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American Film History II, Fall 2006

Film 4960, Fall 2006
Class: Tuesdays and thursdays, 1:00-2:15, aderhold 213
Screenings: Thursdays, 2:30-4:20, Arts & humanities 406
Office: 738 One Park Place South
email: ted@tedfriedman.com
website: http://www.tedfriedman.com/teaching

Course Description

How have the movies reflected and influenced changes in American mores, values and politics over the past 40 years? How has Hollywood shaped Americans’ image of the world, and the world’s view of Americans? What role does film play in American life today? What is the future of film in a digital age?

In attempting to answer these questions, this course will take two parallel tracks. We will trace the history of the American film industry over the last 40 years by screening representative films from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Meanwhile, we will alternate these older films with films made in this decade. This back-and-forth approach will allow us to use the present to help illuminate the past, and vice versa. We will end with two recent digital films which suggest some of the possibilities that new technologies open up for the future of filmmaking.

Readings and Screenings

The coursepack for this class is sold by Bestway Copy Center, 18 Decatur Street SE (on the first floor of One Park Place South).

Additional readings will be distributed via the class listserv. All students will be automatically signed up to the listserv. 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. Simply reply to a posting, or send a new message to amfilm@tedfriedman.com. Most of the readings sent through email are recommended but not required. However, occasionally required readings will be distributed via email. In these cases, the email message will have the heading “REQUIRED” in the subject line.

In addition to the readings, you are responsible for viewing the assigned film before class each week. The first film - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - is currently playing in theaters throughout Atlanta. For all other films, screenings will be held in the in Arts & Humanities 406 after class on Thursdays. Alternately, all movies are available through the online DVD rental service Netflix (http://www.netflix.com), and at better video stores such as Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117).

Class Schedule

Introduction

8/22 Introduction

8/24 Read Ted Friedman, “Cast Away and the Contradictions of Product Placement”:
http://www.tedfriedman.com/essays/2004/08/cast_away_and_t.html
Ted Friedman, “Star Wars and the Dialectics of Myth”:
http://www.tedfriedman.com/essays/2005/03/star_wars_and_t.html

unit 1: the blockbuster

2006: pirates of the caribbean 2

8/29 Read these Edward J. Epstein columns in Slate:
“How Did Michael Eisner Make Disney Profitable?”:
http://www.slate.com/id/2116794/
“Gross Misunderstanding”: http://www.slate.com/id/2118819/
“The Midas Formula”: http://www.slate.com/id/2119701/
“Hollywood’s Profits, Demystified”: http://www.slate.com/id/2124078/
“Dumb Money”: http://www.slate.com/id/2120335/
“The Vanishing Box Office”: http://www.slate.com/id/2122000/
“Hidden Persuaders”: http://www.slate.com/id/2122934/
“Hollywood’s Death Spiral 1”: http://www.slate.com/id/2123286/
“Hollywood’s Death Spiral 2”: http://www.slate.com/id/2123588/

8/31 In-class screening: Behind the Screen

1965: goldfinger

9/5 Read Tony Bennett, excerpts from Bond and Beyond
David Bordwell, “Intensified Continuity”

9/7 In-class screening: The Last Mogul (excerpts)

Unit 2: race and fear

1968: night of the living dead

9/12 Read Richard Dyer, “White”
Stacy Schmitt, “Racial Visibility in Night of the Living Dead”
Robin Wood, “George Romero: Apocalypse Now”

9/14 In-class screenings: The American Nightmare, Baadassss Cinema (excerpts)

2005: crash

9/19 Read all the entries in Slate’s “Movie Club 2005”:
http://www.slate.com/id/2132498/entry/2133364/

9/21 In-class screening: Classified X unit 3: activism

2000: erin brockovich

9/26 Read Robert Ray, Introduction to A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema
9/28 In-class screening: The Big Buy

1976: network

10/3 Read Robert Ray, “Left and Right Films”
Eric Boehlert, excerpts from Lapdogs

10/5 In-class screening: A Decade Under the Influence (start)

Unit 4: how the u.s. sees the world/how the world sees the u.s.

1981: raiders of the lost ark

10/10 Read Jack Shaheen, excerpts from Reel Bad Arabs
Robin Wood, “Papering the Cracks: Fantasy and Ideology in the
Reagan Era”

10/12 In-class screening: A Decade Under the Influence (finish)
Take-home midterm due

2002: september 11

10/17 Read John Powers, excerpts from Sore Winners

10/19 In-class screenings: Hollywood and the Muslim World, Looking for Comedy
in the Muslim World (excerpts)

unit 5: the teen movie

2004: napoleon dynamite

10/24 Read Sara Vowell, “The Nerd Voice”
Jon Katz, except from Geeks
Listen to Joe Kerr, “Lecture-2-Go on Napoleon Dynamite”:
http://web.mac.com/jokercopy/iWeb/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html

10/26 In-class screening: Miss India Georgia

1993: dazed and confused

10/31 Read James Mottram, excepts from The Sundance Kids

11/2 In-class screening: Heavy Metal Paring Lot

unit 6: gender and sexuality

1996: citizen ruth

11/7 Read James Mottram, more excerpts from The Sundance Kids

11/9 In-class screening: Searching for Deborah Winger (excerpts)

2005: brokeback mountain

11/14 Read Benshoff and Griffin, “Sexualities on Film Since the Sexual
Revolution”
Daniel Mendelsohn, “An Affair to Remember”
Schamus, Conarroe, and Mendelsohn,
“Brokeback Mountain: An Exchange”

11/16 In-class screening: The Celluloid Closet

Thanksgiving Holiday - No Classes 11/21, 11/23

unit 7: the future of movies

2003: tarnation

11/28 Readings to be distributed via email

11/30 In-class screening: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story

2005: sin city

12/5 Readings to be distributed via email

12/7 In-class screening: DVD extras
Research paper due

Take-home final due December 14

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:

A 100-93 B+ 89-87 C+ 79-77 D 70-65
A- 92-90 B 86-83 C 76-70 F 64-0
B- 82-80

Take-Home Midterm - 30 points
The take-home midterm will require you to relate concepts from the readings and lectures to the films screened for the first three class units. Due in class October 12.

Research Paper - 30 points
You will produce a 7-9 page research paper on an American film made since 1968. More details on the research paper will follow in a separate handout. The final draft of the research paper is due December 8.

Take-Home Final - 30 points
The take-home final will be structured just like the midterm, covering units 4-7. Due December 14.

Hollywood Stock Exchange - 10 points
In August, sign up for the online fantasy game at http://www.hsx.com. Manage your portfolio of movie stocks and star bonds over the course of the semester. At the end of the semester, submit a 1-2 page paper summarizing what you bought and how you did. If you won money, discuss what you did right. If you lost money, examine what you did wrong. This is a pass/fail assignment - you get full credit as long as you submit the paper by December 14.

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 August 24, 2006 10:39 AM

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