English 340: Science Fiction Film
Fall 2006
Instructor: Paul Brians
Office: 202 H Avery Hall
Phone: 335-5689
E-mail: brians@wsu.edu
Web site: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/science_fiction/
Office
hours: 10-11 daily,
but I am also in most other times except the noon hour. You can make an
appointment through Jerri Smith at 335-7124.
Welcome to
English 340: Science Fiction Film. This is a class in the history of SF film, with about half the
examples being featured dating from before 1968, when the modern era of SF film
began with 2001: A Space Odyssey. We will not proceed in strictly chronological fashion, but by
exploring certain themes, starting with the wonder city of the future and the monster. The films are
chosen for their historical importance and influence.
This class
has very little outside reading assigned compared to the typical English class.
Your homework is primarily done in the Tuesday afternoon lab sessions from
4:15-7:00. Almost all writing for the class is done in class, including writing
assignments done in these lab sessions.
The
experience of viewing these films in their original aspect ratio and at a large
screen size is crucial, so the films are shown from DVD in a theater-like
setting rather than as videos on small television monitors. The viewing for
the class is done in the Tuesday lab sessions.
For both of
these reasons, to pass the course you must be registered in the lab as well
as the lecture section.
If you are not yet registered in the lab, you must either add it now, or drop
the course.
Every student
will do one individual 15-minute oral presentation based on SF film from the list at the
end of this syllabus. Look at that section now and try to choose a film that
interests you. Sign-up sheets will be posted in the classroom on the second
Monday of the semester.
Required Textbooks (do
not substitute other editions):
John Scalzi: The
Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (readings include critical material
not available in other editions)
Philip K.
Dick: Blade Runner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep)
Ted Hughes: The
Iron Giant
There are
also online reserve readings of critical articles and short stories which inspired some of the
films. Find these by going to
http://griffin.wsu.edu/search/
and clicking
on Course Name.
Then search
for Engl 340.
To get into
the readings you will need this password:
h95wam
Warning: Some films shown in this class contain nudity and graphic violence
and may be offensive to some viewers.
Course
schedule:
August 21:
Georges
Mlis: Le Voyage dans la lune (1902) (DVD 624) (shown in class)
Introduction
to science fiction in film. Recommended Web reading before next class:
http://www.mshepley.btinternet.co.uk/melies.htm (The Missing Link: Mlis) all four pages; click on
continued links)
August
22:
View Metropolis (1927) (DVD 437)
August 23:
Discussion of
Metropolis
August 28:
Presentation:
The City of the Future
August 29:
View Metropolis (2002) (VHS 20663). Japanese anime remake directed by Rin
Taro
August 30:
Discussion of
anime version of Metropolis; view premier episode of Futurama. Note: to be read by September 12: Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (the entire novel, including the
preface), plus the articles on the following pages: 214-224, 251-261, 313-331.
September
4:
Labor Day
Holiday
September
5:
View Brazil
(1985) (DVD 771)
September
6:
Discuss Brazil
September
11:
Discuss Mary
Shelleys Frankenstein and the essays on pp. 214-224, 251-261, 313-331.
September
12:
Student
report. View Frankenstein (1931) (DVD 756) & The Frankenstein Files
September 13:
Discussion
of Frankenstein
Student
report
September
18:
Student
reports
September
19:
Student
report
View The
Thing from Another World (1951) (DVD 847)
Read before
class John Campbells story: Who Goes There? online in Griffin Course
Reserves. Read also before class Susan Sontags The Imagination of Disaster in electronic reserves on Griffin.
September
20:
Discussion of
The Thing from Another World
September
25:
Student
reports
September
26:
Student
report
View The
Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) (DVD 574)
Read before
class Peter Biskind: Pods, Blobs, and Ideology in American Films of the
Fifties, online in Griffin Course Reserves.
September
27:
Discussion of
The Day the Earth Stood Still
October 2:
Student
reports
October 3:
Student
report
View It
Came from Outer Space
(1953) (DVD 655)
October 4:
Discussion of
It Came from Outer Space
October 9:
Exam 1
October
10:
Student
report
View Forbidden
Planet (1956) (DVD
617)
October
11:
Discussion of
Forbidden Planet
October
16:
Student
reports
October
17:
Student
report
View: Dr.
Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) (DVD 307)
October
18:
Discussion of
Dr. Strangelove
October
23:
Student
reports
Note that
you have the novel Blade Runner to read before October 31.
