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Interested in Film Studies?  Scroll down for Spring 2012 Courses.

This interdisciplinary minor asks students to forge connections between the discipline of film studies and other disciplines, including literature, creative writing, rhetoric, music, communications, history, foreign languages, sociology, and political science, among others. Courses in the minor will address cinema within its social, political and cultural contexts including an understanding of how race, ethnicity, gender, religion and class are constructed through the cinematic image. Courses taken towards the minor must come from at least three different prefixes (ART, COMM, ENGL, GERM, MPRD, RUSS, SOCI, SPAN, or POLS). Other appropriate courses may be considered for inclusion as electives change or upon review by the director.

Minimum requirement for the minor in film studies is 24 s.h. of credit as follows:

1. Core - 6 s.h.

   Choose one of the following:

   ENGL 2900. Introduction to Film Studies (3) (F,S) (FC:HU) (P: 1000-level writing intensive course or advanced placement or consent of instructor)

   MPRD 2260. Image Theory and Aesthetics (3) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001,1002)

   Choose one of the following:

   ENGL 4530. Special Topics Seminar (3) (WI*) (F,S) (P: Consent of instructor; ENGL 1200)

   COMM 4060. Special Problems in Communication (3) (F,S,SS) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001, 1002)

2. Cognates - 9 s.h.

   Choose one from each cognate:

   Film Theory:

   ENGL 3920. Film Theory and Criticism (3) (WI) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of the instructor)

   ENGL 4980. Topics in Film Aesthetics (3) (F) (May be repeated with change of topic for maximum 6 s.h.) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   SOCI 3025. Sociology of Mass Media (3) (FC: SO) (P: SOCI 2110)

   Film History:

   ENGL 3900. American and International Film History, Part I (3) (F) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 3901. American and International Film History, Part II (3) (S) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 4910. Survey of Film Styles and Movements (3) (WI*) (F) (FC:HU) (P: 6 s.h. of literature or consent of instructor)

   MPRD 2250. Classic Documentaries, 1900-2000 (3) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001,1002)

   MPRD 3660. History of the Moving Image (3) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001, 1002)

   Multicultural/Transnational/International Film:

   COMM 4040. Media, Culture, and Society (3) (F,S) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001, 1002; 15 hours COMM courses or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 4920. Contemporary American and International Cinema (3) (WI*) (S) (FC:HU) (P: 6 s.h. of literature or consent of instructor; RP: ENGL 4910)

   ENGL 4985. Issues in Cinema and Culture (3) (S) (May be repeated with change of topic for maximum 6 s. h.) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   ETHN 3501. Selected Topics in Ethnic Studies: Humanities (3) (F) (FC:HU)

   GERM 3700. Special Topics (3) (May be repeated for maximum of 6 s.h. with change of topic) (P: GERM 2210 or 2211; or consent of instructor)

   POLS 3012. Politics Through Film (3) (S) (FC:SO)

   RUSS 3230. Russian and Soviet Film (3) (FC:HU) (P: RUSS 2120 or consent of instructor)

   SPAN 5445. Hispanic Cinema (3) (May be repeated for maximum of 6 s.h. with change of topic) (P: Consent of chair)

3. Electives - 9 s.h.
   Note: Courses taken for the core requirement or as cognates may not be repeated as electives.

   ART 3080. Introductory Video Art (3) (P for art majors: ART 1015, 1030; P for communication arts students: ART 2220)

   ART 3081. Intermediate Video Art (3) (P: ART 3080)

   COMM 4040. Media, Culture, and Society (3) (F,S) (Formerly COMM 4600; EMST 3530) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001, 1002; 15 hours COMM courses or consent of instructor)

   COMM 4060. Special Problems in Communication (3) (F,S,SS) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001, 1002)

   ENGL 2900. Introduction to Film Studies (3) (F,S) (FC:HU) (P: 1000-level writing intensive course or advanced placement or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 3660. Representing Environmental Crisis (3) (F) (P: ENGL 1200)

