Assignments

GC2Y 2000 Global Horror Films, Spring 2023

Section 40 Honors: 1:30-3:10 p.m., Ennis Hall 017

Section 01: 3:30-5:10 p.m., Arts & Sciences 270

Film Availability

This chart provides links to our class's required and recommended films that are available through links from JustWatch (a clearinghouse of paid film and television streaming sites), the Internet Archive (free download and streaming), Kanopy (free streaming with your GCSU login), YouTube (free streaming). Films as noted are also available in either GCSU Course Reserves or the GCSU Library video collection.

 

Required Films	Availability
The Babadook	JustWatch | GCSU Course Reserves Screening: W, 3-29, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
Blood and Black Lace	JustWatch Screening: W, 4-5, 6:00 p.m. A&S 345
Bloody Reunion	JustWatch | Archive | Kanopy Screening: W, 4-12, 6:00 p.m. A&S 345
The Curse of Frankenstein	JustWatch Screening: W, 1-25, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
The Exorcist	JustWatch | GCSU Course Reserives Screening: W, 2-22, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
Freaks	JustWatch | Archive | GCSU Course Reserves
Ganja & Hess	JustWatch Screening: W, 4-19, 6:00 p.m. A&S 345
Godzilla (1954)	JustWatch Screening: W, 2-15, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
The Haunted Castle	Archive
Häxan	JustWatch | Archive Screening: W, 1-11, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
The Infernal Cauldron	YouTube
Kuntilanak	JustWatch
Nosferatu (1922)	JustWatch | GCSU Course Reserves Screening: W, 1-18, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
Onibaba	JustWatch | GCSU Course Reserves
The Phantom Carriage	JustWatch | Archive | YouTube
Rabid	JustWatch | Kanopy Screening: W, 3-22, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
[REC]	JustWatch Screening: W, 2-8, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
Ring	JustWatch Screening: W, 2-1, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
The Tenant	JustWatch Screening: W, 3-8, 6:00 p.m., A&S 345
Recommended Films	Availability
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage	JustWatch
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari	JustWatch | Archive | YouTube | GCSU Library
The Devil's Backbone	JustWatch | GCSU Library
Don't Torture a Duckling	JustWatch
The Golem: How He Came into the World (1920)	JustWatch | Archive | YouTube
Halloween	JustWatch | GCSU Library
The Horror of Dracula	JustWatch
The Host	JustWatch
Island of Lost Souls
Kwaidan	JustWatch | GCSU Library
Nang Nak	JustWatch
Pulse (2001)	JustWatch
Pulse (2006)	JustWatch
Quarantine	JustWatch
Repulsion	JustWatch | GCSU Library
Revenge of the Pontianak	JustWatch
The Ring	JustWatch | GCSU Library
Rosemary's Baby	JustWatch | GCSU Library
Shivers	JustWatch
Tarantula	JustWatch
The Thing from Another World	JustWatch
White Zombie	JustWatch | Kanopy | GCSU Library

In Class Activities

1. Understanding a Film Movement

Let's break into five groups of 4-5 members each and then summarize the key points of Telotte's "German Expressionism" and analyze significant scenes from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropolis, Nosferatu, and Waxworks. Here are the groups, article sections, and film scenes:

1. Telotte, Expressionist Origins (15-17) and Nosferatu, Orlok on the ship (49:00-52:00)
2. Telotte, The Expressionist Problem (17-8) Nosferatu, Orlok drains Ellen (1:15:00-1:20:00)
3. Telotte, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (18-21) and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Caesare abducts Jane (45:00-49:00)
4. Telotte, Waxworks (21-24) and Waxworks, Spring-Heeled Jack (1:18:00-1:23:00)
5. Telotte, Metropolis and Conclusion (24-27) Metropolis, the revolutionary crowd (2:15:00-2:19:00)

Here are the questions:

1. Summarize the 2-3 main points from the assigned section of Telotte's article.
2. Select a key passage from the assigned section of Telotte's article.
3. Describe what happens in the assigned scene.
4. Describe the composition and camera work of the assigned scene.
5. Describe the style of the scene, noting aspects such as lighting and production design.
6. What is the main idea of the scene and how is that idea expressed via style, narrative, and technique?

2. British versus Japanese Gothic

Today, break into groups in order to 1) give and receive feedback on your working theses for the comparison/contrast essay, 2) review traits of Edo Gothic from the Balmain article, and 3) compare and contrast filmic elements from The Curse of Frankenstein and Onibaba.

