I expect this class to be fun.  But it will also be hard. It is a 400-level course, and although I have not made the Intro to Film Course, Engl357, a prerequisite, the essays we are reading are pretty advanced, and a background in either film or literary criticism or both would be helpful.

The basic weekly pattern will be to read several theoretical articles which will be discussed during Monday’s class, to watch a film together during the lab on Tuesday afternoon, and to discuss the film in light of some articles about the film on Wednesday.  Every couple of weeks, you will also have to write a journal entry about the readings and the film. (See sections below on READING, VIEWING, and WRITING)

In addition to doing the readings, watching the films, and writing journal entries, each student will participate in a film group and complete a small research project-- either a traditional research paper (8-12pp.) or a web site including a shorter research paper. (See sections below on FILM PROJECT and RESEARCH PROJECT)

There will also be a midterm and a final exam: ID’s will be based on class glossary; essay questions will be handed out before the exam (For weight of various grade components see section below on EVALUATION.

Reading
      Generally, the readings for Monday are more theoretical -- about sf film in general or the decade or style of film we are looking at -- and those due for Wednesday are more practical interpretations of the specific film we viewed.  We will usually read six to eight articles or parts of  books per week, depending on length and complexity.  Some of these articles will be fairly sophisticated -- using psychoanalytic, archetypal, feminist, semiotic, Marxist, or  post-structuralist perspectives -- and so you may have to read slowly and carefully or even re-read articles.  Especially on Mondays, we will devote class discussion to a careful explication of these articles, answering questions and working through difficult concepts.
 

Books for Course (Available at Clemson Newsstand and U Bookstore)

• King and Krzywinska, Science Fiction Cinema (2000)
• Telotte, Science Fiction Film (2001)
• Xerox Book -- Available in Installments at Campus Copy

• The Science Fiction Encyclopedia  -- out of print, but available on-line and on-reserve (After the initial entries on “Cinema,” the syllabus will not list SFE entries; however, every film in the course has an entry as do most directors and many crucial themes.)
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms  by Chris Baldick

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Materials on Reserve

• Many of the basic books on science fiction and film in the Clemson libraryare on open reserve; some personal copies of my own books are on closed reserve. Reserve List in on the web site.

We will watch the films together in Dan 313, during the class lab on Tuesdays from 3:30-6:15  Just as in a biology or chemistry course, the lab is a mandatory part of this class; absence from the lab will be treated as a double cut.  Although I do not believe in talking while the films are being shown, there is a collective experience that the class will have watching the films as a group.  There may be some discussion after the films on Tuesdays; however, class will not always last until 6:15 PM.  The exception to this are the double feature lab days—weeks 3,4, and 5, 8 and 13.  Check the syllabus for dates.  Please do your best to adjust your schedule to accommodate double features.

• 1 point= not long enough; off topic; does not demonstrate comprehension of basic knowledge.  Turned in more than one week late.
• 2 points= okay, long enough, but not very thoughtful or analytical; just a repeat of class discussion.  Turned in late.
• 3 points=longer than required; good connections among works; demonstrates application, analysis, synthesis, and/ or evaluation of ideas.

• 1-- Intro to self and discussion of definitions and history of SF film: M, Jan 19
• 2 -- Metropolis and The Hero’s Journey and a SF film of your choice: M, Feb 2
• 3 -- Fifties Movies (Thing, Day Earth Stood Still, Invasion of BS, Them): M, Feb 16
• 4 – Kubrick (Dr. S and 2001): M, Mar 1
• 5 – Seventies Critiques and Gender Issues (Silent Running, Dark Star, Stepford ): M, Mar 22
• 6 – Scott (Alien and Blade Runner): M, Apr 5
• 7 – Postmodern SF (Blade Runner, Total Recall, Aliens, Independence Day): M, Apr 19
• 8 – Matrix and Wrap-up Retrospective: M, Apr 26
Class discussion will provide suggestions for things to write about in your journal entries. In addition, some entries are posted on the web site from previous classes, and I will try to post some prompts.  Entries should focus on the films and articles that are part of the course; references to other  films are of course welcome, but part of the purpose of the journal is to show me you are doing the reading, so try to stay focused on class material.

The Group Film Project (16% of grade)
Once in the semester each student will take special responsibility (working with other students) for one film unit (designated by journal assignment). Each group will have to:

• Take responsibility for being especially prepared and expert during the discussion of their film.  This may include reading some extra articles.
• Keep track of glossary words for their unit, e-mailing me a list of terms for each class day.
• Gather together the best of what other students said in their journal discussions of the film and prepare a selection of “smart things students said,” which highlights the major issues and controversies raised by the film.  This will be posted as a web page, by either the students or the teacher.
• Make a significant addition to the class web site on the film(s), by improving links, updating and annotating bibliography entries, providing plot summaries or Campbell charts etc.  If students do not know how to make web pages, they can provide handouts in class which will be scanned or transformed to web pages. All materials should also be stored in group CLE space.

An analysis of a SF film of your choice, including criticism and/or reviews.  There are two options for this assignment: students may build a small website with links, annotated bibliography, and a short interpretive paper (paper 5-8 pp.), or they may write a more conventional research paper (paper 8-12 pp.).  For either option students should choose a particular film or group of films that is/are not particularly widely referenced on the web.  (I will offer an optional Friday afternoon class on building web pages for those who need it.)

• Proposal and Initial Reference biblio    5%     DUE: F, Feb 6
• 5 Summaries of important articles    5%  DUE: F, Mar 26
• Final Research Paper/ Project    20%   DUE: W, Apr 21

Students who wish to be especially efficient in allocating time for this course, may wish to do their research project on the same film they work on for their film project; this is allowed but not required.

Exams

• Midterm exam: 10% of grade.  Five out of 8+ long-answer I'D's chosen from a list of terms and figures handed out before the exam; I will not ask you to identify anything not on the list.

• Final exam: 20% of grade.  The final exam will have two, equally weighted parts. Part I will be similar to the mid-term: five long-answer I.D.'s on terms and major figures covered in the second half of the semester. I will distribute a list of possible I.D.'s the week before the exam.  Part I will be closed book, except that you may use the chronological list of core works I will also provide. Part II of the exam will be a thematic essay, discussing major concepts developed throughout the course.  Again, I will give you the list of questions early in the last week of classes.  Part II will be open book and open notes.

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