Spring 2010 Class Schedule

All Films Shown in Merrifield Hall, Room 300, except where noted or announced otherwise in class, Screenings are at 2:00 pm Tuesdays (NOTE: Some films run slightly over two hours and may last until 4:15 or so) NOTE: FILM TITLES SUBJECT TO CHANGE!! It is possible that in rare cases a different film might be substituted for the one on the schedule, or that one section might view an alternate film in Merrifield 116 or a different classroom at the same time period. There is also an outside chance that one or two films might be shown at a local movie theatre. Be sure to verify the assigned film and location with your instructor the week before. Be aware that your instructor may also give additional reading, writing, and/or viewing assignments during the small group class meetings. TEXTBOOK: Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film (second edition) by Richard Barsam
WEEK DATE	FILM SCREENING (“Lab” on Tuesdays)	READING ASSIGNMENTS and DISCUSSION TOPICS (for Wed-Thur small group class lecture/discussion)
Jan. 12-13-14	Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen	Ch. 1a (pp xv-xx, 2-23) - What is a Movie? Also read Appendix pp 345-371 - Hollywood Production Systems – ONLINE READING: Night at the Movies - “PRETEST” in lecture/discussion sections this week! -
Jan. 19-20-21	American Movie (1999) Chris Smith	Ch. 1b (pp 23-42) – film technology, business, & cinematic storytelling – documentary & genre
Jan. 26-27-28	Film history anthology of short films (1870s-1920s) with live commentary	Ch. 1c (pp 42-50) - D.W.Griffith documentary in class; – ONLINE READINGS: Development of Cinema and D. W. Griffith start to read Gocsik & Barsam’s “Writing About Movies” booklet, especially p. 12 and pp 21-53
Feb. 2-3-4	Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) Buster Keaton - plus Easy Street (1917) and Never Weaken (1921)	Ch. 2a (pp 54-78) – narrative; genres: silent comedy (Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd)
Feb. 9-10-11	Stagecoach (1939) John Ford - plus short	2b (pp 78-89) – narrative; genres: the Western FIRST UNIT TEST (narrative form, film history, genre, production & distribution)
Feb. 16-17-18	Sullivan’s Travels (1941) Preston Sturges - plus short	Ch. 3a (pp 92- 122) – mise en scene – B&W; genres: social commentary films, screwball comedy – ONLINE READING: Hollywood Production Code
Feb 23-24-25	Sunshine Cleaning (2009) Christine Jeffs - plus short	Ch. 3b (pp 122 - 137) - mise en scene - color (note especially significant uses of locations, costumes, props)
Mar 2-3-4	Out of the Past (1947) Jacques Tourneur - plus short	Ch. 4a (pp140-170) – cinematography – B&W ; genres: Film Noir PAPER 1 DUE this week! -Extra credit: FARGO FILM FESTIVAL -
Mar 9-10-11	Doctor X (1932) Michael Curtiz plus Good Morning, Eve (1934)	Ch. 4b (pp170-193) – cinematography – color ; Production Code (Be sure to watch all the various DVD tutorials for this chapter!)
Mar 16-17-18	-- S P R I N G B R E A K --	- start watching movie(s) for your second paper, or shoot your movie!
Mar 23-24-25	Citizen Kane (1941) Orson Welles	Ch. 5 (pp 196-236) – acting, Citizen Kane, Orson Welles (you may wish to find one or more other Welles-directed films to watch on your own)
Mar 30-31-Apr 1	Bicycle Thieves (1948) Vittorio DeSica plus short: Multi-Facial (1995) Vin Diesel	SECOND UNIT TEST (mise en scene and cinematography, acting; filmmaking styles) – FORX FILM FEST – extra credit potential!!
Apr 6-7-8	North By Northwest (1959) - 135m ! Alfred Hitchcock	Ch. 6 (pp 238-262) – editing (Watch Snapshot on the second DVD, and all the DVD tutorials for this chapter, especially the “evolution of editing” tutorial!!)
Apr 13-14-15	Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - 130m! Sidney Lumet	Ch. 6-7 (pp 262-294) – editing and sound, “New Hollywood” Watch also the chapter 5 DVD tutorial “Editing and Performance in Snapshot” and the chapter 7 tutorial “Sound in Snapshot”)
Apr 20-21-22	Run Lola Run (1999) Tom Tykwer; plus Success Through Violence (2003) & other shorts	Ch. 7 (pp 294-312) – sound & style, using traditional techniques in nontraditional ways PAPER 2 DUE this Tuesday !
Apr 27-28-29	Blue Velvet (1986) David Lynch	Ch. 8 (pp 316-342) – theory and analysis, meanings and interpretations
May 4-5-6	The Seventh Seal (1957) Ingmar Bergman	LAST UNIT TEST (editing, sound, film theory & analysis)
FINALS WEEK	View final movie projects	Student movie projects will be screened at the time normally scheduled for a final exam (*TBA, usually Tuesday or Thursday afternoon)
SUMMER	VACATION	HAVE A GOOD SUMMER!!

Outline Notes on the Textbook Readings and Lecture/Discussions

Film Casts, Production Credits, and Discussion Questions (selected titles)

PAPER ASSIGNMENT DETAILS

General Guidelines for Writing Papers

FILMS OUTSIDE OF CLASS : You will be expected to see a certain number of films on your own, on DVD, videotape, and/or public screenings in order to complete the assigned papers. See the writing assignments and/or ask your instructor for details and films to see. It is recommended that you try to attend part of the Forx Film Fest of new independent movies, scheduled at the historic Empire Theatre in downtown Grand Forks the first week of November. Also try to attend the Global Visions foreign film series on the UND campus and watch for other special movie screenings scheduled at the Empire Arts Center, as well as independent films that may play at the River Cinema in East Grand Forks (and rarely at the Carmike Theatre in Grand Forks). You may do extra-credit reaction papers for those special movie showings you attend.

Reading Assignments:

LAM = Richard Barsam, Looking at Movies – Second Edition
ADDITIONAL READINGS on line are accessible through this website.
Use the DVDs that came with your text to review the chapters and view film clips that help illustrate the concepts in greater detail.

Some Additional Readings Not in the Textbook:
(go ahead and read them now and
don’t wait for your instructor to assign them!)
A Night At The Movies
Orson Welles: Three Views
Shakespeare and Film
The Development of the Cinema
D. W. Griffith
The Production Code of 1930

NOTE: Individual class sections may have
substitute reading assignments and/or
additional reading assignments for any
given week. Be sure to check with your
instructor.

Students are encouraged to do outside
readings related to the particular films
and topics being discussed. Many of
the films mentioned in the textbook
are available on home video. DVDs
with commentary tracks are especially
valuable for independent study. The
Chester Fritz Library has an extensive
selection of books about film makers,
film history, film genres, and individual
films (both scripts and analyses). A small
but useful selection of film books can be
found at the UND Bookstore. There
is also a great deal of material available
through the internet.

As in all research, any single source
can not be relied upon as fact. All
sources should be cross-checked with
others, and if possible verified
using original first-hand materials.

A few of the films shown in previous semesters … well-worth finding on DVD or Blu-Ray to watch on your own!

BACK to Syllabus

(Try clicking on the some of the posters!)