Babak Tabarraee Global Cult Cinema Summer 2020 MES s342 (81480) / RTF s352 (73294) GLOBAL CULT CINEMA Summer session II 2020 (July 13 – August 14) Online (Hybrid Class): Synchronous Classes: MWF 1-2:30, Asynchronous classes: TTH 1-2:30 Zoom Link: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/99072657817 Instructor: Babak Tabarraee. Virtual Office Hours by appointment: [email protected]. Teaching Assistant: Benjamin Rangell. Virtual Office Hours by appointment: [email protected]. COURSE DESCRIPTION With their dedicated fans and enduring presence in the public sphere, cult films unfold important crossovers between media and culture in different regional contexts. This course will analyze global configurations of cult cinema, especially in the Middle East. From various scholarly viewpoints, we will ask how and why certain movies have generated emotional attachments in different sociocultural environments. Reviewing the foundational texts on the concept of cult in cinema studies, we will examine several approaches to studying the applications and functions of cult films and film cults. We will specifically examine case studies from and through the Middle East to understand the resonance of cult media texts around the world. Moreover, we will investigate the communal identities displayed through the cultural expressions of cult fans in order to better understand people’s complex relationship with the political order and cultural power. As such, “Global Cult Cinema” will explore less examined but significant areas of international film canons and fandoms. The interdisciplinary nature of this course further enables us to investigate important constituents of audience reactions to the global and local media through the purposeful use of the theories on popular culture, fandom, stardom, and politics of national and transnational film reception. 1 Babak Tabarraee Global Cult Cinema Summer 2020 COURSE FORMAT AND ACCESS Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, this will be an all-online course in a hybrid format. We will have synchronous (real-time) classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. You can attend the virtual classroom by clicking on this link. Asynchronous classes consist of materials for reading and viewing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The zoom link for the class will be active on these days at our regular class time so that the students have the option to join the meeting for watching the movies together and/or doing their assignment of the day. UNDERGRADUATE FLAGS • Global Cultures Flag This course carries the Global Cultures Flag (GC). The GC-flagged courses will increase the students’ familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. “Global Cult Cinema” will address the beliefs, practices, and histories of people from various international regions, especially Middle Eastern and North African cultural groups, as represented through the medium of cinema over the past several decades. • Writing Flag This course carries the Writing Flag (Wr). The Wr-flagged courses are designed to improve the students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to write in the academic style of a particular discipline. The students in the “Global Cult Cinema” class have two important resources for completing their writing assignments. First, you can email the instructor and the teaching assistant of the course to schedule an appointment for a one-on-one zoom meeting. Second, I highly encourage you to consult The University Writing Center. You can make an appointment through Symplicity or contact the UWC through Chat for scheduling assistance (M-F 10-5). You can also use their handouts, which provide guidance on frequently asked questions. MATERIALS • Required Readings All of the required readings will be posted on Canvas. These sources are all listed on the following course schedule. For several classes, different groups of students are assigned different readings. While you should complete your portion of the assignment before the class, you are strongly encouraged to read the assignment of the other group as well to have a better understanding of the topic of the class on those days. • Recommended Readings In this class, we will think critically and write academically about films and audiences. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the students constantly consult the following textbook: ➢ Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film. London: Pearson, any post- 5th edition. Moreover, we will have specific readings recommended (but not required) for certain classes. These readings will be available on Canvas. 