Assignments
GC2Y 2000 Global Horror, Spring 2020
Section 03 Honors: T 3:30-5:20 p.m., R 3:30-4:45 Arts & Sciences 363
Film Availability
This chart provides links to our class's required films that are available from Apple (digital purchase and/or rental), Amazon (digital purchase, rental, and/or streaming), Kanopy (streaming), Internet Archive (free download and streaming), Netflix (streaming), GCSU Library (4 hour reserves), and/or YouTube (rental). Check JustWatch, a clearinghouse of film and television streaming sites, for availability to purchase films from Amazon, rented on disc from Netflix, or stream on services like Cinemax, Crackle, Encore, Epix, HBO, Hulu, Google Play, Movies Anywhere, Showtime, Starz, Vudu, and XBox. Check Drew's Script-O-Rama and The Internet Movie Script Database for screenplays and transcripts to use as a a helpful reference for dialogue; however, if you write about the film, you should verify dialogue from the film itself.
Film | Availability |
---|---|
Alien |
Apple | Amazon | GCSU | YouTube Screening: Tuesday, 2-25, A&S 340B |
The Babadook |
|
Beyond the Black Rainbow |
|
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage |
|
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari |
Apple | Amazon Prime | Archive | GCSU | Kanopy | YouTube 1 | 2 Screening: Tuesday, 1-14, 5:30, A&S 353 |
The Curse of Frankenstein |
Screening: Tuesday, 1-21, 5:30, A&S 353 |
The Devil's Backbone (recommended) |
|
The Exorcist |
Apple | Amazon | GCSU | YouTube Screening: Thursday, 2-27, 5:00, A&S 353 |
Freaks |
Apple | Amazon | GCSU | YouTube 1 | 2 Screening: Thursday, 1-16, 5:00, A&S 353 |
Halloween (1978) (recommended) |
|
The Haunted Castle |
Screening: Tuesday, 1-7, 3:30, A&S 363 |
Haxan |
Apple | Amazon | GCSU | Kanopy | YouTube 1 | 2 Screening: Thursday, 1-9, 5:00, A&S 353 |
The Host |
|
The Infernal Cauldron |
Screening: Tuesday, 1-7, 3:30, A&S 353 |
Kwaidan |
Apple | Amazon | GCSU | YouTube Screening: Thursday, 1-23, 5:00, A&S 353 Screening: Tuesday, 1-28, 5:30, A&S 349 |
Nosferatu (recommended) |
Apple | Amazon Prime | Films on Demand | GCSU |
The Phantom Carriage |
Screening: Tuesday, 1-7, 5:30, A&S 353 |
Planet of the Vampires |
|
Quarantine (recommended) |
|
[REC] |
Screening: Tuesday, 2-11 5:30, A&S 353 |
Repulsion |
|
The Ring (recommended) |
|
Ringu |
Screening: Thursday, 1-30, 5:00, A&S 353 |
Rosemary's Baby (recommended) |
|
Shivers |
|
The Tenant (recommended) |
Apple | Amazon Prime | YouTube |
In Class Activities
1. Defining the Horror Genre
Let's break into small groups today in order to begin to learn each others' names, breakdown our understanding of the long Cherry article on the horror genre, and apply the horror form and function to The Phantom Carriage. Break into six groups of three or four students, discuss the questions below, and report your findings to the class.
Here are the groups:
- Cherry, "The Horror Genre: Form and Function," pp. 1-14
- Cherry, "The Horror Genre: Form and Function," pp. 14-36
- Cherry, "The Horror Genre: Form and Function," pp. 36-51
- Cherry, "The Horror Genre: Form and Function," pp. 1-14
- Cherry, "The Horror Genre: Form and Function," pp. 14-36
- Cherry, "The Horror Genre: Form and Function," pp. 36-51
Here are the questions:
- What does your assigned section of Cherry's article, "The Horror Genre" argue about the form and function of the horror film, in other words, what is the general claim? Do you agree with this idea, or do you have a different definition of horror?
- Select a key passage from the Cherry article section and explain it.
- Is The Phantom Carriage a "horror" film? Why or why not, according to a) Cherry's argument, and b) your understanding of the genre?