 

Here are the groups and tasks:

1. First, provide feedback on your working theses. Second, describe 2-3 traits of Edo Gothic from Balmain's Introduction and Background sections (pp. 51-3). Third, compare and contrast significant camera movements of The Curse of Frankenstein and Onibaba.
2. First, provide feedback on your working theses. Second, describe 2-3 traits of Edo Gothic from Balmain's Deceitful Samurai section (pp. 54-61). Third, compare and contrast notable cinematography of The Curse of Frankenstein and Onibaba.
3. First, provide feedback on your working theses. Second, describe 2-3 traits of Edo Gothic from Balmain's The Sacred Maternal section (pp.61-4). Third, compare and contrast the key cinematography of The Curse of Frankenstein and Onibaba.
4. First, provide feedback on your working theses. Second, describe 2-3 traits of Edo Gothic from Balmain's Wronged Women and Conventions of Edo Gothic sections (pp.64-9). Third, compare and contrast the setting and atmosphere of The Curse of Frankenstein and Onibaba.
5. First, provide feedback on your working theses. Second, describe 2-3 traits of Edo Gothic from Balmain's "Edo Gothic" (any section). Third, compare and contrast the character arcs of Victor Frankenstein in The Curse of Frankenstein and the mother-in-law in Onibaba.

3. Psychoanalytic Criticism

Today, let's re-read some previous films in terms of psychoanalytic criticism as well as check in with our LBTC groups.

 

Here are the LBTC groups and their assigned films:

1. Godzilla
2. [REC]
3. Ring
4. Onibaba
5. The Curse of Frankenstein
6. Freaks
7. Nosferatu

And here are the tasks:

1. Spend 10-15 minutes discussing how key psychoanalytic issues such as childhood and family, sexuality and desire, repression and trauma, id/ego/superego, or other terms from the Dumas article develop your interpretation of your groups assigned film.
2. Spend a few minutes discussing the next steps for your LBTC project.

4. Atmosphere and Allegory

Robert Spadoni argues that narrative and atmosphere are tied together; and Christopher Sharrett discusses how influential horror film's allegorical critiques of ideologies, such as capitalism and patriarchy, are unraveled either by the films themselves or the horror genre more generally. Today, let's apply what we've learned from the atmosphere and social allegory articles to films we've viewed in our class. Pair up, think about the questions that correspond your assigned group number, and then report your findings to the class.

1. The Exorcist
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of The Exorcist? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does The Exorcist present about organized religion? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?
2. Godzilla
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of Godzilla? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does Godzilla present about science, technology, and Western power? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?
3. [REC]
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of [REC]? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does [REC] present about the Other and difference? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?
4. Ringu
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of Ringu? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does Ringu present about parenting and media? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?
5. Onibaba
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of Onibaba? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does Onibaba present about womanhood and patriarchy? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?
6. The Curse of Frankenstein
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of The Curse of Frankenstein? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does The Curse of Frankenstein present about science and patriarchy? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?
7. Freaks
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of Freaks? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does Freaks present about normalcy, normativity, and otherness? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?
8. Nosferatu
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of Nosferatu? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does Nosferatu present about sexuality? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?
9. Häxan
   • How does narrative contribute to the atmosphere of Häxan? Talk about a scene that illustrates the tie between narrative and atmosphere.
   • What social allegory does Häxan present about patriarchy? What elements of the film affirm the critique, what elements of the film unravel the critique?

5. Horror's Otherness

Today, let's apply Adam Lowenstein's understanding of James Clifford's and Robin Wood's theories of otherness in horror films to films we've already discussed in class. As a class, answer the following questions:

• How does Robin Wood define the other, summarized on page 522?
• How does Robin Wood define progressive and reactionary horror, summarized on page 522?
• How does James Clifford define ethnographic surrealism, summarized on page 521?

Next, break into groups, take 10-15 minutes to answer the assigned questions, and then report your discussion to the class.

• Group 1: Who is the self and who is the other in Freaks? According to Wood, would the the film be considered progressive or reactionary? According to Clifford, does the film "locate the other in the self"?
• Group 2: Who is the self and who is the other in The Curse of Frankenstein? According to Wood, would the the film be considered progressive or reactionary? According to Clifford, does the film "locate the other in the self"?
• Group 3: Who is the self and who is the other in The Tenant? According to Wood, would the the film be considered progressive or reactionary? According to Clifford, does the film "locate the other in the self"?
• Group 4: Who is the self and who is the other in Rabid? According to Wood, would the the film be considered progressive or reactionary? According to Clifford, does the film "locate the other in the self"?
• Group 5: Who is the self and who is the other in Bloody Reunion? According to Wood, would the the film be considered progressive or reactionary? According to Clifford, does the film "locate the other in the self"?
• Group 6: Who is the self and who is the other in Ganja & Hess? According to Wood, would the the film be considered progressive or reactionary? According to Clifford, does the film "locate the other in the self"?

Article Summary

Written Summary

You will write an article summary and post it to GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Article Summary two days before we are scheduled to discuss the article so I have time to read your response before class. The article summary should

• be 2-3 pages long, formatted in MLA style, and submitted in docx or rtf format,
• summarize the article's argument (if there are multiple articles on the syllabus by a single author, summarize only one),
• quote and explain one or two significant passage(s),
• define key terms,
• and include 2-3 questions for class discussion.

