Film Criticism: FM 383:01/EN 365.01 John J. Michalczyk Mon./Wed. 6:15 PM to 9:15 PM Devlin 010

Syllabus (Summer 2012)

Orwell’s 1984 Burt Lancaster as “Swede”/ “The Killers”

Required Texts: Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen (Stephanie Harrison) Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner (Alan Sillitoe) 1984 (George Orwell)

Monday, June 25: The Blurb Films: Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (Read: short story on website) The Lottery The Hangman

Wednesday, June 27: The Blurb (cont.) Film: Stagecoach (Read: “Stage to Lordsburg,” in Adaptations, 218-230).

View: High Noon (Media Department, O’Neill)

Assignment: Blurb due on July 2

Monday, July 2: Newspaper Critique Film: Frankenstein (contrast with Kenneth Branagh version) (Read: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein)

View: Carrie (Stephen King) in Media Dept.

Assignment: Newspaper Critique due July 11

Wednesday, July 4: No Class

Monday, July 9: Newspaper Critique (cont.) Film: The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1946) (Read: “The Killers” by Hemingway, Adaptations, pp. 421-429).

View: Mildred Pierce in Media Dept.

Wednesday, July 11: The Comic Critique Film: Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (Carl Reiner, 1982) Excerpts from Young Frankenstein, etc.

Assignment: Comic Critique on spoof due July 18: View a spoof, e.g. Blazing Saddles, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, etc.

Monday, July 16: Social Science Critique Film: Freaks (Tod Browning, 1932) (Read: “Spurs” by Tod Robins in Adapatations, pp. 161-175.)

View: Of Stars & Shamrocks by Michalczyk, or Amen. by Costa-Gavras in Media Dept.

Assignment: Social Science Critique due July 23

Wednesday, July 18: Social Science Critique (cont.) Films: 1984 (Michel Radford) 1984 (George Orwell)

Monday, July 23: Auteur Critique/Scholarly Article Film: Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner (Tony Richardson, 1962) (Read: Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe)

Assignment: Auteur Critique, due Aug. 1.

Wednesday, July 25: Scholarly Short Article (cont.) Film: In the Bedroom (Todd Field, 2001) (Read: “Killings” by Andre Dubus in Adpatations, pp. 595-610).

Monday, July 30: Film: Current film adapation Review of film criticism formats

Wednesday: Aug. 1: Final Exam: Film and Critique

Requirements: John J. Michalczyk Five (5) critiques Fine Arts Dept., Devlin 420 Readings of short stories/novels Phone: (617) 552-4295 (Dept.) Media Dept. films 552-3895 (Office) Final Exam Email: Best contact— [email protected]

NB: If you are a student with a documented learning disability seeking reasonable accommodations in this course, please contact the Connors Family Learning Center (617-552-8093); regarding all other types of disabilities, contact the Disability Services Office (617-552-3470).

Tom Courtney as “the runner,” Colin