2. Understanding a Film Movement
Let's break into five groups to analyze some scenes from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropolis, Nosferatu, and Waxworks in order to concretize our understanding of German Expressionism as well as to practice closely reading film. Here are the groups and scenes:
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: Caesare abducts Jane (45:00-49:00)
- Metropolis: the revolutionary crowd (2:15:00-2:19:00)
- Nosferatu: Orlok on the ship (49:00-52:00)
- Nosferatu: Orlok drains Ellen (1:15:00-1:20:00)
- Waxworks: Spring-Heeled Jack (1:18:00-1:23:00)
Here are the questions:
- Describe the composition and camera work of the scene.
- Describe what happens in the scene.
- Describe the style of the scene, noting aspects such as lighting and production design.
- What is the main idea of the scene and how is that idea expressed via style, narrative, and technique?
3. Editing and Art Direction
Let's break into groups to briefly review the elements of editing and art direction detailed in The Film Analysis for the previous films we watched; and then we'll discuss the editing and art direction of today's film, The Curse of Frankenstein.
Here are the groups:
- The Phantom Carriage: editing and/or art direction
- Haxan: editing and/or art direction
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: editing and/or art direction
- Freaks: editing and/or art direction
- The Curse of Frankenstein: editing
- The Curse of Frankenstein: art direction
4. Analyzing a Film Using Cultural Studies
Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary practice concerned with analyzing representations, institutions, and systems of cultural, socioeconomic, and political power, especially with regard to gender, sexuality, race, class, and colonialism. A cultural studies approach examines the signifying practices of "how the world is socially constructed and represented to and by us in meaningful ways" (Barker 8), identifies the underlying ideology and hegemony of the representation based on who controls the cultural production, and explores how groups (especially subordinated ones) are produced as subjects. It employs the philosophies of Marxism (capitalism, commodity fetishism, class conflict), structuralism (systems of relations and binary oppositions that, through language, form the deep structure of the human condition), poststructuralism (the instability and undecidability of meaning, how discourse conditions meaning and controls who can speak, the anti-essentialism of the human condition, the plurality and diversity of knowledge), psychoanalysis (the conflict between the rational ego, the socially conscience superego, and the unconscious id), and the politics of difference (identity politics based on gender, race, and colonialism). Today, let's examine one of our class's recent film from these various intellectual points of view. Break into five groups; each group will read Freaks through a key concept and specific lens (this pairing is arbitrary for the purposes of our group work; any concept works with any lens). Here are the groups and questions:
- Materialism and Marxism: Who controls the cultural production of the film and how does that influence the representation of freaks and normal people? How does that influence the flim's class conflict between freaks and normal people? How might the concept of commodity fetishism apply to circus freaks?
- Representation/Articulation and Structuralism/Culturalism: How does the film represent the historical meaning of carnival sideshows and circus freaks? Describe the film's pattern of representation of the binary oppositions of normalcy/abnormalcy and human/monster. How are freaks articulated; how are normals put together?
- Power/Popular Culture and Poststructuralism/Postmodernism: Describe the underlying ideology and hegemonic processes of carnival sideshows and circus freaks in popular culture. How does the film deconstruct or undo the hierarchical binary oppositions of normalcy/abnormalcy and human/monster?
- Texts/Readers and Psychoanalysis: Describe the social meaning of the freaks engendered by their images, sounds, objects, and practices. Compare and contrast the social meaning of those cultural codes for audiences then and now. Describe the psychoanalytic conflicts in the love triangle of Hans, Frieda, and Cleopatra in terms of id/ego/superego, the unconscious, and and libido.
- Subjectivity/Identity and the Politics of Difference: Compare and contrast how are circus freaks and normal people are produced as subjects. With whom do the circus freaks identify; with whom do the normal people identify? How does a freak's gender affect her social role and status; how does a normal person's? How are the freaks subordinated as a class of people?
5. Psychoanalyzing Horror
Let's apply the concepts of psychoanalytic film theory to our course's films by breaking into six groups and discussing the following issues from Richard Allen's "Psychoanalytic Film Theory" and Steven Jay Schneider's "Introduction: Psychoanalysis in / and / of the Horror Film." Answer as many of the following questions you can and report back to the class. The class will discuss the issues your group did not have time to address.