Informal Presentation

You will also be responsible for a brief, informal presentation. The presentation should introduce the essay by defining key points and terms (without simply reading your written summary) and broaching issues for class discussion.

Due Dates

1. Your written assignment will be due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Article Summary two days before we are scheduled to discuss an article. Summaries will be penalized one letter grade for each day, not class period, that they are turned in late. It is your responsibility to check the sign up schedule and complete the assignment on time.
2. Your brief, informal presentation will be due on the day we discuss the essay in class. This date is approximate for we will sometimes fall a day behind. Failing to present the article to the class without providing a valid absence excuse will result in a two letter grade penalty.
3. I will return your graded assignment to you in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Article Summary approximately one week after we discuss the article in class. Due to GeorgiaVIEW limitations, I am unable to return graded assignments to you unless and until you submit them to the Assignment dropbox.
4. For example, we are scheduled to discuss Telotte's "German Expressionism: A Cinematic/Cultural Problem" on Monday, January 23. Therefore, someone's summary will be due in GeorgiaVIEW on Saturday, January 21. In class on Monday, January 23, that student will informally present the main ideas of Telotte's essay. I will return the graded article summary to that student the following week in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Article Summary. Here's how to calculate your course grade.

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Schedule your article summary, film response, and learning beyond the classroom project here.

Film Response

Written Summary

You will respond to a film and post it to GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Film Response two days before we are scheduled to discuss the film so I have time to read your response before class. The film response should

• be 2-3 pages long, formatted in MLA style, and submitted in docx or rtf format,
• respond to the key conflicts, issues, and themes of the film,
• react to an important shot or scene,
• and include 2-3 questions for class discussion.

Informal Presentation

You will also be responsible for a brief, informal presentation. The presentation should discuss the highlights of your response (without simply reading your written summary) and broach issues for class discussion.

Due Dates

1. Your written assignment will be due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Film Response two days before we are scheduled to discuss the film. Responses will be penalized one letter grade for each day, not class period, that they are turned in late. It is your responsibility to check the sign up schedule and complete the assignment on time.
2. Your brief, informal presentation will be due on the day we discuss the film in class. This date is approximate for we will sometimes fall a day behind. Failing to present the response to the class without providing a valid absence excuse will result in a two letter grade penalty.
3. I will return your graded assignment to you in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Film Response approximately one week after we discuss the article in class. Due to GeorgiaVIEW limitations, I am unable to return graded assignments to you unless and until you submit them to the Assignment dropbox.
4. For example, we are scheduled to discuss Nosferatu on Monday, January 23. Therefore, someone's film response will be due in GeorgiaVIEW on Saturday, January 21. In class on Monday, January 23, that student will informally present the main points of their response. I will return the graded film response to the student the following week in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Film Response. Here's how to calculate your course grade.

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Schedule your article summary, film response, and learning beyond the classroom project here.

Learning Beyond the Classroom Project

The article summary compels you to read actively and to abstract informally the key ideas from an article. The film response compels you to view actively and to respond informally to significant scenes and meanings of a film. The comparison/contrast essay requires formal, drafted, reviewed, and revised analysis of film. The learning beyond the classroom project allows you to work in small groups to apply your understanding of film in creative or critical ways beyond conventional essays. You will record your project outside of class, and we will discuss your project inside of class.

 

Film Option (Creative): Create a 3-5 minute horror film that applies the style and/or themes of two films studied in class. Along with the film, submit a two page explanation of how your film emulates the styles and mimics the issues of the in-class films.

 

Podcast Option (Critical): Record a 20-30 minute podcast episode that discusses a non-American horror film not studied in class, subject to professor approval. Be sure to address such issues as film style, film elements (shots, scene, camera, lighting, etc.), conflict, character, and theme.

Parameters

• Length: 3-5 minute film or 20-30 minute podcast
• Format: video or audio file
• Due Date: Your project is due two days before it is scheduled to be discussed in class. Submit either the file or the link to the file to two places: 1) GeorgiaVIEW > Discussions > Learning Beyond the Classroom and 2) GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Learning Beyond the Classroom Project. Note that the GeorgiaVIEW Discussions accepts audio files in either mp3 or m4a format while GeorgiaVIEW Assignments dropbox only accepts mp3; you can either convert or submit a placeholder file in docx, jpg, or txt in the Assignment dropbox.
• Group Policy: Each group member is responsible for staying connected with the group, attending meetings, actively participating in meetings, doing her delegated work, i.e., contributing her fair share to the project. In order to hold singular members accountable in a team project, each group member should individually compose and submit to GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > LBTC Project - Individual Evaluation a paragraph that assesses her own performance and her peer's service to the assignment. If it becomes apparent that a group member did not participate (skipped meetings, didn't complete her assigned work, etc.), that member will be assessed individually rather than receive the group grade.
• Grade: While you should strive to produce a watchable film or listenable podcast, your project will not be graded on artistic merit because GC2Y is not a media production course. Your project will be assessed in terms of your applied understanding of horror film style, themes, and ideas as GC2Y is a film analysis course. Retrieve your graded assignment in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Learning Beyond the Classroom Project approximately one week after you present to the class.