   ENGL 3900. American and International Film History, Part I (3) (F) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 3901. American and International Film History, Part II (3) (S) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 3920. Film Theory and Criticism (3) (WI) (FC:HU) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 4910. Survey of Film Styles and Movements (3) (WI*) (F) (FC:HU) (P: 6 s.h. of literature or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 4920. Contemporary American and International Cinema (3) (WI*) (S) (FC:HU) (P: 6 s.h. of literature or consent of instructor; RP: ENGL 4910)

   ENGL 4930. Film: The Writer’s Perspective (3) (S)

   ENGL 4980. Topics in Film Aesthetics (3) (F) (May be repeated with change of topic for maximum 6 s.h.) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 4985. Issues in Cinema and Culture (3) (S) (May be repeated with change of topic for maximum 6 s.h.) (P: ENGL 2900 or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 5350. Special Studies in Film (3)

   GERM 3700. Special Topics (3) (May be repeated for maximum of 6 s.h. with change of topic.) (P: GERM 2210 or 2211; or consent of instructor)

   MPRD 2250. Classic Documentaries, 1900-2000 (3) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001,1002)

   MPRD 2260. Image Theory and Aesthetics (3) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001,1002)

   MPRD 3235. Advanced Writing for Media (3) (P: COMM major or consent of instructor; COMM 1001,1002; MPRD 2210)

   MPRD 3660. History of the Moving Image (3) (P: COMM major or minor or consent of instructor; COMM 1001, 1002)

   POLS 3012. Politics Through Film (3) (S) (FC:SO)

   RUSS 3230. Russian and Soviet Film (3) (FC:HU) (P: RUSS 2120 or consent of instructor)

   SOCI 3025. Sociology of Mass Media (3) (FC: SO) (P: SOCI 2110)

   SPAN 5445. Hispanic Cinema (3) (May be repeated for maximum of 6 s.h. with change of topic) (P: Consent of chair)

Spring 2012 Courses

ENGL 2900: Introduction to Film Studies (3 available sections)
Description: The goal of this course is to introduce students to the broad field of film studies including formal analysis, genre studies, film history, and theory.

Section 001
Instructor: Dr. Anna Froula
Times offered: MW 2:00-3:15
Film screenings: M: 6:30 pm
Screenings: Casablanca (1942, Michael Curtiz), Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles), Breathless (1960, Jean-Luc Godard), Run, Lola, Run (1999, Tom Twyker), The Conversation (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)

Section 002
Instructor: Dr. Amanda Ann Klein
Times offered: TR 11-12:15
Film screenings: T: 6:30 pm
Description: The goal of this course is to introduce students to the broad field of film studies including formal analysis, genre studies, film history, and theory.
Screenings: Touch of Evil (1958, Orson Welles), Breathless (1960, Jean-Luc Godard), The Virgin Suicides (1999, Sofia Coppola), Glen or Glenda? (1953, Edward D. Wood Jr.), Superfly (1971, Gordon Parks, Jr), High School (1968, Frederick Wiseman)

Section 601
Instructor: Dr. Anna Froula
Times offered: Online
Screenings: Casablanca (1942, Michael Curtiz), Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles), Breathless (1960, Jean-Luc Godard), Run, Lola, Run (1999, Tom Twyker), The Conversation (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)

ENGL 3480-002 Science Fiction & ENGL 6390-001 Advanced Studies in Science Fiction and Fantasy: Science Fiction Films
Instructor: Dr. Don Palumbo
Times offered: M, 2:00-5:00
Course description: This is a course in science fiction films from 1960 to the present. While it will look at each film as an individual work of art, it will also focus on several specific topics: the use of mythological structures, science fiction film comedy, time-travel films, apocalyptic science fiction films, adaptation, etc. Novels: The Time Machine, A Clockwork Orange, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
Screenings: Back to the Future (1985, Robert Zemeckis), Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott), Galaxy Quest (1999, Dean Parisot), The Matrix (1999, Wachowski Brothers), Star Trek (2009, J.J. Abrams), Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977, George Lucas), The Terminator (1984, James Cameron), Total Recall (1990, Paul Verhoven), The Time Machine (1960, George Pal)