Here are the questions:
- Allen, "Psychoanalysis and Cinema: Some Preliminary Distinctions": Analyze the film as if it were an irrational dream. What "wish-fulfilling narratives or collective fantasies" (Allen 125) does the film imagine?
- Allen, "Psychoanalytic Theories of Cinema": Besides analyzing the unconscious fantasy and wish-fulfilment that the film employs (Allen 125, 129), how might the film fetishize the spectator's voyeurism (Allen 130)? Finally, consider the film as a mirror and analyze how the spectator identifies with the filmic image (Allen 131).
- Allen, "Marxism, Psychoanalysis, and the Critique of Mass Culture": Diagnose the dominant ideology of the film (Allen 133). What mass culture moralistic super-ego identification does the film engender (Allen 136)?
- Allen, "Psychoanalysis, Feminism, and Film Theory": Does the film suggest a gender hierarchy, especially one that involves either a male spectator identifying with the protagonist (Allen 137) or one in which female agency is lacking (Allen 138)? Does the film construct a female spectator (Allen 139)?
- Schneider, "The Myth of Meta-Theory": What is the "repressed mental content—anxieties, fears, even fantasies and wishes that get relegated to the unconscious" of the film (Schneider 2)? Is the horror film monster defined as male with women as the primary victiom (Schneider 4)? Does female empowerment occur in the film (Schneider 5)?
- Schneider, "Psychoanalytic (Horror Film) Theory at a Minimum": Does the film include "problems of selfhood and identity, sexuality and pleasure, fear and anxiety" (Schneider 8) and primal fears and traumas (Schneider 9)?
Here are the groups:
- [Rec]
- Ringu
- Kwaidan
- The Curse of Frankenstein
- Freaks
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
7. Psychoanalysis, Feminism, and Horror
Since the Learning Beyond the Classroom Project is fast approaching, break into your LBTC groups and confirm your project timeline. After briefly catching up with your group project business, turn your focus to applying psychoanalytic feminist readings of horror from today's articles by Creed and Freeland. Brainstorm a horror film that has a self-evident monstrous-feminine, uncanny, and/or gender ideology. Then imagine how Creed and Freeland would interpret the film.
8. Ecocriticism and Horror Films
Coronavirus Update: This activity is optional. Do it only if you're able.
We have looked at horror films around the globe through the lens of genre criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, cultural studies, and feminism and genre studies. Today, let's apply ecocriticism. Here are the questions from Charles E. Bressler's "Ecocriticm":
- What do we mean by "nature," both in a given text and in our world?
- How is nature portrayed in a text?
- How are the characters in a text portrayed in relationship with nature?
- How do the characters interact with nature?
- How does nature interact with characters?
- How does the text demonstrate how the microcosm (humanity) affects the macrocosm (nature) and how the macrocosm affects the microcosm?
- How does the actual physical setting of the text affect the text's plot?
- How are race, class, and gender illustrated in the text, and how are they related to nature or the land?
- What particular historical period is depicted in the text? How is this historical period related to issues of nature or the land?
- Is the text challenging its readers to environmental action and promoting changes in how we treat nature? Other classes? Races? Genders?
Here are the possible films:
- Annihilation (2018)
- The Birds (1963)
- Jaws (1975)
- Jurassic Park (1993) or Jurassic World (2015)
- Kong: Skull Island (2017)
- Godzilla (2014)
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), or War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
- A ecologically-themed horror film of your choosing
With a one or two classmates over audio- or videoconference, choose one of the films above, elect a secretary, discuss Bressler's questions in relation to your selected film, and post highlights from your discussion to the April 9 Class Session Discussion Board. Participating in this optional activity will count as your participation for the class session.
9. Avant-Garde Film
Coronavirus Update: To prepare to view and discuss the science fiction avant-garde film Beyond the Black Rainbow, analyze, on your own, some short clips from longer films that can be considered experimental as well as one short film. Here are the clips:
- Chantal Akerman's La Chambre (full film)
- Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain (clip)
- Terrence Malick's Tree of Life (clip)
- Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi (clip)
Here are some viewing questions:
- What do you see, what happens?