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Comparison/Contrast Essay

We have looked at a number of early horrors films (The Phantom Carriage, Haxan, Nosferatu, Freaks, The Curse of Frankenstein, Onibaba) with a variety of horrors (death, witches, freaks, Frankenstein's monsters) from a variety of countries (Sweden, Denmark, Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Japan). For the first formal paper, you will compare and contrast how horror functions in two films. You have two choices of approach.

• Option A: Compare and contrast how two films that we've viewed so far express a key trait of the horror film genre, integrating ideas from one or two of the following articles we've read so far (Smuts, Picart, Telotte, Benshoff, Petley, Worland, Hudson, Balmain, McRoy, Whittington, Tompkins) into your analysis. How does the expression of the characteristic affect the comparison of the two films' themes; in other words, how does form influence thematic content? For example, according to Smuts's review of Carroll's work, to be considered horror, a film must contain a monster. You could compare and contrast the monsters at the heart of The Phantom Carriage and Haxan, and thus compare and contrast what kind of horror films they are, as well as what kind of themes they have.
• Option B: Compare and contrast the representation of the monster (death, witches, vampires, freaks, Frankenstein's monsters) in a horror film that we've viewed so far with the attitude toward and portrayal of the monster in a horror film of your choice from another country. How does the representation of the monster affect the comparison of the two films' themes; in other words, how does form influence thematic content? For example, you could compare and contrast how witches are represented in Haxan (Sweden, 1922) with how they are portrayed in The Blair Witch Project (United States, 1999), and how those expressions lead to their respective themes.

Your paper must use textual evidence from the films such as but not limited to dialogue, title cards, shots, soundtrack, camera angles, and editing. Option A must also cite the text of one or more in class articles. Before you draft the paper, you will submit a thesis statement and outline, which will be reviewed by your peers. The mandatory first draft of your paper will be reviewed by your peers and graded by your professor. The optional second draft grade will replace the first draft grade.

Parameters

• Length: 4-6 pages for 3:30 section; 5-7 pages for 1:30 Honors section
• Format: Word format (I suggest using this template)
• Style: MLA style (I suggest completing this checklist)
• Due Dates: There are multiple due dates and different places to submit the paper.
  • Thesis Statement and Outline: The thesis statement and outline is due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Comparison/Contrast Thesis on Wednesday, February 1 before class. Failure to submit before class will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final paper grade. Bring your laptop or a print out of your thesis and outline to class.
  • Draft 1 (Professor Copy): The mandatory first draft is due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments> Comparison/Contrast Essay Draft 1 at any time on Monday, February 13. Failure to submit on time will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final paper grade.
  • Draft 1 (Peer Copy): The mandatory first draft is also due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Discussions > Comparison/Contrast Essay Peer Group # at any time on Monday, February 13.
  • Peer Response: The mandatory peer response session will take place on Wednesday, February 22. Failure to participate in peer response will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final grade of your paper.
  • Draft 2 (Professor Copy): The optional second draft of the paper, with major changes highlighted and a revision statement included after the Works Cited page, is due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Comparison/Contrast Essay Draft 2 at any time on Monday, March 6. The second draft grade will replace the first. Failure to submit a revision statement will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final grade of the paper.
• Grade: Your assignment will be assessed in terms of your comparative thesis, your textual analysis of the two films, and your integration of articles from class (Option A only). Retrieve your graded assignment in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Comparison/Contrast Essay Draft 2 approximately one week after you present to the class. Due to GeorgiaVIEW limitations, I cannot return your graded paper unless you upload it to the Assignments dropbox.

Research Essay

While the first formal essay required you to compare and contrast the portrayal and themes of two films, the second formal essay involves both your own film interpretation and the integration of scholarly horror film criticism. You will research, analyze, and interpret a horror film or horror film issue in a formal, peer reviewed, and revised essay that incorporates sources from an accompanying annotated bibliography. Your interpretation of a horror film should make an overarching claim about the film or film issue, employ film analysis to prove its interpretation, and use scholarly research to support its analysis and ideas. Alternatively, you could explore an issue relevant to many horror films, analyzing a number of exemplary horror films and integrating relevant secondary sources to support the discussion. For example, you could write about the issue of art and violence in Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace with the aide of secondary sources on Fulci films or you could write about the portrayal of gender and sexuality in gialli and use films by Mario Bava, Dario Argento, and Lucio Fulci with the aide of secondary sources on the giallo genre.

