The Five @ Five Lecture Series features five lectures on a given subject in order to provide an in-depth view of the topic. This educational program highlights the research and talent of Penn State Lehigh Valley faculty members, and is open to the community.

All 5@5 lectures are held in room 228 at Penn State Lehigh Valley located at 2809 Saucon Valley Road in Center Valley.

Registration is REQUIRED for all of these lifetime learning opportunities.

Fall 2026

Maggie Schmidt - SEX AND MURDER IN AMERICAN NARRATIVE FILM  

Filmmakers have entertained audiences with stories and characters obsessed with love, sex, and murder from the beginning of motion picture exhibition. From the production code years (1932-1965), to the MPA classification rating system (1966-present), screenwriters and directors have been challenged to create films that break barriers and move cinema forward while remaining within the voluntary film rating guidelines. This five at five lecture series will explore a rich portfolio of surprising, unique, game-changing films that include some of the best movies in world cinema. Class participants will discuss film titles from 1960 to 2026 - their story origins, characters, actor’s performances, directorial and technical innovation, the connection(s) to real life crime, the Product Code/MPA rating system, marketing/publicity, and the cultural impact of the film’s success/failure.

Filmmakers included are, but are not limited to: Alfred Hitchcock, Alan Pakula, Gordon Parks, Martin Scorsese, Lawrence Kasdan, Spike Lee, Paul Verhoeven, Carl Franklin, Mary Harmon, David Fincher, Tony Gilroy, Paul Haggis, Ridley Scott, David Cronenberg, Jordan Peele, Guillermo del Toro, Emerald Fennell, Nia CaCosta, Sean Baker, Leigh Whannell.

Titles include, but, are not limited to: “Psycho,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “Deep Throat,” “Super Fly,”“Klute,” “Taxi Driver,” “Body Heat,” “She’s Got To Have It,” “Fatal Attraction,” “One False Move,” “Basic Instinct,” “LA Confidential”, “American Psycho” “Michael Clayton,” “Eastern Promises,” “Zodiac,” “American Gangster,” “No Country for Old Men,” “In The Valley of Elah,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Get Out,” “Nightmare Alley” (2021), “The Invisible Man” (2020), “Candyman” (2021), “Strange Darling,” “Anora,” “Weapons,” “Hedda” and “Obsession.” This five-part series takes a closer look at organized crime through the connected themes of structure, psychology, history, and culture. We will start by exploring how organized crime operates—both through the traditional family-style hierarchy and the more modern, business-like networks that mirror corporate systems. The series then examines the psychological forces behind power, loyalty, and belonging within these organizations. Next, we will look at La Cosa Nostra in New York and Philadelphia, focusing on figures like Paul Castellano and Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo, to understand how their leadership shaped the American Mafia. The discussion then turns to outlaw motorcycle gangs, exploring how brotherhood, rebellion, and hyper-masculine identity contribute to their criminal enterprises. Following that, a film industry executive will lead a session on how biker gangs are portrayed in films and how those portrayals have influenced public perception of the culture. The series concludes with a look at how organized crime cases are prosecuted, drawing on real-world examples that reveal law enforcement’s approach to dismantling these networks.

October 1- Room 318 - 5:00pm
October 8 - Room 318 - 5:00pm
October 15 - Room 318 - 5:00pm
October 22 - Room 318 - 5:00pm
October 29 - Room 318 - 5:00pm

Schedule
Lectures will be held from 5:00–6:00 p.m., Thursdays
318
Penn State Lehigh Valley, 2809 Saucon Valley Road, Center Valley, PA 18034.

Cost
The cost will be $100.00 per person or $125.00 for two people from the same household. 

Registration: please call Sara Roth at 610-285-5059 or email [email protected].