- Are there any symbols?
- Does the juxtaposition of the images suggest any idea?
Presentation Schedule
First week of class: Sign up for two slots, one in the first half of the semester and another in the second half of the semester: one Article Summary (AS) and one Film Response (FR).
Third week of class: Sign up for one slot: Learning Beyond the Classroom Project (LB), but not in the same week as an Article Summary (AS) or Film Response (FR).
Written Due Date |
Oral Due Date |
Assignment |
Student |
---|---|---|---|
S, 1-12 |
T, 1-14 |
Carroll |
AS1 Shira Duke |
Haxan |
FR1 Cole Hanlin |
||
T, 1-14 |
R, 1-16 |
Telotte |
AS2 Ged Feingold |
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari |
FR2 Shira Duke |
||
S, 1-19 |
T, 1-21 |
Doherty |
AS3 Josh Morris |
Hawkins |
AS4 |
||
Freaks |
FR3 Kaitlin Van Voorhis |
||
T, 1-21 |
R, 1-23 |
Kavka |
AS5 Cole Hanlin |
The Curse of Frankenstein |
FR4 Cece Crumbley |
||
S, 1-26 |
T, 1-28 |
Barker |
AS6 Max Weber |
Balmain |
AS7 Shannon Royer |
||
T, 1-28 |
R, 1-30 |
Kwaidan: The Black Hair |
FR5 Brittany Williams |
Kwaidan: The Woman/Snow |
FR6 Tay Howard |
||
Kwaidan: Hoichi the Earless |
FR7 Ged Feingold |
||
Kwaidan: In a Cup of Tea |
FR8 Matt Berry |
||
S, 2-2 |
T, 2-4 |
McRoy or Lim |
AS8 Ellen Yeudall |
Ringu |
FR9 Seth Schuhardt |
||
T, 2-4 |
R, 2-6 |
Key or Olney |
AS9 Riley Dunn |
T, 2-11 |
R, 2-13 |
McRobert or Danks |
AS10 Daria Brown |
[Rec] |
FR10 Thomas Parker |
||
S, 2-16 |
T, 2-18 |
Allen |
AS11 Brittany Williams |
Schneider |
AS12 Rosalie Bodkin |
||
S, 2-23 |
T, 2-25 |
Creed, "Film...Uncanny" |
AS13 Cece Crumley |
Creed, "Monstrous-Feminine" |
AS14 Olivia Jones |
||
Freeland |
AS15 Annabelle Erb |
||
T, 2-25 |
R, 2-27 |
Alien |
FR11 Shannon Royer |
S, 3-1 |
T, 3-3 |
The Exorcist |
FR12 Daria Brown |
T, 3-3 |
R, 3-5 |
Tyson or Williams |
AS16 Thomas Parker |
Learning Beyond the Classroom Group 1 |
LB1 Ged Feingold |
||
LB2 Tay Howard |
|||
LB3 Kaitlin Van Voorhis |
|||
Learning Beyond the Classroom Group 2 |
LB4 Matthew Berry |
||
LB5 Shira Duke |
|||
LB6 Cole Hanlin |
|||
S, 3-8 |
T, 3-10 |
Repulsion |
FR13 Josh Morris |
FR14 Annabelle Erb |
|||
T, 3-10 |
R, 3-12 |
Butler or Reyes |
AS17 Katie Anne Graves |
Learning Beyond the Classroom Group 3 |
LB7 CeCe Crumbley |
||
LB8 Riley Dunn |
|||
LB9 Olivia Jones |
|||
LB10 Joshua Morris |
|||
Learning Beyond the Classroom Group 4 |
LB11 Daria Brown |
||
LB12 Brittany Williams |
|||
LB13 |
|||
S, 3-29 |
T, 3-31 |
FR15 Riley Dunn |
|
FR16 Katie Anne Graves |
|||
S, 4-5 |
T, 4-7 |
Bondanella or Clover |
AS18 Kaitlin Van Voorhis |
The Bird...Crystal Plumage |
FR17 Ellen Yeudall |
||
FR18 Rosalie Bodkin |
|||
T, 4-7 |
R, 4-9 |
Bressler |
AS19 Seth Schuhardt |
Alaimo |
AS20 Matthew Berry |
||
T, 4-14 |
R, 4-16 |
The Host |
FR19 Olivia Jones |
Learning Beyond the Classroom Group 5 |
LB14 Rosalie Bodkin |
||
LB15 Shannon Royer |
|||
LB16 Ellen Yeudall |
|||
Learning Beyond the Classroom Group 6 |
LB17 Annabelle Erb |
||
LB18 Katie Anne Graves |
|||
LB19 Thomas Parker |
|||
LB20 Seth Schuhart |
|||
Learning Beyond the Classroom Group 7 |
LB21 Max Weber |
||
S, 4-19 |
T, 4-21 |
O'Pray |
AS21 Tay Howard |
T, 4-21 |
R, 4-23 |
Beyond the Black Rainbow |
FR20 Max Weber |
FR21 |
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 Microsoft Word 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- For example, we are scheduled to discuss Carroll's "Metaphysics and Horror" on Tuesday, 1-14. Therefore, someone's summary will be due in GeorgiaVIEW on Sunday, 1-12. In class on Tuesday, 1-14, that student will informally present the main ideas of Carroll's essay. I will return the graded article summary to her the following week in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Article Summary. Here's how to calculate your course grade.
Sign Up
