| Policies Page |
Beginnings - History & Form
|
| August |
Please
note:
Attendance on the 1st day of class is mandatory.
If you are absent, you will be administratively withdrawn from the
course. |
| 19 |
Introduction to course,
policies, etc. |
| |
What do we mean by "independent" film? |
| 21 |
Exploitation and the Silent Era |
| Reading: Merritt, "1917-1928: Exploration" | |
| In-class Screening: Reefer Madness (Gasnier, 1936); Within Our Gates (Micheaux, 1920) | |
| 26 |
B-Movie Studios and Pictures |
| Reading: Merritt, "1945-1952: System Breakdown" (WebCT) | |
| |
Screening: Shock Corridor (Fuller, 1963) |
| 28 |
Alternatives to the Studios
& "Camp" |
| Group Discussion Leaders #1 |
|
| September | |
| 2 |
Documentary |
| Reading: Merritt, "1960-1967: Ahead of the Curve" (WebCT) | |
| Screening:
Grey Gardens (Maysles,
1975) |
|
| 4 |
Verite and Documentary
Responsibility |
| Group Discussion Leaders #2 |
|
| Formal Response Due | |
| 9 |
"Art Cinema" and the Auteur |
| Reading: Merritt, "1968-1974: Pushing the Envelope" (Part I) (WebCT) | |
| Screening: A Woman Under the Influence (Cassavetes, 1974) | |
| 11 |
Formally Against the Mainstream |
| Group Discussion Leaders #3 |
|
The Locus of Independence
|
|
| 16 |
Counter Cultures and
"Revolutionaries" |
| Reading: Merritt, "1968-1974: Pushing the Envelope" (Part II) (WebCT) | |
| Screening:
Easy Rider (Hopper, 1969) |
|
| 18 |
Drive-ins, Exploitation, and
Masculinity |
| Reading: Osgerby, "Full Throttle on the
Highway to Hell" (WebCT) |
|
| Group Discussion Leaders #4 |
|
| 23 |
Trash Cinema, Cult Films, and
Midnight Shows |
| Reading: Jones, "Phantom Menace: Killers Fans, Consumer Activism, and Digital Filmmakers" (WebCT) | |
| Screening:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(Sharman, 1975) |
|
| 25 |
Cult Fans and Audience
Participation |
| Group Discussion Leaders #5 |
|
| Formal Response #2 Due | |
| 30 |
Horror, Audience, and Midterm
Review |
| Screening: The Evil Dead (Raimi, 1983) | |
| Recommended Reading:
King, Chapter 3 - "Form" (p. 150-164) |
| October |
The "American Independent" Comes of Age |
| 2 |
Midterm Exam |
| 7 |
Continue discussion of Evil Dead,
Independent "Industry" |
| Reading: King, Chapter 1 - "Industry" | |
| October 8th = LAST DAY to withdraw with grade of W | |
| 9 |
FALL
BREAK - NO CLASSES |
| 14 |
Reading: King, Chapter 3 -
"Form" (p.105-128) |
| Screening: sex, lies, and
videotape
(Soderbergh, 1989) |
|
| 16 |
Sundance and Distribution Deals |
| Group Discussion Leaders #6 | |
| 21 |
Alternative Visions I |
| Reading: King, Chapter 5 -
"Alternative
Visions" (p.197-222) |
|
| Screening: She's Gotta Have It (Lee, 1986) | |
| 23 |
Race and Hollywood |
| Group Discussion Leaders #7 |
|
| Introduce Research Project |
|
| 28 |
FILM
FESTIVAL CLASS PERIOD - (NO CLASS) |
| Independent Narrative |
|
| Reading: King, Chapter 2 -
"Narrative" (p.59-84) |
|
| 30 |
Group Discussion Leaders #8 |
| |
Screening: Clerks (Smith, 1994) |
| Formal
Response #3
Due (Film Festival Review) |
| November |
Your Own "Independent" Research
|
| 4 |
Writing
Workshop - Library Day |
| Proposal
Form Due |
|
| 6 |
New Queer Cinema |
| Reading: King, Chapter 5 - "Alternative Visions" (p.222-249) | |
| 11 |
Queer Adolescence for a Mass
Audience |
| Reading: Holmlund,
"Generation Q's ABCs: Queer Kids and 1990s' independent films" (WebCT) |
|
| Screening:
But I'm a
Cheerleader (Babbit, 1999) |
|
| 13 |
Draft of Research
Paper Due |
| Writing Workshop | |
| 18 |
New Technologies and the Digital
Age |
| Reading: Zimmerman, "Digital
Deployments" (WebCT) |
|
| On-line Screening:
koncious.com (and if
you have time, ivav.org/video) |
|
| 20 |
Second Draft of
Research Paper Due |
| Final Drafting Workshop |
|
| 25 | Research Paper Due |
| Research Presentations | |
| |
|
| Nov
26-29 |
THANKSGIVING
BREAK - NO CLASSES |
| December | |
| 2 |
Research Presentations |
| 4 |
LAST
DAY OF CLASS |
| Research Presentations | |
| 9 |
Final Exam from 2-4 pm |