The Horror Film
Eckerd College - PEL
Tom Hammond - Instructor
Objectives:
This class is a survey of the history, origins and influences of the Horror Film. From its beginnings at the start of the 1900s, cinema has dealt with subjects of the fantastic, the frightening and the supernatural. We will trace this development back to some of the earliest examples in ancient mythological and religious traditions, folk legends, fairy tales, drama and 19th Century literature to the present.
The student will view a wide selection of films (about16) covering eras, sub-genres, styles and filmmakers who did some of their best work in the Horror Film.
The course is designed to build an understanding of how one of the most ubiquitous film genres has dealt with profound and sometimes difficult ideas for more than one hundred years and done so primarily under the guise of popular entertainment.
Class Blog: http://thegraveyardofhorror.blogspot.com You will be invited to post on this website.
Instructor’s Contact Information – phone: 813-900-4759, email: hammontm@eckerd.edu -- or -- thammond1946@yahoo.com
Face to face meetings can be arranged before or after class.
Suggested Texts:
A list of good books on the subject will be posted on the website as well as links to related Internet articles and websites.
Netflix – A monthly subscription is a good idea for the class. All home-assigned movies are “streamable” on Netflix. It costs $8 per month and the first month is usually free. You can rent or buy, but Netflix is easily the most convenient and affordable method. If you subscribe for an additional fee, you can receive the films by mail as well as streaming. Turnaround is about 3 days.
Course Requirements and Grading:
· Attendance & Participation 20% of grade
· Research/Blog Posting 30% of grade
· Midterm & Final Exam 50% of grade
Attendance & Participation – Every class covers a component of the Horror Film and is vital to your overall understanding of the subject. If you can’t avoid missing a class, let me know in advance. Any pattern of absence or chronic lateness will be noted and will adversely impact your final grade. Speak up in class. If that is difficult for you, bring in something that will inspire discussion.
Research/Blog Postings – You will write a series of short pieces and post them to the blog. Pictures and film clips can enhance your presentations although they are not required. The subject matter will deal with ongoing research on the history of the Horror Film, the origins and nature of the Horror Story and reviews of films outside the assigned viewings.
One blog entry a week is expected.
Mid-Term & Final Exams – You are responsible for the information presented in class, the content of any assigned readings, and being familiar with class and required viewings. The exams will be a combination of objective and short essay questions.
Academic Integrity – If you use an idea from another source, you can quote it or paraphrase it, but please CITE IT. Failure to do so will be a violation of the Honor Code.
The Eckerd College Honor Code: “On my honor, as an Eckerd College student, I pledge not to lie, cheat or steal, nor to tolerate these behaviors in others.”
To affirm this, you will write, “Pledged” followed by your signature on all assignments, papers and exams.
Assignment Schedule:
· All assigned readings will be specified and linked on the website.
· Assigned Viewings are films you are required to see outside of class (all “streamable” on Netflix).
· We will watch a film every class session and discuss it afterwards. Relevant readings will be assigned in advance to assist in everyone’s participation.
| GENERAL GUIDELINES Deadlines are to be taken seriously. Written work must be in standard written English, using conventional guidelines for style and citation (also typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins). Your presentation of your work is an extension of your competence and ability to produce college level work. If you wish, I am willing to review your work in progress. Contact me to arrange a time. | |
| If a problem exists which will prevent you from completing an assignment on time, please contact me prior to the due date. | |
| You are responsible for in-class viewing, any handouts and readings on the website. |
CLASS SCHEDULE
Movies assigned for viewing before the class term starts
“The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari” – (Silent – 1920)
“Faust” – (Silent – 1926)
Week 1: Origins and Early Films
Myth, Legend & Religion
The Silent Era
European Influences
The Introduction of Sound
In-Class Viewing: “Vampyr” & “The Black Cat” (1934)
Assigned Viewing: “Dracula” (1931)
Week 2: The 1930s – Horror’s Golden Age
Folk and Fairy Tales
The Production Code
Universal Studios
In-Class Viewing: “Island of Lost Souls”
Assigned Viewing: “Son of Frankenstein”
Week 3: The 1940s – Rise of the “B” Movie
Horror in Literature and Art – 19th Century to the Present
The Val Lewton Horror Unit at RKO
In-Class Viewing: “I Walked With a Zombie”
Assigned Viewing: “The Wolf Man” (1941)
Week 4: The 1950s – New Threats, New Monsters
Mid-Term Exam
The Grand Guignol
Horror Takes a Vacation
The Cold War and the Bomb
In-Class Viewing: “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein”
Assigned Viewing: “Creature From the Black Lagoon”
Week 5: The 1960’s – Horror Makes a Comeback
Hammer Studios
The Corman/Poe Films
William Castle and Exploitation
In-Class Viewing: “Horror of Dracula”
Assigned Viewing: “Masque of the Red Death”
Week 6: The Gloves Come Off
The End of the Production Code
Hitchcock and “Psycho”
In-Class Viewing: “Eyes Without a Face”
Assigned Viewing: “Peeping Tom”
Week 7: A Darkening Sky
Research Paper Due
Series and Re-makes
Chaos, Nihilism and the Apocalypse
In-Class Viewing: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)
Assigned Viewing: “Videodrome”
Week 8: Pushing Boundaries
Final Exam
Foreign Trends
Transgressive Horror
In-Class Viewing: TBA
Exit Critique
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
In the event of an emergency or campus shutdown, class work will continue online at:
www.americancinemaclass.blogspot.com
You will be invited to contribute as a blog correspondent at the beginning of the semester. This is part of the participation segment of your grade and the location for all information if class can’t be held as scheduled. Assignments will be posted there as well as suggested readings. Video lectures will be available if a shutdown continues for more than one week. You may also post any written assignments on the blog or send them to my email at:
You can contact me by phone at: 813-900-4759
Be sure to review the school handout on procedure in the event of a hurricane.
THE HORROR FILM – REQUIRED VIEWING
The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari – (1920)
Faust – (1926)
Vampyr – (1930)
Dracula – (1931)
The Island of Lost Souls – (1932)
The Black Cat (1934)
The Son of Frankenstein – (1939)
The Wolf Man – (1941)
I Walked With a Zombie – (1943)
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein – (1948)
Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
The Horror of Dracula – (1957)
Eyes Without a Face – (1959)
Peeping Tom – (1960)
Masque of the Red Death – (1964)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – (1974)
Videodrome – (1983)
The Faust(1926)- Is a movie that is parallel between society's moral belief with human fear. It plays havoc on the spiritual battlefield of good and evil with an all or nothing bet gambled on one character's action to morally choose the right side. You will forget that it is a basically silent film with a lot of reading. The Riding of the Horsemen at the very beginning draws an audience into its spell binding claws.The black and white footage adds great depths of despair to nightly flights.The romance scenes display total primal dominence. These are things that the modern films lack passion in. At the end, though our character Faust seems to break easily to temptation, his sacrifice is pure and unbias. Great Movie!
ReplyDeleteKeturah Darling