The article summary, film response, and learning beyond the classroom project sign up and presentation schedules are 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 Microsoft Word 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- For example, we are scheduled to discuss Haxan on Tuesday, 1-14. Therefore, someone's film response will be due in GeorgiaVIEW on Sunday, 1-12. In class on Tuesday, 1-14, that student will informally present the main points of her response. I will return the graded film response to her the following week in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Film Response. Here's how to calculate your course grade.
Sign Up
The article summary, film response, and learning beyond the classroom project sign up and presentation schedules are here.
Comparison/Contrast Essay
We have looked at a number of early horrors films (The Phantom Carriage, Haxan, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Freaks, The Curse of Frankenstein, Kwaidan) with a variety of horrors (death, witches, freaks, Frankenstein's monster, ghosts) 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 (Cherry, Carroll, Telotte, Doherty, Kavka, Balmain) 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 Brigid Cherry's review of Andrew Tudor'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 monster, ghosts) 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 after 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, and camera angles. 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: 5-7 pages
- 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 Tuesday, January 28 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 Tuesday, February 11. 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 Tuesday, February 11.
- Peer Response: The mandatory peer response session will take place on Thursday, February 20 TBA. 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 Thursday, February 27. 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.
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.
Comparison/Contrast Peer Response
Here is the peer response process for the Comparison/Contrast Essay:
- On Tuesday, February 11, writers upload their papers to both
- GeorgiaVIEW > Discussions > Comparison/Contrast Peer Response > Group #
- GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Comparison/Contrast Essay Draft 1
- Read, take notes on, and prepare to respond to your group members' papers before the peer response class.
- For the peer response session, either bring your laptop or paper print outs of the papers. 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. You group will spend about 15-20 minutes reviewing each 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 #.
- 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.
- 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.
Here are the groups:
- Group 1: Matt Berry, Riley Dunn, Tay Howard, Brittany Williams
- Group 2: Rosalie Bodkin, Annabelle Erb, Olivia Jones, Max Weber
- Group 3: Daria Brown, Ged Feingold, Shannon Royer, Ellen Yeudall
- Group 4: Cece Crumbley, Katie Anne Graves, Josh Morris, Seth Schuhardt
- Group 5: Shira Duke, Cole Hanlin, Thomas Parker, Kaitlin Van Voorhis
Research Essay
Here is the peer response process for the Research Essay:
- On Tuesday, April 7, writers upload their papers to both
- GeorgiaVIEW > Discussions > Research Peer Response > Group #
- GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Essay Draft 1
- Read, take notes on, and prepare to respond to your group members' papers before the peer response class. Coronavirus Update: Peer Response groups should schedule a 75 minute meeting between Monday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 15. During that audio conference call or videoconference (choose your preferred platform; most of us have cell phones capable of conference calls; all of us have WebEx through the university), you will elect a secretary to fill in a peer response sheet for each paper and submit to the peer response discussion board.
