learned SO much about film from him, gotta say this man opened a whole new world to me. Hard tests, a lot of writing and not a easy gen ed, but if you really wanna love film, this is your man. Embodiment of what a college professor should be.

Took Horror Lit for fun. Prof best is great. Very knowledgeable on the topics he is teaching. Encourages student discussion in class. There are 2 papers that you need to do out of 4 as well as reading quizzes but if you do the reading its not bad at all. he isn't a super harsh grader. Very fun class and I am glad I took it with him.

Definitely, recommend taking this prof. Solid all-around choice. He's very straightforward and easy to understand. As far as 4-hour lectures go, this is the best you're gonna get. He does his best to keep the lecture interesting and he's pretty funny. Rented the textbook but didn't ever need it. Exams are pretty much what you would expect.

Dr. Best is the best! Seriously, so nice, and you can't find a better W/Lit than Narr. & Tech with him. Super duper fair paper grader. Be warned, you'll write A LOT. If you are looking for an ENGLIT with very little reading and lots of writing instead, this is for you. Get to play some good games, class is fun, and he connects well with students.

I liked this class but got super anxious for our weekly quizzes. Sometimes we had to read a good bit of the Bible, but thats what we signed up for so understandable. Good lecturer, he rambles a lot. But using the slides for tests are good to fall back on if you get lost during lecture.

Mark is an awesome film professor. His lectures are funny and engaging. Recitation and lecture attendance is required for discussion. Grade is made of three exams (25% each) and a paper (25%). Exams are mostly long answer but they're very fair and doable. Textbook readings are not necessary but film articles are. He's a great choice for film!

Took Dr. Best once a week for 2.5 hours. Surprisingly ended up looking forward to his class. He is very easy-going, and likes to ask questions to the group. Just make sure you read what you're supposed to and you'll be good to go.

Mark is one of my favorite professors. I took his Graphic Novel class and the entire class was just him nerding out over comics. Fabulous Attendance and participation are mandatory, quizzes on readings and a final paper at the end. I had never read a graphic novel before but still loved it. You gotta buy a lot of books so I recommend looking online

Dr. Best is one of the best professors I have ever taken. His lectures are phenomenal and he really cares about his students, but still tries to teach and create a good learning environment for the students. The writing can be a lot early on but as long as you stay on top of it, you'll get a good grade.

Awesome Teacher!! Lecture heavy class but, if you pay attention (easy with his Lec style), you will get a good grade. He loves what he teaches and, his passion is passed onto his students.

Loved Dr. Best! I had him for The Graphic Novel and the course was extremely interesting. Some of the comics we read were a little lengthy, so keep that in mind. There are no big exams, just discussion posts and responses (like one or two essays as well). Definitely would take again.

Dr. Best is an amazing literature professor! I took his graphic novel course and though it requires a fair amount of reading, he made it well worth it. He clearly has a passion for what he teaches. Your grade depends on weekly discussion posts and a couple essays, with a take-home final of short essays. He grades fairly and gives good feedback.

Lots of reading and homework, but the material was so interesting and fun that I didn't mind reading or doing the homework! He was also a super chill grader because he really wants his students to do well. Overall, I loved this class and enjoyed him as a professor!!

I absolutely adore this professor! His lectures are super interesting and fun, so attending them should not be an issue. He is really kind and you can tell he cares for his students. Along with his assignments for each text, he gives extra credit points so an A is pretty much guaranteed. 10/10 would take him again! He is superb.

Mark Best is the best professor I have had at Pitt. The lectures are engaging and you can tell how passionate he is about literature. He's super genuine. When the weather got nice he said "I don't blame anyone for skipping class, I would if I didn't have to teach it". He is one of the few professors that feels likes an actual human. I loved him.

My favorite film professor I've had so far!

Great class, I didn't think I would learn much or care about it but I became genuinely interested in the course itself. Definitely opened up my view of films and the world through them. HW: Watch a film, one paragraph questions 5-6 per week Essay: Watch film, write about it Midterm + final(?): Previous films watched, 3 paragraphs per 4 questions

I've had Professor Best three times over the course of my college career and every time was an absolute treat! He's clearly passionate about the subjects he teaches and it shows in his text choices. Whether a large lecture or cozy, Best keeps the atmosphere light, lively, and casual. Professor Best is, without a doubt, the best.

Dr. Best is an amazing professor. He definitely has a passion for what he talks about and sometimes lets you out early or goes on tangents. As long as you do the reading, you should be fine for the discussion question assignments as well as the midterm and final exams which were take home assignments. He is a very generous grader.

