Mickey Birnbaum

FILM11 · FILM8 · FILM21 · 11 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 79/100
RMP rating: 4.2/5
Take again: 77.78%
Difficulty: 2.5

The decision

Great easy film elective in person if you attend; be cautious with online FILM21 after the negative organization report.

Best fit · Easy A HunterChill film classOpen-book examsAmazing lecturesLight workloadSupportive creativity

Film 8 horror and several film courses are fun, light, and easy for most who show up.
; little weekly work in some sections.
One recent online review warns of disorganization and slow responses—check format carefully.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

EasyA

82/100

Many A/A+ grades with , and discussion posts; older FILM11 and one critic less automatic.

In-person Film 8 is easiest; online FILM21 negative review .

Is the course easy?

Introductory

85/100

Horror film watching, short discussions, and light .

Both formats describe chill material; one online critic focuses on structure not content hardness.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

40/100

and one says attendance is 20 percent of the grade.

; online mixed.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

78/100

, and ; minority dissatisfaction on organization and rigor.

In-person strongly positive; online split between great and avoid.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

80/100

, and high reported grades for many students.

Format shift

In-person Film 8 very lenient; online FILM21 one harsh experience on support not grade math.

Workload

Light

82/100

; several say almost zero work.

Format shift

In-person Film 8 lightest; FILM21 more pitching/writing at end.

Teaching experience

Good

80/100

Amazing lectures and supportive creative space for most; recent online organization critique lowers consistency.

Format shift

In-person excellent vibe; online mixed.

Assessment method

Balanced

55/100

Mix of , and one critical paper depending on course.

Format shift

Film 8 exam-plus-paper; FILM21 fewer graded items until later writing.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

9 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Easy A Hunter

, and high grades in Film 8/21.

Main concern

; a few say easy does not equal great teaching or easy A in older FILM11.

What students said

“THE EASIEST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN! It was so fun! ... There is zero work for this class.”
FILM8

“Midterm/final were 50 to 80 questions but open book (30% each).”
FILM8

“He does everything he can to guide, support, and teach without ever trying to squash anyone's enthusiasm or creativity.”
FILM21

Remote format

Online

2 reviews

Low confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

one easy chill FILM8 vs one FILM21 calling him disorganized, unclear, and .

Main concern

Recent online FILM21 complaints about unclear instructions and weak support.

What students said

“ and provides unclear instructions, leaving students uncertain about assignments and deadlines.”
FILM21

“Such a great class, really easy tests, and assignments. Great lectures learned a lot, super cool guy in general, really chill class”
FILM8

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Multiple students describe open-book or at-home multiple-choice exams and easy tests; not strict proctoring.

Open book midterm/finalAt-home multiple choiceExtra creditLight discussion posts

Assessment risk

StudentFriendly

85/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person Film 8 midterm and ; some older FILM11 midterms harder with memorization.

Open book examsAt-home multiple choiceCritical paperExtra credit

“Midterm and . One essay.”
FILM8

“Midterm/final were 50 to 80 questions but open book (30% each).”
FILM8

“ but his final was very straightforward.”
FILM11

Online

Online FILM8 called really easy tests; online FILM21 .

Easy testsUnclear assignment structure in FILM21

“ , and assignments.”
FILM8

“provides unclear instructions, leaving students uncertain about assignments and deadlines.”
FILM21

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“THE EASIEST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN! It was so fun! Im a huge horror fan and had so much fun watching all these movies and viewing the lectures.”
Voice snapshots generated from 11 reviews (2 online, 9 in person), highlighting ease, lectures, and online structure concerns. Credibility rating: Medium.

🎯 Teaching Quality

80/100

“Professor Birnbaum is the great teacher. He does everything he can to guide, support, and teach.”

😎 Easy Elective

85/100

“There is zero work for this class. Just a 100 word discussion post for each movie.”

📖 Open-Book Exams

85/100

“Midterm/final were 50 to 80 questions but open book (30% each).”

⚠️ Online Risk

40/100

“I would if possible. The lack of structure and support can significantly hinder academic success.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

Pr. Birnbaum gave amazing lectures and made us watch great horror films.
Such a cool guy and also a pretty interesting class.
! He cares so much about film and his students!

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

THE EASIEST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN!
His boosted me to a grade average over 100%! !
If u want an easy A this definitely isn't it.

Theme 3

⚠️ About Concerns

and
An easy class does not make a good professor.
take Poirier for film 11 instead.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

65/100

Evidence confidence

11 reviews with good detail and grade reports, but small sample and a .

Inside 11 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 58

4 out of 50

3 out of 51

2 out of 51

1 out of 51

Course coverage

FILM216 reviews

FILM83 reviews

FILM112 reviews

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

8 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 4 · A 2

B range

B 2

C range

No reported values

D range

No reported values

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

No reported values