 

If you interpret a film, the film should be researchable, that is, you should be able to find sufficient scholarly sources that analyze the film. Because peer review of books and journals takes a couple of years, this precludes films released in the last five years and mandates the research of films that inspire scholarly criticism. You cannot research films that you wrote about in your comparison/contrast essay.

 

Your research should be scholarly, that is, you should find scholarly, peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and books using the university library's databases rather than Googling periodicals and blogs. 1:30 section students should find 15 scholarly sources to determine if your film or issue is researchable. Then, you should annotate 10 sources to determine which are the most helpful for your project. Finally, you should integrate 5 sources that help you analyze the film/issue into your 8-10 page research paper. 3:30 section students should find 15 scholarly sources, annotate 8 sources, and integrate 4 sources into the 7-9 page research paper.

Research Proposal and Source List

While the comparison/contrast essay required you to submit a thesis statement and outline, the research project necessitates that you submit a research proposal that includes both

1. a paragraph that formulates your research question, issue, or idea, and
2. a list of 15 potential sources
   • The working bibliography should be styled in MLA Format and compiled using the Research Methods page.
   • Approximately half of the sources should be scholarly books from the GCSU and USG libraries and approximately half should be scholarly journal articles from databases like Academic Search Complete.
   • While other professors might consider encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, and website study guides to be appropriate for college level research, I deem academic books and peer reviewed journal articles the only appropriate sources for scholarly research. Therefore, you should not submit primary texts (i.e., films), encyclopedia entries, magazine articles, newspaper articles, book reviews, websites, study guides like Sparknotes and MasterPlots, or student paper mills. While you may use reputable periodicals and websites to help support the claims and analysis in your research essay, they do no not count as scholarly sources.

As good writing habit, you are encouraged to write a thesis statement and outline before drafting your paper, but you are not required to submit them for this paper. Keep in mind that you may conference with your professor at any time for direction on your project.

Annotated Bibliography

Two weeks before drafting your paper, you will submit a draft of your annotated bibliography, i.e., the research that you will use to prepare for the paper. An annotated bibliography is an MLA styled works cited list of scholarly books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles that provides a 75-100 word summary of each secondary source's argument as well as how the secondary source interprets and illuminates the meaning of the primary text, i.e., the film.

 

Do not annotate films; do annotate scholarly journal articles and book chapters about a film or film issue. Do not annotate an entire book; do annotate a chapter from the book that best fits your research topic. Do not simply summarize the source's topic, do provide the chapter or article's overall thesis or the chapter or article's main idea as it relates to your research question. I recommend answering the following questions:

1. What question, issue, or topic is the source investigating?
2. What is the source's thesis or conclusion regarding the film or film issue?
3. How does the source help your understanding of the film or film issue?

1:30 section students should annotate 10 sources that could be used in the research paper; 3:30 section students should annotated 8 sources.

 

In terms of formatting, I using this template.

Research Essay Draft 1

Your well-organized, thesis-driven research essay should analyze film(s) using evidence from film and be supported by evidence from research sources. 1:30 section students should compose an 8-10 page essay incorporating at least 5 scholarly research sources; 3:30 section students should compose a 7-9 page essay incorporating at least 4 scholarly research sources.

Optional Paper and Annotated Bibliography Revision

Your paper will be reviewed by your peers; your paper and annotated bibliography will receive feedback and a tentative grade from your professor. You may revise your paper and annotated bibliography. If you choose to revise, you must include a revision statement (a paragraph or bullet points noting what issues you worked on in your second draft) and highlight major changes in your essay and bibliography.

Parameters

• Length
  • 1:30 section: 8-10 page research paper, accompanied by a 10 source annotated bibliography (each annotation is 75-100 words)
  • 3:30 section: 7-9 page research paper, accompanied by an 8 source annotated bibliography (each annotation is 75-100 words)
• Format: Word or RTF format (I suggest using this template)
• Style: MLA style (I suggest completing this checklist)
• Due Dates: There are multiple due dates and different places to submit the paper.
  • Research Proposal and Source List: The proposal and list of potential sources are due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Proposal on Wednesday, March 22. Failure to submit on time will result in a one-third letter grade deduction from your final research project grade.
  • Annotated Bibliography: The annotated bibliography is due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Annotated Bibliography at any time on Wednesday, March 29.
  • Research Essay Draft 1 (Professor Copy): The mandatory first draft of the paper and annotated bibliography are due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Paper Draft 1 at any time on Wednesday, April 12. Failure to submit on time will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final paper grade.
  • Research Essay Draft 1 (Peer Copy): The mandatory first draft is also due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Discussions > Research Paper Peer Group # at any time on Wednesday, April 12.
  • Peer Response: The mandatory peer response session will take on Wednesday, April 19. Failure to participate in peer response will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final grade of your paper.
  • Research Essay Draft 2 (Professor Copy): The optional second draft of the paper and annotated bibliography, with a revision statement and highlights of major changes, are due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Paper Draft 2 at any time Wednesday, April 26. The second draft grade will replace the first. Failure to submit a revision statement and highlighting of major changes will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final grade of the paper.
  • Grade: Your assignment will be assessed in terms of your thesis, your film analysis and/or film issue analysis, your integration of scholarly sources, and your annotated bibliography. Retrieve your graded assignment in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Paper Draft 2 approximately one week after submission.