- For the peer response session, either bring your laptop or paper print outs of the papers. Your peer response group will elect a secretary to record the group's collective response to the Research peer response sheet for each writer. You group will spend about 15-20 minutes reviewing each paper, providing feedback on Style and Gramma, Thesis and Controlling Idea, 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 #.
- 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.
- 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.
Here are the groups:
- Group 1: Matt Berry, Riley Dunn, Tay Howard, Brittany Williams
- Group 2: Rosalie Bodkin, Annabelle Erb, Olivia Jones, Max Weber
- Group 3: Daria Brown, Ged Feingold, Shannon Royer, Ellen Yeudall
- Group 4: Cece Crumbley, Katie Anne Graves, Josh Morris, Seth Schuhardt
- Group 5: Shira Duke, Cole Hanlin, Thomas Parker, Kaitlin Van Voorhis
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.
- 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. Due to GeorgiaVIEW limitations, I cannot return your graded paper unless you upload it to the Assignments dropbox.
Sign Up
The article summary, film response, and learning beyond the classroom project sign up and presentation schedules are here.
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 8-10 page essay that incorporates at least 5 sources from an accompanying 10 source annotated bibliography. Your interpretation of a horror film should make an overarching claim about the, 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 psyche of the killer in Dario Argento's The Bird with Crystal Plumage with the aide of secondary sources on Argento films or you could write about the portrayal of gender and sexuality in gialli and use films by Dario Argento, Mario Bava, 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. Initially, you 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 into your paper 5 sources that help you analyze the film/issue and prove your argument.
Coronavirus Update: Due to the lack of access to physical books in the library, obtain appropriate book chapters and books from the Galileo library databases ebook Academic Collection (EBSCO) and Ebook Central (ProQuest).
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
- a paragraph that formulates your research question, issue, or idea, and
- a list of 10-15 potential sources
- The working bibliography should be styled in MLA Format and compiled using the Literary 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.
Paper Draft and Annotated Bibliography
At the same time you submit your paper draft, you will also submit a draft of your annotated bibliography, i.e., the research that you used 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 simply summarize the topic, provide the article's overall thesis or the article's main idea as it relates to your research question. I recommend answering the following questions:
- What question, issue, or topic is the source investigating?
- What is the source's thesis or conclusion regarding the film or film issue?
- How does the source help your understanding of the film or film issue?
In terms of formatting, I suggest submitting the annotated bibliography either as a separate document using this template or including your annotated bibliography after your Works Cited page.
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: 8-10 page research paper, accompanied by a 10 source annotated bibliography (each annotation is 75-100 words)
- 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.
- Research Proposal: The proposal and bibliography are due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Proposal on Thursday, March 12. Failure to submit on time will result in a one-third letter grade deduction from your final research project grade. Bring your laptop or a print out of your proposal to class.
- 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 Tuesday, April 7. 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 (but not annotated bibliography) is also due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Discussions > Research PaperPeer Group # at any time on Tuesday, April 7.
- Peer Response: The mandatory peer response session will take on Tuesday, April 14. Failure to participate in peer response will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final grade of your paper. Coronavirus Update: Peer Response groups should schedule a 75 minute meeting between Monday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 15. During that audio conference call or videoconference (choose your preferred platform; most of us have cell phones capable of conference calls; all of us have WebEx through the university), you will elect a secretary to fill in a peer response sheet for each paper and submit to the peer response discussion board.
- 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 Tuesday, April 21. 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 5 scholarly sources, and your 10 source annotated bibliography. Retrieve your graded assignment in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Paper 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.
Essay Exam
You have summarized articles, responded to films, compared and contrasted representations of horror in films, podcasted about horror films or created your own horror film, and researched horror films. For the final assignment, you will be examined on the global horror films and film theory we have collectively studied on the syllabus after the Comparison/Contrast Essay was due (Week 6 through Week 16).
