Their eyes are glued to the front of the room. They’re sitting on the edge of their seats. Leaning their bodies forward, bouncing their legs, anxiously waiting for the actor’s next move. The only sound in the room is the crunching of popcorn.

No, they aren’t in a movie theater. They’re in Marcus Cinema Club.

Last Friday, the club held their first meeting of the year. They watched legendary director Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Rear Window.” Club president, senior Daniel Teal, profiled Hitchcock in order to prep club members before the movie started.

“It was fantastic,” Club president, senior Daniel Teal said. “Even though it’s a relatively long film, I felt like everyone stuck with it and that the group was ultimately satisfied by end.”

The club started last year and is for anyone who has an interest in film, from die-hard film buffs to movie newbies. This year, the club started late due to scheduling conflicts of key-members.

“I think there are quite a few students at Marcus who enjoy upper tier cinema but don’t necessarily have a group to express their knowledge and opinions,” Teal said. “I also restarted the club for those who are interested in film but maybe haven’t had the time or resources to discover film. “

Teal wanted the club to open up a new door for people to learn more about films.

“My passion is and always has been film,” Teal said. “Starting a club allows me to teach others and more importantly learn from others about film which is something I never would’ve imagined possible.”

The club meets in the room of their sponsor, Emily Worland. In later meetings, her father, Dr. Rick Worland who is a Film Professor at Southern Methodist University, will be attending.

“It was kind of a no-brainer,” Worland said. “It wasn’t a problem for me because my dad’s a film historian so it’s something I’ve always been surrounded by.”

Other directors the club plans to profile include Steven Spielberg, Charlie Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick and Francis Coppola. Not all of the films the club will be watching will be held at school due to the film ratings.

“I really like the director studies,” Worland said. “I really think [Teal]’s done a good job with picking out the directors and what he’s calling ‘in-school’ movies and ‘out-of-school’ movies. You can spark interest here and then continue it somewhere else.”

Cinema club plans to meet again on April 25th to profile director Martin Scorsese and to watch either “Raging Bull” or “Taxi Driver.”

“Scorsese is a modern-day genius so I think the students will really enjoy a film they can connect with but will also feel like they’re watching something that is significant to the history of cinema,” Teal said.

The meeting will be held off campus due to the ratings of the film, but most other meetings will be held in room A207. Food such as popcorn and soda will be provided.