Peer Response

Goals

The two main goals of our class is for you to learn multiple intellectual approaches to horror films and to develop a global perspective regarding the culture of horror films, and the course approaches these outcomes through analytical and research writing. Peer response sessions extend the writing process by allowing you and your peers to engage in direct oral and written dialogue about matters of analysis and research, with the ultimate goal of improving your formal papers. You have the opportunity to revise your Comparison/Contrast Essay and your Research Paper based upon comments by your peers and professor. You will provide constructive criticism to other members of the class as will they to you. Here are the peer response templates for the Comparison/Contrast Essay and the Research Paper.

 

Note: If a group member does not submit her paper to the GeorgiaVIEW discussion board in a format your computer can read, such as Word, at least two days before the peer response session, the rest of the group is not responsible for responding to her paper. If a group member fails to attend the group response session, the member's paper will not receive feedback.

Comparison/Contrast Peer Response

Here is the peer response process for the Comparison/Contrast Essay:

1. On Wednesday, February 22, writers upload their papers to both
   • GeorgiaVIEW > Discussions > Comparison/Contrast Peer Response > Group #
   • GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Comparison/Contrast Essay Draft 1
2. Read, take notes on, and prepare to respond to your group members' papers before the peer response time.
3. Your peer response group will elect a secretary to record the group's collective response to the Comparison/Contrast peer response sheet for each writer. Your group will spend about 15-20 minutes per paper providing feedback on Style and Gramma, Thesis and Controlling Idea, Comparison and Contrast, and Organization. If groups have time, you can also response to Voice, Successes and Weaknesses, and Quality and Creativity. The secretary will upload the completed sheets for each paper to GeorgiaVIEW > Discussions > Comparison/Contrast Essay > Group #.
4. After your paper is reviewed by your peer response group, and before the end of class, submit a bullet point list of 3-5 things about your paper that you plan to revise, based upon your peers' feedback. Submit to your peer group's GeorgiaVIEW discussion board. Failure to submit will result in a one-third letter grade deduction off the final paper.
5. If you miss the peer response session or do not read your peers' papers before the peer response session, you must complete a peer response sheet for each of your fellow group members. Failure to do so will result a one-third letter grade deduction for the final paper grade.

Wednesday, February 22, 1:30 p.m. Section

• Group 1: Sam Alarcon, Anna Carey, Riley Greer, Ethan Montgomery
• Group 2: Jordan Aycock, Tommy Creekmore, Olivia Langston, Marie Puckett
• Group 3: Halle Bergstrom, Taylor Doyle, Jack Gallagher
• Group 4: Cade Brookshire, Bailey Dassow, Mary Kelly Sheehan
• Group 5: Emily Brown, Eryn Forester, Nick Koederitz, Dylan Willard

Wednesday, February 22, 3:30 p.m. Section

• Group 1: Clay Anderson, Lauren Taylor Harper, Michael Pimentel
• Group 2: Sofia Cannon, Alex Koser, Will McKinnon, Lila Slay
• Group 3: Nico Cecere-Benedetti, Madison Hood, David Meers, Cassie Zeppetelle
• Group 4: Trenholm Fahy, Elyse Matheny, Kinsley Pick
• Group 5: JP Gilley, Hannah Orlando, Mackenzie Pickle, Luke Schmidt

Research Essay Peer Response

Here is the peer response process for the Comparison/Contrast Essay:

1. Upload Your Essay: On Wednesday, April 12, writers upload their papers to both
   • GeorgiaVIEW > Discussions > Research Essay Peer Response > Group #
   • GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Essay Draft 1
2. Read Your Peers' Essays: Read, take notes on, and prepare to respond to your group members' papers before the peer response day.
3. Respond to Your Peers' Essays: On Wednesday, April 19, your peer response group will elect a secretary to record the group's collective response to the Research Essay peer response sheet for each writer. Your group will spend about 15-20 minutes per paper providing feedback on Style and Gramma, Thesis and Controlling Idea, Film Analysis and Evidence, Research, and Organization. If groups have time, you can also response to Voice, Successes and Weaknesses, and Quality and Creativity. The secretary will upload the completed sheets for each paper to GeorgiaVIEW > Discussions > Research Essay > Group #.
4. Submit a Revision List: After your paper is reviewed by your peer response group, and before the end of class, submit a bullet point list of 3-5 things about your paper that you plan to revise, based upon your peers' feedback. Submit to your peer group's GeorgiaVIEW discussion board. Failure to submit will result in a one-third letter grade deduction off the final paper.
5. If You're Absent: If you miss the peer response session or do not read your peers' papers before the peer response session, you must complete a peer response sheet for each of your fellow group members. Failure to do so will result a one-third letter grade deduction for the final paper grade.

