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CLA 325 • the Vampire in Folklore, Fiction, and Film Professor John T CLA 325 • The Vampire in Folklore, Fiction, and Film Professor John T. Kirby • May ‘Minimester’ 2019 • Tentative Syllabus Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula remains one of the best-selling novels of all time. Anne Rice (The Vampire Chronicles) and, more recently, Elizabeth Kostova (The Historian), following in his footsteps, have both skyrocketed to the top of the best-seller list. Films and television series, from Nosferatu to Twilight and The Strain, recapitulate the wild success of such novels. But why exactly is it that the notion of The Vampire so captures our imagination? Whence this obsessive interest in such an extraordinary and macabre tradition? What do these remarkable intersections of actual history, folklore, high literary art, and popular culture tell us about the human condition today? ☛ NOTE: This tentative syllabus is only a partial document; the complete (and substantially updated) document will be made available to registered students via the 'Blackboard' site for CLA 325 (at www.courses.miami.edu). This version updated 190402; the latest revised version always supersedes previous versions. Texts Required for the Course: • Stoker, Bram. Dracula. [Norton Critical Edition, eds. Auerbach and Skal] ISBN 978-0393970128. • PDF documents to be downloaded as required from the 'Course Documents' folder on our BlackBoard page. Texts Recommended for Purchase: Rice, Anne. Interview with the Vampire. Knopf. 0-345-33766-2 Ryan, Alan, ed. The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories. Penguin. 0-14-012445-4 Tentative Schedule of Readings & Classes: (Class Meetings May 13–17 & 20–24, 1.00–5.00 pm daily) ☛ COURSE CONTENT ADVISORY: As part of our academic inquiry, this course will focus on texts, graphic images, sound recordings, and films that may include incidents or episodes of an extremely violent, graphically sexual, or otherwise potentially disturbing nature. These may include partial or complete nudity, extreme violence and/or graphic bloodshed, strong or obscene language, graphic sexual activity, and/or other such phenomena. If such phenomena have the potential to offend you, please drop the course now. Your not dropping the course will constitute formal and official acknowledgment that you are not offended by such course content. Week 1 1.1 [MON] IN CLASS: • Introduction and welcome to the course. • Screening of Let Me In [Matt Reeves, 2011, 115 min]. You will complete a 'Post-Movie Questionnaire' (PMQ) immediately after the screening, using the template provided by the instructor. The PMQ is for your own use in preparing your 'Individual Movie Analysis' (IMA) of each movie; the latter will be due as regular written assignments the day after the movie is screened. ASSIGNMENTS FOR TOMORROW: [continued on next page] [i] Download all PDF documents from the folders marked 'Required Documents' and 'Recommended Reading' on the Blackboard site for CLA 325. [ii] Print out all documents from the 'Required Documents' folder. It is a course requirement that you bring these with you to class each day, and you will need them to complete in-class quizzes. (You may want to print out multiple copies of the PMQ template, as you will need to complete one in class after each screening.) [iii] Read this course-syllabus/course-policy document carefully, in its entirety, at least twice. You will be quizzed on its content tomorrow. [iv] Write an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took in class today. Your IMA document must be formatted according to the course guidelines for Written Assignments (see § 4 of the 'Course Policies' below). ☛ For more detailed instructions on how to compose an IMA, please read the PDF document entitled 'Some Thoughts on Revising on Your Post-Movie Questionnaires' (you have downloaded this from the 'Required Documents' folder on Blackboard). 1.2 [TUE] IN CLASS: • At the beginning of class there will be a quiz on the contents of this document, particularly the Course Policies section, so be sure that you know it extremely well. • Hand in your IMA on Let Me In. You will base this on the PMQ notes you took in class, immediately after the screening. • Screening of Bram Stoker's Dracula [Francis Ford Coppola, 1992, 128 min] and excerpts from Nosferatu, The Vampire [F. W. Murnau, 1921, 94 min] and Dracula [Tod Browning, 1931, 75 min]. You will complete the PMQ immediately post-screening. ASSIGNMENTS FOR TOMORROW: • Compose an IMA based on the PMQ notes you took in class today. • Read John Polidori, 'The Vampyre' [this is in the 'Required Documents' folder on Blackboard; or you may read it as pp 7–24 in Ryan]. 1.3 [WED] IN CLASS: • Hand in an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took yesterday. • Screening of Interview with the Vampire [Neil Jordan, 1994, 123 min]. You will complete the PMQ immediately post- screening. ASSIGNMENTS FOR TOMORROW: • Compose an IMA based on the PMQ notes you took in class today. • Begin reading Bram Stoker, Dracula [pp 9–55 in the Norton edition]. 1.4 [THU] IN CLASS: • Hand in an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took yesterday. • Screening of Screening of Dracula – Dead And Loving It [Mel Brooks, 1995, 88 min] and Dracula Untold [Gary Shore, 2014; 93 min]. You will complete a PMQ immediately after the screening of each movie. ASSIGNMENTS FOR TOMORROW: • Compose an IMA for each movie screened today, based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took in class. • Read Stoker's Dracula pp 55–108. 1.5 [FRI] IN CLASS: • Hand in an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took yesterday. • Screening of Near Dark [Kathryn Bigelow, 1987, 94 min] and 28 Days Later [Danny Boyle, 2002; 114 min]. (WARNING: The 'Course Content Advisory' at the beginning of this document especially applies to 28 Days Later.) You will complete a PMQ immediately after the screening of each movie. ASSIGNMENTS FOR MONDAY: • Compose an IMA for each movie screened today, based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took in class. • Read Stoker's Dracula pp 108–159. • Prepare for midterm test. Week 2 2.1 [MON] IN CLASS: • Hand in an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took on Friday. • MIDTERM TEST • Screening of Blade [Stephen Norrington, 1998; 120 min] and excerpts from Blacula [William Crain, 1972] and Ganja & Hess [Bill Gunn, 1973]. You will complete the PMQ immediately post-screening. ASSIGNMENTS FOR TOMORROW: • Compose an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took today. (This should focus on Blade, but may also include observations on the excerpts screened in class.) • Read Stoker's Dracula pp 159–208. 2.2 [TUE] IN CLASS: • Hand in an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took yesterday. • Screening of episodes from The Strain, Season 1 [Guillermo del Toro, 2014]. You will complete the PMQ immediately post-screening. ASSIGNMENTS FOR TOMORROW: • Compose an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took today. • Read Stoker's Dracula pp 208–262. 2.3 [WED] IN CLASS: • Hand in an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took yesterday. • Screening of Underworld [Ken Wiseman, 2003; 121 min] and excerpts from The Wolf Man [George Waggner, 1941]. You will complete the PMQ immediately post-screening. ASSIGNMENTS FOR TOMORROW: • Compose an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took today. • Complete your reading of Stoker's Dracula [pp 263–327]. 2.4 [THU] IN CLASS: • Hand in an IMA based on a revision and expansion of the PMQ notes you took yesterday. • Screening of episodes from True Blood [HBO, 2009–present]. You will complete the PMQ immediately post- screening. ASSIGNMENTS FOR TOMORROW: • Finish preparations for your Final Presentation. 2.5 [FRI] IN CLASS: • FINAL PRESENTATIONS. .
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