ENG/FST 317: Writing About Film

ENG 317/FST 317, Fall 2008
Writing about Film
TR 12:30-1:45, MO 201

Dr. Nicholas Laudadio, Morton 138
Office Hours, W 2-5
laudadion@uncw.edu
http://people.uncw.edu/laudadion/

Week One
R 8.23: Introduction, First Day

Week Two
Introduction:
T 8.26: Corrigan, Chapter 1 & 2
R 8.28: Corrigan, Chapter 3
Discussion: How do we begin to write about film? Where and for whom do we do it? Also: Style, Grammar, Mechanics
Journal 1: Exercise 1 on pg. 35 in Corrigan (using Harold and Maude)

Week Three
Harold and Maude (Hal Ashby, 1971)
T 9.2: Ebert Review, Cinema Pedant Review , Film Quarterly Review
R 9.4: Grodal, "Love and Desire in the Cinema", Walsh, "Life Isn't Yet Over"
Discussion: Text and context in film writing; How do we review a film 'critically'?
Journal 2: Speak critically, and in fine detail, about a scene in Harold in Maude you believe to be of great narrative importance.

Week Four
T 9.9: Draft of Critical Review Due, Peer Review
R 9.11: Critical Review 1 Due

Week Five
Superstar (Todd Haynes, 1987)
T 9.16: Chuck Stephens' "Gentlemen Prefer Haynes", senses of cinema entry on Haynes, Justin Wyatt's "Cinematic/Sexual Transgression: An Interview with Todd Haynes"
R 9.18: illegal-art.org site, Richard Posner's "On Plagiarism", Susan Sontag "Notes on 'camp'"
Discussion: Cultural Studies and Film Studies, Cult Fil, Parody/Pastiche/Plagiarism
Journal 3: Write about another film that has been deemed immoral/indecent/illegal for one reason or another. Deal critically with both sides of the argument.

Week Six
Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982)
T 9.23: Poltergeist Wikipedia Entry, Roger Ebert Review, Vincent Canby Review
R 9.25: "Noise and Talk", "Mass Culture and the Feminine"
Discussion: The rise of the blockbuster, high art vs. low art, televisual vs. filmic culture/form.
Journal 4: Thesis and rough outline of critical essay.

Week Seven
T 9.30: Corrigan, Chapters 5 & 6, First Draft of Paper Due
R 10.2: First Critical Essay Due.

Week Eight
T 10.7: No Class, Fall Break
R 10.9: Writing about Music, In-Class Assignment

Week Nine
Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July, 2004)
T 10.14: KCRW Interview (streaming audio/video), LA Times Review
R 10.16: Excerpt from No one belongs here more than you. Stories by Miranda July, Slate Review
Discussion: Independent cinema, gender politics and popular film, film and performance art.

Week Ten
T 10.21: Michelle Goldberg's "Where are the Female Directors?", Women Directors Index, Melissa Silverstein, "No Such Thing As An Old Girl's Network"
Journal 5: Women and cinema response....
R 10.23: "Meshes of the Afternoon" (Maya Deren, 1943), Senses of Cinema essay on Maya Deren, film reference entry

Week Eleven
Harlan County USA (Barbara Kopple, 1976)
T 10.28: Ebert Review, filmcritic review, Paul Arthur "No Neutrals There"
R 10.30: "Review of Which Side Are You On?"
Discussion: Documentary film, politics and film, film as activism.
Journal 6: Write a review of Kopple's film modeled on the Which Side are You On review.

Week Twelve
T 11.4: Election Day. Don't forget to vote!
R 11.6: Context Paper Due, In Class Discussion

Week Thirteen
T 11.11: Heavy Metal Parking Lot (Jeff Krulik, 1987), HMPL Q&A, "A Drive Back in Time"
R 11.13: The Decline of Western Civilization, Wikipedia entry on Punk Rock
Journal 7: Discuss the role of film in subcultures--do some web research and synthesis.

Week Fourteen
Animation
T 11.18: Creature Comforts (Nick Park, 1990), "Fantasmagorie" (Emile Cole, 1908)
R 11.20: Norman McLaren's "Horizontal Lines", Don Hertzfeldt "Rejected," "Intermission," and "Billy's Balloon"
Journal 8: Compare two of the animated films from this week, focusing on narrative, animation style, audio, etc.

Week Fifteen
T 11.25: Final Essay Discussion/Exercise (Bring your thesis and scene outlines)
R 11.27: Peer Editing (bring your full first draft)

Week Sixteen
T 12.2: Last Class, Final Paper Due.