2 Babak Tabarraee Global Cult Cinema Summer 2020 • Required Viewings There will be nine movies that all the students are required to watch on their own throughout the semester. The links to the streaming platforms of these films will be available on Canvas, but you can also join the zoom meeting of the class on Tuesdays and Thursdays during our regular class time for watching the films together. These films are listed on the following course schedule. • Recommended Viewings There will be three recommended films throughout the semester, listed on the following course schedule. Watching these films will help you get a better understanding of different aspects and cases of global cult cinemas. *** Please note that most of the chosen movies for this class have international origins, with the Middle Eastern cinemas having the highest representation. Therefore, the films will be shown in their original language with English subtitles. *** Alphabetical Grades and Plus/Minus Scale A = 94 - 100 A- = 90 - 93.9 B+ = 87 – 89.9 B = 84 – 86.9 B- = 80 – 83.9 C+ = 77 – 79.9 C = 74 – 76.9 C- = 70 – 73.9 D+ = 67 – 69.9 D = 64 – 66.9 D- = 60 – 63.9 F = 0-59.9 GRADING SUMMARY Attendance and Participation: 30% Two Short Papers and One Revised Writing: 40% Final Project (Proposal and Research Video or Term Paper): 30% DETAILED REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING • Attendance and Participation (30% of your final grade) The students are required to attend class regularly and to participate actively and consistently throughout the semester. All reading and viewing assignments should be completed before each session. The students should demonstrate their command of the assigned materials by contributing meaningfully to class discussions. ➢ Your presence in each of our fifteen synchronous classes (50%) ➢ Your active and meaningful participation in class discussions in each of our fifteen synchronous classes (50%) 3 Babak Tabarraee Global Cult Cinema Summer 2020 ONLINE CLASS ETIQUETTE Have all your needed materials (audiovisual device, paper, pen, water bottle, etc.) ready before the class begins Find a quiet location indoors and free of distractions to attend class. ▪ Other household members and/or pets should not be attending class with you. ▪ While most of you are in the comfort of your own home, please remember this is an online university class and you are required to dress as you normally would in a face-to-face class. Please dress properly for the class. ▪ Please avoid any audio or visual distractions, e.g. the TV should not be on in the background, your cell phones should be silent and not be used during class time, your pets should not be in the frame or making noises when your microphone is on, etc. Ensure your audio and video work before the class begins. Join the Zoom meeting AT LEAST 3 MINUTES before the class begins. Here is the policy about being late to the class: ▪ 1-5 minutes = Losing 20% of your Attendance & Participation credit for that class. ▪ 6-10 minutes = Losing 40% of your Attendance & Participation credit for that class. ▪ 11-15 minutes = Losing 60% of your Attendance & Participation credit for that class. ▪ 16-20 minutes = Losing 80% of your Attendance & Participation credit for that class. ▪ More than 20 minutes = Losing 100% of your Attendance & Participation credit for that class. Once in the class, please remain in one spot. Please do not leave your seat repeatedly and please do not turn off your webcam. Webcam must be enabled during Zoom class times. Microphones must be muted when you are not speaking. Do not engage in individual chat sessions except with your TA. Do not open a web browser and begin to use the internet unless instructed to do so. For example, do not check your email during class time. • Two Short Papers and One Revision (40% of your final grade) Throughout the semester, the students are required to write two short papers. Each paper should be 4-6 pages or 1200-1800 words, double spaced, font size 12, Times New Roman, Normal (1 inch) margins. Each of the two short papers is worth 15% of your final grade and they will be evaluated based on the following rubric: ➢ A clear and well-thought controlling idea (20%) ➢ Sufficient support of the main idea (20%) ➢ Proper use of the pertinent approach as discussed in class (20%) ➢ Compatibility of the approach with the authentic case study chosen (20%) ➢ Referencing at least three sources with consistent citation style (20%) 4 Babak Tabarraee Global Cult Cinema Summer 2020 For short paper #1 (due by Thursday, July 30, at 1 pm via email to both the instructor and TA, 15% of your total grade), the students have two options: Option A. Analysis of an Online Fan Community o A quantitative or qualitative research paper on a community of online fans. OR Option B. Analysis of the Textual Elements of a Cult Film o A textual analysis of a cult film in which the cultifying factors in the text of the film are sufficiently elaborated. For short paper #2 (due by Thursday, August 6, at 1 pm via email to both the instructor and TA, 15% of your total grade), the students have two options: Option A. Autoethnography of Your Own Movie Fandom o A reflective paper on your own cult fandom of a film in which you analyze a variety of social, political, and cultural factors that have formed your identity as a fan.