English 4109: Film as Literature 

The Horror Film

October      November

Course Policies

Introduction to Literary Origins & Key Concepts

August

17
Introduction to course, policies, etc.

Terror, Horror, and the Grotesque:  Oates, "Reflections of the Grotesque"

The Gothic - Edgar Allan Poe, "Berenice"


24
The Horror Within

Reading: Stevenson, "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"; Jack the Ripper

Group Discussion Leaders #1

Introduce "Horror" vs. "Terror"


31
The Uncanny

Reading: Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House;  Freud, "The Uncanny" (at least through Part I)

Group Discussion Leaders #2

Discuss Short Essay #1


September

Brief History of the Horror Film Genre

7
LABOR DAY - No Classes

Short Essay #1 Due On-line by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, September 9th


14
Early Film Horror and the Monster                 [In-class Screening: Nosferatu (Murnau, 1922)]

Reading: Wells, The Horror Genre, Chapter 2 (p.36-56)

Week's Film: The Bride of Frankenstein (Whale, 1935)

Recommended Reading: Stoker, Dracula excerpt, Chapters 2&3

Group Discussion Leaders #3


21
Post-War Fears

Reading: Horror Genre, Chapter 2 (p.56-73)

Week's Film: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Siegel, 1956)

Recommended Reading: Sontag, "Notes on 'Camp'"

Group Discussion Leaders #4


28
Heading into the 70s Renaissance

Reading: Horror Genre, Chapter 3 (74-97)

Week's Film: Night of the Living Dead (Romero, 1968)

Group Discussion Leaders #5

Short Essay  #2 Due

Review for Exam - excerpts of A Nightmare on Elm Street (Craven, 1984); Scream (Craven, 1996) = Postmodern

October    



Genre and Critical Perspectives

5
Midterm Exam

6th = LAST DAY to withdraw with grade of W


12
Horror and the Repressed

Reading: Woods, "The American Nightmare" (Chapter 1 in Horror, The Film Reader); Wells, Horror Genre, Chpt 1 (p.7-21)

Week's Film: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Hooper, 1974)

Group Discussion Leaders #6


19
Gender and Genre

Reading: Clover, "Her Body, Himself" (Chapter 6 in Horror,The Film Reader); Williams, "Learning to Scream" (Chapter 13)

Week's Film: Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960)

Introduce Research Project

Group Discussion Leaders #7


26
Horror and the Abject

Reading: Creed, "Horror and the Monstrous Feminine" (Chapter 5 in Horror, the Film Reader)

Week's Film: The Exorcist (Friedkin, 1973)

Short Essay  #3 Due

November


2
Horror and Art

Reading: Hawkins, "Sleaze Mania, Euro-trash, and High Art" (Chapter 10 in Horror, the Film Reader)

Week's Film: Suspiria (Dargento, 1977)

Writing Workshop - Research Day

Proposal Form Due


9
Horror's Place

Reading: Tudor, "Why Horror?" (Chapter 3 in Horror,The Film Reader)

Week's Film: Let the Right One In (Alfredson, 2008)

Draft of Research Paper Intro Paragraphs Due

Writing Workshop


16
Week's Film: Ringu (Nakata, 1998)

Review for Final Exam

Draft of Research Paper Due

Writing Workshop - Final Drafting


23
Final Draft of Research Paper Due

Presentations of Research Project


25-29
THANKSGIVING BREAK (no classes)


30
Presentations of Research Project

LAST DAY OF CLASS

December


7 Final Exam from 5:30-7:30 pm