Wednesday, April 19, 1:30 p.m. Section

• Group 1: Sam Alarcon, Halle Bergstrom, Olivia Langston
• Group 2: Anna Carey, Tommy Creekmore, Bailey Dassow, Eryn Forester
• Group 3: Jack Gallagher, Riley Greer, Nick Koederitz, Mary Kelly Sheehan
• Group 4: Emily Brown, Ethan Montgomery, Marie Puckett
• Group 5: Jordan Aycock, Cade Brookshire, Taylor Doyle, Dylan Willard

Wednesday, April 19, 3:30 p.m. Section

• Group 1: Clay Anderson, JP Gilley, Madison Hood, Kinsley Pick
• Group 2: Lauren Taylor Harper, Will McKinnon, David Mears, Hannah Orlando
• Group 3: Trenholm Fahy, Michael Pimentel, Lila Slay
• Group 4: Sofia Cannon, Nico Cecere-Benedetti, Mackenzie Pickle
• Group 5: Alex Koser, Elyse Matheny, Luke Schmidt, Cassie Zeppetelle

Essay Exam

The two question essay exam will be distributed on Wednesday, April 26 and will test your knowledge and understanding of films covered on the syllabus since February 20, film theory covered on the syllabus since February 20, and film elements covered on the syllabus throughout the semester. On Wednesday, April 5, both class sections opted for a take home exam. On Monday, April 24, classes will generate 4-6 essay topics; and on Wednesday, April 26, those topics will be turned into 4-6 essay questions. You will choose 2 questions to answer on the exam, which will be due on Wednesday, May 3 for students in the 1:30 section and Tuesday, May 2 for students in the 3:30 section.

• Answer two questions.
• Do not use a film to answer more than one question.
• Do not use a film theory article to answer more than one question.
• Do include comparative thesis statements in your essay answers.
• Do include properly introduced, explained, and cited paraphrases and quotations from the film theory articles to prove your analysis.
• Do include film elements (mise-en-scene image, camera movement, cinematography, editing, sound, performance, special effects) beyond narrative and character to prove your analysis.

Topics

• 1:30 Section
• Horror across Cultures
• Gender Roles and Stereotypes
• Monsters
• Religion and the Supernatural
• Parent/Child Relationships
• Social and Political Commentary
• Film Technique, such as Special Effects
• 3:30 Section
• Gender and Sexuality
• Monsters
• Representations of Horror, such as Abjection and Violence
• Controversy and Transgression
• Social Setting
• Film Technique

Questions

• 1:30 Section
  • cultural anxieties and fears: Using two films from two different countries as well as the ideas in two or three film theory articles to support your discussion, compare and contrast the similar yet different cultural anxieties and/or fears represented by the films. For example, what do the films suggest about the meaning of horror across cultures?
  • gender and sexuality: Using the approaches from two or three film theory articles, compare and contrast the meanings of two films in terms of gender and/or sexuality. For example, what do the films suggest about the status of women and/or the meaning of sexuality?
  • monsters: Using the approaches from two or three film theory articles, discuss the meanings of two films in terms of the sociopolitical commentary engendered by the films' monsters. For example, how do horror's monsters represent societal or political fears?
  • the supernatural: Using the ideas from two or three film theory articles to support your discussion, explore two films' religious attitudes toward existence beyond our observable world. In other words, how do horror films represent religion and the supernatural (God, gods, demons, etc.)?
  • children: Using the ideas from two or three film theory articles, compare and contrast the representation of children as well as the relationships of adults (parents, teachers) with children in two films. For example, what do horror films suggest about our hopes and fears regarding children?
  • film technique: First, choose one film element from Ed Sikov's Film Studies: An Introduction such as image, camera movement, cinematography, editing, sound, performance, or special effects; and then compare and contrast how that element is used for thematic effect in two films. What meanings does the film technique create?
• 3:30 Section
  • gender and sexuality: Using the approaches from two or three film theory articles, compare and contrast the meanings of two films in terms of gender and/or sexuality. For example, what do the films suggest about the status of women and/or the meaning of sexuality?
  • monsters: Using the approaches from two or three film theory articles, discuss the meanings of two films in terms of the sociopolitical commentary engendered by the films' monsters. For example, how do horror's monsters represent societal or political fears?
  • representations of horror: Using the approaches from two or three film theory articles, compare and contrast how horror is represented in two films and how that relates to the films' themes. For example, is the horror focused on the abjection of the body, or does the horror emphasize violence and gore?
  • horror's controversies and transgressions: Using the ideas from two or three film theory articles, explore how two films transgress social norms and create controversy. For example, why do horror films often produce moral critique or, historically, governmental censorship?
  • the setting of fear: Using the ideas in two or three film theory articles to support your discussion, explore how a particular fear that appears in two films is not only a product of its social setting but is also and modified by its cultural time and place. For example, how does fear evolve over time and place?
  • film technique: First, choose one film element from Ed Sikov's Film Studies: An Introduction such as image, camera movement, cinematography, editing, sound, performance, or special effects; and then compare and contrast how that element is used for thematic effect in two films. What meanings does the film technique create?

