ENG/FST 317: Writing About Film
COURSE INFORMATION
Week One
R 8.19: Introduction
Week
Two
T
8.24: A Short Guide to Writing About
Movies Timothy Corrigan
R 8.26: Writing About Movies Gocsik and Barsam
Response 1: Choose one film that intrigues you and about which you have little to know knowledge. How would you go about researching it? Where would you look? Locate the director, central cast and crew, the context, and the reception of this film and discuss (briefly) where you looked (and where you didn't).
Week
Three
Film: A State of Mind (2005) (Netflix Link)
T 8.31: NY Times Review, AV Club Review, LA Times Review
Review Writing Resources at the Purdue OWL
R 9.2: "The Dictator Who Snagged Me"
Moscowitz, "Types of Film Criticism: The
Review"
Pulgasari (1985) (Information)
Response 2: Compare two of the above reviews and discuss (with examples/quotes) how they approach this film differently (and similarly) and how this speaks to issues of audience, tone, and style. Also, based on what you saw on the OWL website, what areas of your writing/grammar do you feel you need to work on?
Week
Four
T 9.7: In-Class Peer Review (OWL Grammar Quizzes)
R 9.9: Editing Checklist
OWL Editing Quizzes ('Eliminating Wordiness'; 'Paraphrasing')
F 9.10: Critical Review Due
Week Five
Film: Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) (Netflix Link)
T 9.14: Senses of Cinema Entry on Preminger
"Who Is Missing in Bunny Lake" Dahlia Schweitzer
R 9.16: BFI Article on British Film in the 1960s
On Film/Novel Adaptations (Part 1, Part 2)
Response 3: Summarize Schweitzer's thesis and explain (in detail) a particular moment where she shows reinforces her argument using the film's detail.
Week Six
Film: The Exorcist (1973) (Netflix Link)
T 9.21: Mark Kermode on The Exorcist
R 9.23: "Types of Film Criticism: The Analytical Critique"
Clips: Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Omen (1976), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Response 4: Using this passage as a (rough) model, summarize The Exorcist from a critical perspective, using specific visual, aural, and narrative details.
Week Seven
T 9.28: Peer Editing (pdf link)
R 9.30: Cinematical's "The Most Evil Children in Horror"
Clips: Village of the Damned (1960), The Bad Seed (1956), YouTube Montage
F 10.1: Critical Essay Due
Week Eight
T 10.5: No class
R 10.7: In Class Music Writing Assignment
“Coming to Terms with Writing About Music”
"Writing About Music"
Week Nine
Film: Moon (2008)
T 10.12: "The World of the Science Fiction Film" JP Telotte
Voyage Dans La Lune (1902)
R 10.14: AO Scott Review; Roger Ebert Review
Filmsite.com History of SF Film
Response 5: Explain/discuss Moon and its relationship to earlier SF films from a narrative, aesthetic, or contextual approach. Be specific.
Week Ten
Film: Sunshine (2007)
T 10.19: "The Imagination of Disaster" Susan Sontag
R 10.21: "The End of Science Fiction" James Bell
"The End of Science Fiction" at DeepGenre
Response 6: Outline a focused comparison (with visual and narrative detail, including citations) between Moon and Sunshine.
Week Eleven
T 10.26: CineMassacre: Alien Invasion Movies
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Trailers (1956, 1978, 1993, 2007)
R 10.28: Peer Review
F 10.29: Comparison Essay
Week Twelve
Film: Russian Ark (2002)
T 11.2 "Experimental Cinema"
Russian Ark Production
Notes
R 11.4: NY Press Article
Researching Film Site
Response 7: Research/discuss one or two other films that employ constraints (see Dogme 95 or the Oulipo for more information on artistic constraints).
Week
Thirteen
Film: Tarantella (1940)
T 11.9: YouTube Documentary on Mary Ellen Bute
"Synchromy #4: Escape"
"Seeing Sound"
R 11.11: Goldberg's "Where Are the Female Directors?" (2002)
Dhargis,
"Women in the Seats, But Not Behind the Camera" (2009)
Week Fourteen
T 11.17: Shirley Clarke The Connection (1962) (TealVision Link)
Lauren Rabinovitz on Shirley Clarke
R 11.18: In-Class Assignment
Response 8: Final Essay Topic Draft and Bibliography
Week Fifteen
T 11.23: Essay Draft Due
R 11.25: No Class, Thanksgiving
Week Sixteen
T 11.30: Last Class
Final Essay Due Date: TBA