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American Film History II, Spring 2006

Film 4960, Spring 2006 Wednesdays 1:00-3:30 Class: 1020 One Park Place South Office: 738 One Park Place South

How do movies reflect and influence American life? How has Hollywood responded to changing market conditions and global influences? Why are so many of today’s movies so big, loud, and pushy? What are the alternatives to Hollywood’s stories? This class attempts to make sense of the present state of American film by examine the history of American movies from 1967 to the present, organized around genres and thematic blocks. Along the way, we’ll look at the semiotics, aesthetics, economics, and politics of Hollywood movies and their independent alternatives.

The coursepack is sold by Bestway Copy Center, 18 Decatur Street SE (on the first floor of One Park Place South). Additional readings will be distributed in class and via the class listserv.

In addition to the readings, you are responsible for viewing the assigned film before class each week. Two of the films - King Kong and Brokeback Mountain - are currently playing in theaters throughout Atlanta. For all other films, optional on-campus screenings will be held in the new film screening room in Arts & Hummanities 406 on Mondays at 10:15 AM. DVDs are also available for in-library viewing at the Library Media Center. Alternately, all movies are available through the online DVD rental service Netflix (http://www.netflix.com), which is a very useful resource for all film students. Recommended local sources for movie rentals are Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117).

All students will be automatically signed up to the class listserv. If for some reason you are not receiving the listserv, you can manually sign up at http://mailbox.gsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/conholly. I will regularly forward Hollywood news, reviews of upcoming movies, and other useful material to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class. Most email readings are recommended but not required. However, some required readings will be distributed via email, as noted in the schedule below.

Schedule

Hollywood Today

1/11 In-class screening: selections from Saving Private Ryan

1/18 See King Kong (the new version, currently in theaters) Read Benshof and Griffin, “Introduction to the Study of Film Form and Representation” (distributed in class) David Bordwell, “Intensified Continuity” (distributed in class) In-class screening: Behind the Screens

Crime

1/25 See The Godfather Read Robert Ray, excerpts from A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema Carols Clarens, excerpt from Crime Movies Foster Hirsch, excerpt from Crime Movies In-class screening: The Sopranos

2/1 See Scarface (1980 version) Read Steven Prince, “Graphic Violence in the Cinema” Devin McKinney, “Violence: The Strong and the Weak” David Simon, excerpt from The Wire In-class screening: The Wire

Science Fiction

2/8 See Star Wars (the original film - now titled Episode Four: A New Hope) Read Henry Jenkins, “Quentin Tarantino’s Star Wars?” http://web.mit.edu/21fms/www/faculty/henry3/starwars.html Ted Friedman, “Star Wars and the Dialectics of Myth” http://www.tedfriedman.com/essays/2005/03/starwarsandt.html David Brin, “Star Wars Despots vs. Star Trek Populists,” http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/1999/06/15/brinmain/index.html In-class screenings: George Lucas in Love, Troops, Once Upon a Jedi Assignment #1 due

2/15 See Blade Runner Read David Harvey, excerpt from The Condition of Postmodernity Robin Wood, “Papering the Cracks” Vivian Sobchack, “Cities on the Edge of Time” In-class screening: Battlestar Galactica

Gender and Sexuality

2/22 See Thelma and Louise Read Susan Faludi, excerpts from Backllash Suzanna Danuta Walters, “Postfeminism and Popular Culture: A Case Study of the Backlash” In-class screening: The Laramie Project

3/1 See Brokeback Mountain (make sure to catch it before it leaves theaters) Read Alexander Doty, “Making Things Perfectly Queer” Benshoff and Griffin, “Sexualities on Film Since the Sexual Revolution” In-class screening: The Celluloid Closet

3/8 Spring Break - no class

War

3/15 See Apocalypse Now Read Frank Tomasulo, “The Politics of Ambivalence” Additional readings to be distributed in class In-class screening: The Fog of War Assignment #2 due

3/22 See Three Kings Readings on the Iraq war to be distributed by email In-class screening: Soldiers Pay

Labor

3/29 See Bread and Roses Read Barbara Ehrenreich, excerpts from Nickeled and Dimed In-class screening: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

4/5 See Office Space Read Barbara Ehrenreich, excerpts from Bait and Switch In-class screening: The Office

Youth

4/12 See Kicking and Screaming (the 1995 Noah Baumbach fiilm) Read Chuck Kleinhans, “Independent Features: Hopes and Dreams” James Schamus, “To the Rear of the Back End” In-class screening: Undeclared, selections from Animal House Assignment #3 due

4/19 See Napoleon Dynamite Read Jonathan Bernstein, excerpt from Pretty in Pink: The Golden Age of Teenage Movies Additional readings to be distributed in class In-class screening: selections from John Hughes movies

Class Choice

4/26 See film to be chosen by class vote Readings to be distrubuted in class

Assignment #4 due 5/3

Assignments

The class assignments add up to total of 100 possible points. Your final grade for the class is determined by adding up your grades for each assignment, adjusting for attendance, then applying the final number to the following scale: 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, 0-59=F.

Writing Assignments

There will be four writing assignments, which will also serve as take-home exams. Each assignment will cover two course units. It will include a selection of questions asking you to apply concepts from the readings and class discussions to specific films. You will pick two questions to answer, then write a 2-3 page essay in response to each question.

Each question will ask you to examine two films, without overlap between answers, so that you address a total of four different films in the assignment. (None of the questions are film-specific - it’s your choice which films to use for which questions.) Of these four films, at least three must be the assigned films for the unit. The fourth film is your choice.

Each of the four assignments will be graded on a 25-point scale. Opportunities for rewrites will be available for all four assignments. More information about the assignments will follow on a separate handout.

Video Project Option

If you choose, you can submit a video project in place of any of the written assignments. If you choose a video project, you only need to address one of the assignment questions and one of the assigned films. You can respond to the question through a combination of voice-over and film clips, in the style of a DVD commentary track. You might also incorporate interviews with fans of the film or other documentary strategies. Video projects should be about 5-10 minutes long, and will be screened for the class. Tools for video production are available at the GSU Digital Aquarium, in room 390 of the Student Center. More information about the Digital Aquarium is available at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdaq/.

Attendance Adjustment

As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.

Policies

Re-Writes and Makeup Tests Opportunities for revision and improvement will be available for the midterm, the presentation, and the research paper prospectus. In addition, I will look at optional drafts of the research paper submitted on or before April 28. One rule: a 24-hour cool-down period after the return of any assignment. Wait a day before coming to talk to me, and I’ll be happy to listen to your concerns and help you improve your work.

Late and Unsubmitted Papers Late papers will be marked off by ½ point for every day overdue unless an extension is agreed upon before the due date. Any unsubmitted papers will receive a 0. Likewise, any unanswered exam questions will receive a 0. So, if you answer only 2 out of 3 required exam questions, you will get a 0 on the third question.

Academic Honesty The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to disciplinary sanctions.

The Internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarism. Bottom line: Don’t plagiarize. It’s wrong, and it’s not worth it. There’s always a better way. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors’ work.

Withdrawals Students withdrawing on or before the midterm point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midterm point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midterm point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.

Incompletes Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.

Changes to the Syllabus This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.

Posted by tedf at March 3, 2006 01:56 AM

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