ENG/FST 317: Writing About Film
COURSE INFORMATION
COURSE SCHEDULE

Week One
R 1.8: Introduction

Week Two
T 1.13: Corrigan, Chapters 1 & 2
Clips: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1966); Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, 1968); The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah, 1969)
R 1.15:  Corrigan, Chapter 3
Clips: Double Indemnity (1944), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1923), Blade Runner (1981)
Response: Focus on one aspect of writing about film that most intrigues you, investigate publications, famous writers. What are some ways one can write about film? What are some reasons why someone should?

Film: Henry Fool (Hal Hartley, 1998)
Week Three
T 1.20: “The Particularity and Peculiarity of Hal Hartley,” Andrew Sarris’ Review
R 1.22: “Poking Henry Fool With a Stick”
Response: Summarize the film’s narrative and describe (in great detail) its ‘style.’ Be specific here, break 'style' up into its parts--the mise en scene, the cinematography, the sound design, the acting… Use the vocabulary from Corrigan to get started, if you are feeling a bit shaky.

Week Four
T 1.27: Corrigan, Chapters 4-6
Clips: Dance scene from Simple Men (Hal Hartley, 1991), Opening Credits for Gummo (Harmony Korine, 1998)
R 1.29: First 25 pages of American Independent Cinema , “There’s No Such Thing as Independent Film"
Clips: "Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol" (Jonas Mekas, 1966); "Mothlight" (Stan Brakhage, 1963); Fireworks (Kenneth Anger, 1947)
Response: Is there such a thing as independent cinema? What defines 'independence" in art and commerce? In style, tone, and narrative, what do these films have in common, if anything? Cite a few specific directors and films.

Film: Superstar (Todd Haynes, 1987) (parts one and two)
Week Five
T 2.3: Chuck Stephens' "Gentlemen Prefer Haynes"; senses of cinema entry on Haynes; Justin Wyatt's "Cinematic/Sexual Transgression: An Interview with Todd Haynes"
R 2.5: Susan Sontag "Notes on 'camp'," Rainn Wilson interviews Todd Haynes
Essay 1 Due

Film: Thin (Lauren Greenfield, 2006)
Week Six
T 2.10: Thin Photo Essay, Variety Review, Film Threat Review
R 2.12: "Five in Focus," Trailer for Kids + Money (Lauren Greenfield, 2006)
Response: Research directors who were also well-known as photographers. Detail some aspects (photographic and otherwise) of their work.

Week Seven
T 2.17: Shirley Clarke: “Dancing and Dirging with Jason"; Shirley Clarke: A Retrospective, from “Portrait of Jason” (1967)
R 2.19: Michelle Goldberg's "Where Are the Female Directors?"; Melissa Silverstein, "No Such Thing As An Old Girl's Network"
Films: “How To Make A Button” (Miranda July, 2003); “Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?" (directed by Miguel Arteta, written by Miranda July, 2005); Interview with Miranda July; “Getting Stronger Everyday" (Miranda July 2001)
Response: Summarize (and contextualize) the work of a female director (feel free to think globally on this one).

Film: Night of The Living Dead (George Romero, 1968)
Week Eight
T 2.24: Reviews, Stephen Harper on Night of the Living Dead
R 2.26: Heffernan, "Inner-City Exhibition and the Genre Film," Retrospective

Week Nine
T 3.3: Noel Carrol "The Nature of Horror," Wikipedia entry on "Horror Film"
Clips: TBA
R 3.5: "The History of Zombies,"
Clips: Dead Rising and Dawn of the Dead (George Romero, 1973)
Essay 2 Due: Zombies!

Week Ten
T 3.10-R 3.12, No Class, Spring Break

Film: Wall-E (2008)
Week Eleven
T 3.17: New Yorker Review (begins on page 2); Salon.com Review
R 3.19: Clip from Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1981), from Brazil (Terry Gilliam, 1985), Bjork, "All is Full of Love"
Response: Research environmental catastrophe in film and fiction—bring in a few titles and plot summaries of films (SF and otherwise) that tackle this issue.

Week Twelve
T 3.24: Telotte, “Human Artifice,” “The World of the Science Fiction Film,” Metropolis Clip,
R 3.26: Watson, "Doomsday and Beyond," Omega Man (1971), Handy Wikipedia List of "Doomsday Films"

Film: Gimme Shelter (1973)
Week Thirteen
T 3.31: "Gimme Shelter: Rock and Roll Zapruder," "The Decade that Spawned Altamont"
R 4.2: from Wattstax (Mel Stuart, 1973), Cocksucker Blues (Robert Frank, 1972)
Response:

Week Fourteen
T 4.7: In-Class music writing assignment, Tausig, "Coming to Terms with Writing About Music"
R 4.9—No Class

Week Fifteen
T 4.14: Tex Avery Documentary (John Needham, 1988); Symphony in Slang (Tex Avery, 1951); Bright Lights entry on Tex Avery
R 4.16: Creature Comforts (Nick Park, 1990), "Fantasmagorie" (Emile Cole, 1908); Don Hertzfeldt "Rejected," "Intermission," and "Billy's Balloon"
Response:

Week Sixteen
T 4.21: Presentation of final essay topics
R 4.23 Last Class, Final Essay Due