SOCI 3025: Sociology of Mass Media
Instructor: Dr. Sitawa Kimuna
Times offered: T, Th: 11:00-12:15 pm
Film screenings: students watch on their own
Course description: In this age of ‘mediocracy,’ it is vital for us to become active, critical consumers of media. The purpose of this course is to provide you with knowledge and skills to critically analyze media contents and institutions. Thus, the course will explore various forms of media and their functions in society. Topics examined in the course include: media economics, media and political regulations, media representations of the real world, media audiences, and globalization and media. By the end of the course, students should be able to develop a critical awareness of media institutions and the social environment they are situated in.
Screenings: Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967, Stanley Kramer), Philadelphia (1993, Jonathan Demme), Crash (2005, Paul Haggis)

RUSS 3230 Russian and Soviet Film (FC:HU)
Instructor: Dr. Elena Murenina
Times offered: M: 5:00-6:00 pm, W: 5:00-7:00 pm
Film Screenings: in-class, and once a month W: 7:00-9:30
Course Description: Since the 1920s, film has affirmed Russia’s place in the world culture and has captivated movie audiences through the technical skill of its filmmakers and the beauty and emotional power of its images. In this course we will explore cinema as a new mode of vision, a new means of artistic and social representation, and a new definition of ‘high’ and ‘popular’ art. You will learn how to appreciate and analyze films as visual texts in the complexity of their historical, cultural, political, and aesthetic contexts, from the origins of silent cinema toward the marvels of digital filmmaking. Taught in English, films shown w/ English subtitles.
Screenings: Man with a Movie Camera (Dz. Vertov, 1928), Ivan the Terrible (S. Eisenstein, 1944), The Cranes are Flying (M. Kalatozov, 1957), Solaris (A. Tarkovsky, 1972), Slave of Love (N. Mikhalkov, 1976), Russian Ark (A. Sokurov, 2002) Night Watch (T. Bekmambetov, 2004)

ETHN 3501: Arabs in American Literature and Film (HU)
Instructor: Dr. Mona Russell
Times offered: T, Th 9:30 to 10:45
Film Screenings: students watch on their own
Course Description: We will explore the Arab-American identity as it evolves over the course of the twentieth-century by comparing and contrasting the experience of individuals from different locales, ages, genders, etc. Our class will discuss ethnic notions of memory, home, and identity as expressed in poetry, autobiography, and fiction by a variety of authors. Then we will compare and contrast those images in literature with images of Arabs in mainstream media, Hollywood cinema, and popular culture.
Screenings: The Immigrant (1917, Chaplin), Reel Bad Arabs (2006, Earp and Sully), Benaat Chicago (2006, Zerkel), The Sheik (1921, Melford), Five Graves to Cairo (1943, Wilder), The Arab-American Comedy Tour (2005, Ahmed), Aladdin (1992, Clements), The Mummy (1999, Sommers)    

ENGL 3660: Representing Environmental Crisis: ecoHorror to ecoPorn
Instructor: Dr. Helena Feder
Times offered: W, 6:00- 9:00pm
Film Screenings: students watch on their own
Course description: The Gulf oil “spill,” the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, hurricanes, toxic waste, deforestation, the mass extinction of species. How do representations of environmental crises shape our understanding of them, and of our role in the environment? This course will examine texts that represent a variety of environmental crises and visions of post- ecological or posthuman futures. We will critique and draw connections between texts that demonize the nonhuman world (“ecohorror”) and ones that depicts an idealized nature (“ecoporn”), as well as representations of the complexity of environmental crisis across several genres.
Screenings: Them! (1954, Gordon Douglas), The Birds (1963, Alfred Hitchcock, 1963), Soylent Green (1973, Richard Fleischer), Logan’s Run (1976, Michael Anderson), Silkwood (1983, Mike Nichols), Arachnophobia (1990, Frank Marshall), Grizzly Man (2005, Werner Herzog), An Inconvenient Truth (2008, Davis Guggenheim), Food, Inc. (2008, Robert Kenner)