I took this for the literature gen ed requirement and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a lit class. As long as you show up to class and do the readings, you should be able to get a good grade on the assignments. You only need to do 8 weekly discussion question assignments, the midterm, and the final exam or essay.

Lectures involve him engaging well with the class and asking questions regarding how you view the material read throughout each week. His grading is fair and as long as you try, you should receive full marks. Great professor and is funny as well!!

Do your job, and you'll be fine. He is not a harsh grader, but you need to try and put effort and earn. A very nice professor, and a very nice course.

I took Prof. Best for the horror lit course. It was the best class I've taken at Pitt so far. The readings and lectures are very interesting, and he is a very fair grader. I would definitely recommend taking his class.

Though I found this class to be boring at times, but I really enjoyed the professor. The material taught in class is interesting though when going through it in lectures it does get a bit tiresome. Overall, I liked the professor and the content in the class as it varied to an extent.

Prof Best's horror lit class was by far my favorite class I've taken at Pitt, and I still think about the content often. The readings were super interesting, and his grading system was beyond fair. We were primarily graded on weekly reflection questions. Do yourself a favor and take this class (from a non-english major).

Mark Best is able to make reading grotesque depictions of sex and violence very fun. He is hilarious, his lectures are engaging, and his explanations of dense philosophical concepts related to postmodernity are concise and understandable to the lay person. Attendance is mandatory, discussion questions for each reading, but he made me want to do it.

Mark Best somehow managed to get me invested in curriculum I otherwise would've had no interest in. He's more than qualified for his job and is incredible at making class fun and interesting. The major downfall is the excessive reading and homeworks every week + midterm/final responses. An unnecessary amount of time is needed outside of class.

Dr. Best was a great professor who made all of the course material interesting even when I didn't want to read it. Lots of reading and homework each week that I always procrastinated, but has good policies on allowing students to skip certain homework. Lenient grader who gives extra credit and makes class fun even when things get crazy!

Horror Literature was an extremely fun elective and pretty low stress. I'd highly recommend taking Dr. Best for any literature class.

Mark is one of the most engaging lecturers I've had and that's due to the great content combined with his personal commentary. He clearly loves film and wants his students to enjoy it as much as himself. The 4-hour classes felt shorter than some 45 min lectures. One thing to beware of are the TAs who grade weekly posts, sometimes brutal.

Best is someone who clearly loves teaching. His energy is totally infectious, lectures are engaging, he has phenomenal rapport with students. One of the best teachers, not just professor, I have ever had.

Mark Best is an amazing lecturer and the class is very engaging. Be aware that both attendance and readings are mandatory and there will be pop quizzes every week. Just make sure to read the Bible and you will be fine. Familiarity with the Bible is not necessary but most of my classmates do have prior knowledge of biblical stories.

This was Bible as Literature. As an ex-Christian who just needed to fulfill the literature GenEd, this class was easily one of my favorites I've ever taken. Weekly reading quizzes (don't read the material last minute like I did) that have extra credit and you can drop two, a midterm, and a final (both can be done over the course of a week). 10/10.

Gives good feedback on written assignments, and actually discusses material in an engaging and fun way in class. He's also just funny and relatable. Highly recommend

This class was HEAVY in readings. Please attend class. Mark is always very clear about instructions and it's important you integrate content from the lectures into your writings on the readings. You must work hard and show effort. This is not an easy class by any means, but it is so worth it. You will get a lot out of it.

Dr. Best is the best! His lit class is fun, engaging, and interesting. If you need anything, talk to him; he won't bite. Weekly reading quizzes + 3 lowest scores are dropped. Midterm/final requires you to answer open ended questions totaling 6-8 pages each. Lots of reading, but you'll be glued to the material. Be aware of ambiguous quiz questions.

Bible as Lit was an amazing class. His lectures were interesting and funny and I always looked forward to going to class. Grade is midterm and final (take-home and choose 4/10 essay questions) and weekly reading quizzes. Typically 1-1.5 books of the Bible per week, and as long as you read them you'll do fine on the quizzes (always EC on them too)

Professor Best is awesome. His lectures are super interesting and he is just funny and very likable. The class has VERY few assignments so make sure you put in the work for the few projects/writing exams because they mean a lot toward your final grade. Definitely recommend taking any class with him.

He's really good at lecturing and making the material interesting. It was a very engaging class with a lot of participation. Though the amount of reading was a bit excessive, it's understandable if you expect to read and analyze the entire Bible in a single semester.

Great prof all around. There are a total of 3 assignments all semester (2 exams which he gives you over a week to do and a research project) but as long as you go to class and watch the films you'll be fine on them.