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2012

CRITIC AL THINKING ABOUT SOCIETY IN FILM

Left: Hailee Steinfeld and Je Bridges from True Grit (2010) remake; Right: John Wayne from the original True Grit (1969)

American Film: Original, Remake & Reboot

Perhaps more than any other cultural art form of the twentieth century, lm reects and often challenges the ideological assumptions of America. Some themes speak so loudly and poignantly, that they reappear decade after decade in lm, and often in the same lm remade for a new generation. This course will consider originals and remakes in their historical and cultural contexts. Why are lms remade, or series rebooted? Is it a awed original, or is it that the ideas examined have maintained their importance, but have an added signicance because of historical events or societal attitudes? In this course, we will look at both originals and remakes and examine them within the contexts of their productions. Get prepared to look at new and familiar lms in a new way.

Sabrina (1954)

Sabrina (1995)

Sabrina (1954)

Course Goals After completing this course, students will be better equipped to interpret the cultural signicance of lm and to express their ideas about lms both in writing and in oral presentations.

TEXTS
Belton, John. American Cinema American Culture. (2008). Corrigan, Timothy. Short Guide to Writing about Film. 8th Ed. (2011). Possible online readings and/or PDF downloads.

WARNING: THIS COURSE IS RATED R. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FILMS WE WILL STUDY CONTAIN ADULT LANGUAGE, THEMES, AND IMAGES.
Assignments Your work represents you. Therefore, I expect everything you turn into me to exemplify the very best of your professional self. Work should be proofread, rhetorically appropriate, and illustrate your very best writing. No late submissions will be considered for a grade. Attendance The classroom experience is a vital part of college education. Interaction with instructors and other students is an important element of the learning process. Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Students whose number of absences is more than twice the number of class meetings per week may be assigned a failing grade for the course at the discretion of the instructor. Students who have more absences than the number of class meetings per week but less than twice the number of class meetings per week may be penalized at the discretion of the instructor. Special Needs Students seeking academic accommodations for a special need must contact the MSC Disability Support Services (478471-2985) located on the rst oor of the Math Building (formerly Learning Support), Room 110 on the Macon Campus. I cannot accommodate needs requests without the proper documentation.

CONDUCT
As a Macon State College student and as a student in this class, it is your responsibility to read, to un- derstand, and to abide by the MSC Student Code of Conduct from the MSC Student Handbook, available online. As a student, you must al- ways act appropriately in class.

PLAGIARISM
Willful plagiarism will result in automatic failure of this class and will be pursued to incite the ut- most penalty for such dishonesty. Academic falsehood, in any form, will constitute class failure. The professor reserves the right to use the plagiarism detection service Turn It In at his discretion.

Requirements for this course range from informal writing assignments, to oral presentations, to major exams.
There will be various assignments throughout the semester, ranging from quizzes to informal writing assignments. Your course grade will be evaluated on a point system. Each assignment will be worth a specic amount of points depending on its relative importance in evaluation. For example, a reading quiz might be worth 10 points, while a midterm exam might be worth 100. Since this course is designed to fulll your Area B requirement in critical thinking, several different assignments will help you develop your critical capacities in different ways. Assignments act both as tools for learning and evaluation. At some point throughout the semester, you will be asked to write both formally and informally; to recall information about texts for quizzes; to speak orally in front of your classmates both prepared and extemporaneously; to discuss various perspectives on the course material; and to show an enthusiastic and thoughtful engagement in classroom activities. Heres how you can excel in this course: avoid excessive absences; view all lms; read all assigned readings; take notes on lms and reading; complete all assignments on-time and to the best of your ability; demonstrate a thoughtful and critical engagement of the course material. Grading Scale A=90%-100% of total points; B=80%-89%; C=70%-79%; D=60%-69%; F=below 60%.

STILLS

SABRI N A (1995)

THIS CLASS IS MANDATORY FOR ALL STUDENTS: DO WHAT YOU NEED TO PASS

THE THING (1982)

THE THING (1951)

TOTAL REC A LL (1990)

Tentative Course Schedule 1: 8/21 & 8/23 2: 8/28 & 8/30 Introduction & Orientation Reading: Corrigan, Chapters 1 & 2 (137); Belton, Chapter 11 (242-270) Screening: True Grit (1969; 128 min) Screening: True Grit (2010; 110 min) Reading: Corrigan, Chapters 3 & 4 (38113); Belton, Chapter 12 (271-295) Screening: The Thing from Another World (1951; 87 min) Screening: The Thing (1982; 109 min) Midterm Exam 9: 10/16 & 10/18 10: 10/23 & 10/25 Reading: Belton, Chapter 8: Comedy Screening: Sabrina (1954; 113 min)

3: 9/4 & 9/6 4: 9/11 & 9/13 5: 9/18 & 9/20

11: 10/30 & 11/1 12: 11/6 & 11/8 13: 11/13 & 11/15

Screening: Sabrina (1995; 127 min) Screening: Total Recall (1990; 113 min) Screening: Total Recall (2012; 118 min)

6: 9/25 & 9/27

14: 11/20 & 11/22

Thanksgiving Week: No Class

7: 10/2 & 10/4 8: 10/9 & 10/11

15: 11/27 & 11/29 16: 12/4 & 12/6 12/13: 10:30-12:30

Presentations Presentations Final Exam

Oral Report
You will give one 7-minute presentation that compares two lms: one original and one remake or a reboot lm. Choose two lms and submit them to me by midterm, 10/11; directions will follow. The goal of this exercise is to generate engaged discussion of the lms, not simply to summarize them. Think of questions or observations that are likely to spark the interest of your audience and encourage them to share their own ideas. In preparing your presentation, consider (1) the cultural aspects of America that inform the themes, (2) the formal elements, and (3) the major similarities and differences of the lms. You must use at least two scholarly sources in your presentation. For the complete assignment description, see LitMUSE: <http://litmuse.net/>.

FILMS

(CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)

Dr. Gerald R. Lucas

Web: http://litmuse.net/ Email: prof@litmuse.net AIM: drgrlucas Ofce (H/SS-117) Hours: MW 1-3:30pm TR 12-1pm By Appointment I try to make myself available to students as much as possible during the week. If you need to talk with me about any aspect of the course, please come by my ofce during the posted ofce hours above, so we can talk. This is what ofce hours are for. If you need to see me outside of my ofce hours, please email me with a couple of times you would be able to make it. I will do my best to accommodate you.You can always try to chat with me via AIM, too, if you have a quick question. Please note: I do not discuss grades via any electronic medium. If have a question concerning your grades, see me during my ofce hours. Finally, I make every effort to reply to email quickly. However, please note that I do not reply to emails on the weekends. Thanks for your understanding.

1. THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951) 2. SABRINA (1954) 3. TRUE GRIT (1969) 4. THE THING (1982) 5. SABRINA (1995) 6. TRUE GRIT (2010)