ENGL 3810: Advanced Composition (WI)
Instructor: Dr. J.I. Middleton
Times offered: T, Th 3:30 to 4:45 pm
Film Screenings: students watch on their own
Course Description: This section of advanced composition focuses on writing and on writing about film as a rhetorical text. Students will learn how “to read” films beyond their simple entertainment value and to analyze how films work rhetorically for their target audiences; then they will write about them. Students will practice writing in a variety of genres that will help them to develop skills for analyzing, peer editing, and writing about visual rhetoric in film.
Screenings: Digital Nation (2010, Dretzin), Lions for Lambs (2007, Redford), Babel (2009, Iñárritu), Syriana (2005, Gaghan), Temple Grandin (2010, Jackson), The Insider (2009, Cameron), The Social Network (2010, Fincher), Inception (2010, Nolan)

ENGL 3920: Film Theory and Criticism (HU, WI)
Instructor: Dr. Amanda Ann Klein
Class time: T, Th: 2:00- 3:15pm
Film Screenings: T: 6:30pm
Course description: This seminar-style course introduces the basic arguments addressed and engaged by film theory and criticism. These problems and arguments address the function and basic nature of the film medium, analyzing the ways in which it affects viewers and their relationship to reality, to the arts, and to society. This course seeks to understand what cinema is and what makes it different from other art forms. This course is a required core class for the Film Studies minor.
Screenings: Imitation of Life (1959, Douglas Sirk), WALL-E (2008, Andrew Stanton), Badlands (1973, Terrence Malick), Umberto D (1952, Vittorio DeSica), Scarface (1932, Howard Hawks), Star Wars (1977, George Lucas), Duel in the Sun (1946, King Vidor)

ETHN 4000: Hip Hop Culture, Music, and Politics (HU)
Instructor: Dr. J.I. Middleton
Times offered: T, Th 2:00 to 3:15pm
Film Screenings: students watch on their own
Course Description: This class will focus on analyzing themes and issues in film, music, language, and youth politics. Students will learn to how to critically analyze a variety of elements in hip hop, especially, (1) its relation to jazz & blues music, (2) its influence on international music & film artists, and (3) its heated topics on language use, censorship, race, ethnicity, gender, sexism, technology, corporate influences, violence, and the politics of youth culture.
Screenings: 8 Mile (2002, Hanson), Amores Perros (2000, Iñárritu), The Boondocks (2005, McGruder), Brown Sugar (2002, Famuyiwa), Cidade de Deus (City of God; 2002, Meireilles), Chapelle’s Show (2003, Chapelle), The N-Word (2004, Williams), Tupac: Resurrection (2003, Lazin), Un Prophète (2009, Audiard), Beats, Rhymes, and Life: the Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (2011 Rappaport)

English 4920: Contemporary American and International Cinema
Instructor: Dr. Jim Holte
Times offered: W: 3:30-7:30pm
Film Screenings: in class
Course Description: Students will examine contemporary films from a number of critical perspectives. Students will look at film as texts, entertainments, cultural artifacts, persuasive documents, and products. Students will also examine contemporary cinema within the context of international film history. Students will have the opportunity to research and write about film.
Screenings: Alice in Wonderland (2010, Tim Burton), Traffic (2000, Stephen Soderbergh), and Joel Coen), The King’s Speech (2010, Tom Hooper)

English 4985: Film Studies Capstone: Film and Fantasy
Instructor: Dr. Jim Holte
Times offered: T: 3:30-7:30pm
Film Screenings: in class
Course Description: Because it frames and edits experience, film is by its very nature is fantastic, and directors who indulged their fantasies have had considerable popular and critical success. In this course students will examine film fantasy of a variety of genres—horror, science fiction, high fantasy—from different periods of film history. Students will examine film and adaptation, the nature of the fantastic, the fantastic and culture, and the popularity of the fantastic. This is the capstone for film minors, and a capstone research project will be required of all students.
Screenings: Hellboy (2004, Guillermo del Toro), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935, James Whale), The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick), The Matrix (1999, Andy and Lana Wachowski), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001, Peter Jackson)