ENG/FST 317: Writing About Film
Course Schedule, Spring 07

Week One
R 1.11: Introduction

Week Two
T 1.16: Chapter 1 in Corrigan
Journal 1-Exercise #1 on pg. 17

R 1.18: Chapter 2 in Corrigan; look over film terms, pg 177
Journal 2--Exercise #2 on pg. 34

Week Three
Film: Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
T 1.23: Ebert's Review, Maslin's Review

R 1.25: Interview with Todd Solondz, Long, "Nightmare in the Mirror: Adolescence and the Death of Difference"
Journal 3 -- Film and High School as a Subject/Object

Week Four
T 1.30: Rosenbaum review, Chapter 3 in Corrigan

R 2.1: "Roundtable:Independence in the Cinema"
Review #1 due

Week Five
Film: Barton Fink (1991)
T 2.6: Kauffman "The Smothers Brothers", Travers "What's in the Box?"

R 2.8: Chapter 4 in Corrigan
Journal 4 -- Who are the Coen Brothers? Why should we care?

Week Six
T 2.13: "Barton Fink, Intertextuality, and the (Almost) Unbearable Richness of Viewing"

R 2.15: Naremore, "American Film Noir: The History of an Idea"
Review #2 Due

Week Seven
Film: The Night of the Hunter (1955)
T 2.20: Callow The Night of the Hunter (1-39)

R 2.22: Finish Callow, Chapter 5 in Corrigan
Journal 5-Film/Film Response
Essay Thesis Due

Week Eight
T 2.27: Ebert's review, Ravage Review, Chapter 6 in Corrigan
Page One Due

R 3.1: Four Page Draft Due in class.

F 3.2: Essay 1 Due with Journals

Week Nine
3.3-3.11, Spring Break

Week Ten
Film:Fire (1997)
T 3.13: Morris, "Burning Love", Articles on the film's controversy, Interview with Mehta
R 3.15: Hess, "Rejecting Sita"

Week Eleven
T 3.20: Goldberg's "Where are the Female Directors?"
Journal 6--What do we think of when we think of "foreign" films? Why?
Bring in a list of films made by women as well as a response to Goldberg's article.
R 3.22: In-Class Exercise

Week Twelve
Film: The Andromeda Strain (1971)
T 3.27: Ebert Review, Greenspun Review
Bring chosen review to class (Kale, Dargis, MacDonald) with annotations
R 3.29: Sontag, "Imagination of Disaster"
Bring draft of review to class
F 3.30 Review #3 Due (3pm in my mailbox)

Week Thirteen
T 4.3: Telotte, "The World of the Science Fiction Film", filmsite.org's History of SF Film
Journal 7 What is Science Fiction? What is its cinematic history?
R 4.5: No Class

Week Fourteen
Film: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
T 4.10: Hinson Review, Ebert Review, Crowther Review, Condon "Manchurian Candidate in Dallas"
Journal 8--Open Letter to the Film Industry
R 4.12: Rogin "Kiss Me Deadly: Communism, Motherhood, and Cold War Movies"
Journal 9 -- Film and National Politics, Film and Propaganda

Week Fifteen
T 4.17: Thomas, "John Frankenheimer"
Final Thesis Due
R 4.19: Ryskind, "No Soap-Boxes in Hollywood"
Journal 10--Role of Politics in Film? Film in Politics?

Week Sixteen
T 4.24:4-5 page Draft of Final Paper Due
R 4.26 Last Class.
Final Paper Due (with Journals and Drafts)