Films

• Godzilla (kaiju, Japan, 1954, 96 min)
• The Exorcist (supernatural horror, United States, 1973, 122 minutes or 132 min)
• The Tenant (psychological horror, France, 1976, 126 min)
• Rabid (independent body horror, Canada and United States, 1977, 91 min)
• The Babadook (psychological horror, Australia-Canada, 2014, 94 min)
• Blood and Black Lace (giallo, Italy, 1964, 88 min)
• Bloody Reunion (horror, South Korea, 2006, 93 min)
• Ganja & Hess (blaxploitation horror, United States, 1973, 110 minutes)
• Kuntilanak (horror, Indonesia, 2018, 105 min)

Film Articles

• Hantke, "Science Fiction and Horror in the 1950s" (Benshoff 255-72)
• Hart, "Millennial Fears: Abject Horror in a Transnational Context" (Benshoff 329-44)
• Dumas, "Horror and Psychoanalysis: An Introductory Primer" (Benshoff 21-37)
• Creed, "Horror and the Monstrous-Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection" (GeorgiaVIEW)
• Sharrett, "The Horror Film as Social Allegory (And How It Comes Undone" (Benshoff 56-72)
• Spadoni, "Carl Dreyer's Corpse: Horror Film Atmosphere and Narrative" (Benshoff 151-67)
• Humphrey, "Gender and Sexuality Haunt the Horror Film" (Benshoff 38-55)
• Freeland, "Feminist Frameworks for Horror Films" (GeorgiaVIEW)
• Hills, "Horror Reception/Audiences" (Benshoff 90-108)
• Hutchings, "International Horror in the 1970s" (Benshoff 292-309)
• Reyes, "Body Horror" (GeorgiaVIEW)
• Hunter, "Trash Horror adn the Cult of the Bad Film" (Benshoff 483-500)
• Sutton, "Avenging the Body: Disability in the Horror Film" (Benshoff 73-89)
• King, "'If It's in a Word': Intersectional Feminism, Precarity, and The Babadook" (GeorgiaVIEW)
• Kendrick, "Slasher Films and Gore in the 1980s" (Benshoff 310-28)
  
• Clover, "Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher" (GeorgiaVIEW)
• Mendik, "The Return of the Rural Repressed: Italian Horror and the Mezzogiorno Giallo" (Benshoff 390-405)
• Martin, "South Korean Horror Cinema" (Benshoff 423-41)
• Alaimo, "Discomforting Creatures: Monstrous Natures in Recent Films" (GeorgiaVIEW)
• Coleman, "Scream, Whitey, Scream—Retribution, Enduring Women, and Carnality: 1970s" (GeorgiaVIEW)
• Lowenstein, "Horror's Otherness and Ethnographic Surrealism: The Case of The Shout" (Benshoff 519-35)
• Ng, "Sisterhood of Terror: The Monstrous Feminine of Southeast Asian Horror Cinema" (Benshoff 442-61)

Film Elements

• mise-en-scene: image
• mise-en-scene: camera movement
• mise-en-scene: cinematography
• editing: from shot to shot
• sound
• performance
• special effects

Parameters

• Length
  • 1:30 section: Two 4-5 page essays (8-10 pages total, submitted in one file)
  • 3:30 section: Two 3-4 page essays (6-8 pages total, submitted in one file)
• Format: docx, odt, or rtf format (Do not submit pdf format; I suggest using this template)
• Style: MLA style (I suggest completing this checklist)
• Due Date
  • 1:30 section: Wednesday, May 3
  • 3:30 section: Tuesday, May 2
• Grades: Your exam will be graded on the quality of your comparative theses, your understanding of film theory as demonstrated through quotation and explanation, your understanding of film elements as demonstrated through evidence from specific in-class films, and your knowledge of film issues and ideas. You can access your final grade in the course via PAWS on Wednesday, May 10. In order to read and assess all the exams and papers in my three classes by the final grade deadline, I will not be giving feedback on final projects this semester. I am glad to put your exam grade in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Exam if you ask me to do so on your exam. I am happy to provide feedback at the beginning of fall semester if you email me to set up a conference. Here's how to calculate your course grade.