Films
- [REC]
- Alien
- The Exorcist
- Repulsion
- Shivers
- The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
- The Host
- Beyond the Black Rainbow
Film Theory
- Barbara Creed, "Film, Horror and the Primal Uncanny"
- Barbara Creed, "Horror and the Monstrous-Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection"
- Cynthia A. Freeland, "Feminist Frameworks for Horror Films"
- Lois Tyson, "Feminist Criticism"
- Linda Williams, "When the Woman Looks"
- Benshoff, "The Monster and the Homosexual"
- Andrew M. Butler, "Auteur Theories"
- Xavier Aldana Reyes, "Body Horror"
- Coleman, "Introduction: Studying Blacks and Horror Films"
- Tyson, "Lesbian, Gay, and Queer Criticism"
- Peter Bondanella, "Mystery, Gore, and Mayhem: The Italian Giallo"
- Carol J. Clover, "Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher"
- Charles E. Bressler, "Ecocriticism"
- Stacy Alaimo, "Discomforting Creatures: Monstrous Natures in Recent Films"
- Michael O'Pray, "The Avant-Garde Film: Definitions"
- Susan Hayward, "avant-garde"
- Barbara Creed, "Gynesis, Postmodernism and the Science Fiction Horror Film"
In class on Thursday, April 16, we will generate topics from which the questions will be generated. The topics will be posted here on Tuesday, April 21.
Topics
- cultural anxieties and fears
- feminism, gender studies, and queer theory
- ecocriticism
- subgenres such as found footage, body horror, slasher
- minorities
- film elements and techniques
In order to prepare for the in class, closed book essay exam, I strongly recommend that you create a study guide based upon your annotations of the film theory articles, your notes on the films, and your class notes. For each film, note the key characters and their traits, core conflicts, themes, horror issues, and scenes. For each theoretical article, note the key questions and issues, concepts and conclusions, and pertinent quotations. This guide will look very similar to an annotated bibliography. After creating the study guide, I suggest applying various readings into the comparative topics, noting that not every reading will be appropriate for every topic, and constructing potential comparative thesis statements. Although you will not know the exact questions, you can practice putting different readings into comparison and contrast, and this will help you prepare for the actual essay exam.
In the 135 minutes of exam time, you will write three thesis-driven essays, from a choice of five or six questions, spending about 45 minutes writing each essay, and comparing and contrasting articles and films. Bring your own blue book or notebook paper.
Coronavirus Update: Due to campus closure, you will write two essays essays of 3-4 pages each, for a total of 6-8 pages. Since this is now a take-home exam, you should include specific textual evidence from both the films and the film theory articles.
Essay Questions
- cultural anxieties and fears: Using two films from two different countries, compare and contrast the similar yet different cultural anxieties and/or fears represented by the films.
- feminism and gender studies: Using the approaches from two film theory articles, interpret the meaning of one film in terms of feminism and/or gender. What does the film suggest about the status of women?
- ecocriticism: Using the ecocritical approach from two film theory articles, interpret the meaning of one film. What does the film suggest about the relationship between human civilization and the environment?
- horror subgenres: Using two film theory articles to aid your discussion (one from each subgenre), compare and contrast how two films from two different subgenres conceive of and enact horror. How does horror function in the same say and in different ways across subgenres?
- minorities: Using one or two articles of film theory to support your discussion, compare and contrast the roles and representations of minorities (ethnic, racial, religious, or sexual orientation) in two films.
- film elements and techniques: First, choose one film element from Michael Ryan and Melissa Leo's An Introduction to Film Analysis such as sound, mise-en-scène, lighting, editing, or camera; and then compare and contrast how that element is used for thematic effect in two films. What meanings does the film technique create?
Parameters
- Length: two 3-4 page essays (6-8 pages total) with comparative thesis statements and sufficient textual support (quotes from articles, evidence from films) to prove your analysis
- Due Date: Tuesday, April 28
- Grades: Your exam will be graded on the quality of your comparative theses, as well as your knowledge and analysis of the topic and essays. You can access your final grade in the course via PAWS on Wednesday, May 6. 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.