October
24:
View 2001:
A Space Odyssey
(1968) (DVD 496)
Read before
class the source story, The Sentinel, by Arthur C. Clarke online in Griffin
Course Reserves.
October
25:
Discussion of
2001: A Space Odyssey
October
30:
Student
reports
October
31:
Student
report
View Blade
Runner (1982) (DVD 6)
Read the source novel before class: Philip K. Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Blade Runner)
November
1:
Discussion of
Blade Runner
November
6:
Student
reports
November
7:
Student
reports
Presentation:
The Roots of Star Wars, or Why Princess Leia Fights Like a Girl
November
8:
Exam 2
November
13:
Student
reports
November 14:
Student report
View The
Thirteenth Floor
(1999) (DVD 738)
November
15:
Discussion of
The Thirteenth Floor
November
20-22:
Thanksgiving
vacation, no school.
November
27:
Student
reports
November
28:
View The
Abyss (1989)
November
29:
Discussion of
The Abyss
December
4:
Student
reports
December
5:
Student
report
View The
Iron Giant (1999)
(DVD 643). Read before class: Ted Hughes: The Iron Giant
December
6:
Discussion of
The Iron Giant
Course
evaluation
Final Exam
Monday,
December 11, 3:10-5:10 PM
Note: you
must be present and take the final exam to pass the course. Absolutely no early
tests. Plan your travel now to be on campus until after this exam.
Grades:
Exams: 60%
Daily writings 20%
Oral report 20%
Attendance:
Attendance at
all classes is expected, and is measured by the daily writings turned in at
each session. The topics for each days writing will be announced in class.
Some of these will be quiz-like, aimed at testing your knowledge of that days
film; but others will be more informal. More than five of these writings
missing will result in an immediate F for the course, regardless of examination
grades. Save these five permitted absences for emergencies like illnesses, etc.
No additional excused absences will be granted.
Walking
out of class without prior notice is insulting to whomever is speaking and to
your fellow students. It
is not acceptable to take a quiz and leave, or do your own presentation and
then walk out before other peoples presentations.
Cheating:
Doing a daily
writing for another student is cheating. The student doing the writing and the
student whose name appears on the writing will be given Fs for the course and
their names reported to Student Conduct.
Web
resources:
Definitions
of Science Fiction
http://www.panix.com/~gokce/sf_defn.html
Chronological
Chart of the History of SF Film (Clemson College):
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/dial/sffilm/chronochart04.htm
Students with Disabilities: I am committed to providing
assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a
documented disability. Please visit the Disability Resource Center (DRC) during
the first two weeks of every semester to seek information or to qualify for
accommodations. All accommodations MUST be approved through the DRC (Admin Annex Bldg, Rooms 205). Call
509 335 3417 to make an appointment with a disability counselor.
How to Do the 15-Minute Oral Report
1) Look over the list of possible films to report on
at the end of this syllabus. These titles have been carefully chosen to fit one
or more of the following criteria:
1) They are important either because of some
technical or stylistic innovation.
2) They have been influential on other filmmakers or
on society generally.
3) They are considered classic films by critics and
scholars, who have provided enough material for you to draw on for your report.
4) They are available in the Holland Library
collection.
Only one student can
report on each title, so consider several possibilities.
2) Look up several film titles which interest you in
the index in the rear of the The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies (the main textbook for this course). Read what
the Guide has to say about
these films and narrow your selection. Almost all of the films are discussed in
the Guide, but if yours is
not, ask me about it.
3) In class, sign your name next to the film you
intend to report on. If your favorite is already taken, choose another. If you
dont recognize a title, try looking it up in the Guide or ask me about it.
4) At the same time, write your name on the Student
Report Date Sign-Up Sheet for the date on which you intend to give your
report. Do not put more than one name on a blank. Follow your name with the
name of the film you will be reporting on.
Note: I would especially appreciate it if students
reporting on versions of Frankenstein
would sign up for September 13 or 18.
5) Look to see whether your film title has an
asterisk following it on the sign-up sheet. If it does, that means the film is
based on a story or novel which you are required to identify and read. Reports
which ignore the print sources of films will receive lower grades. If you have
trouble identifying the title or tracking down a copy of the book contact me.
To do this successfully, you will need to begin working on your project right
at the beginning of the semester, and not wait until just before the date it is
due.
6) Go to Media Material Reserves in the library on
the ground floor (downstairs from the entrance), check out your film and view
it, taking notes. Also draw on extras on the disk: documentary features,
director commentaries, etc. We try to have directors cuts, expanded
editions, etc. in the library so that you will have these extra sources to
draw on, but if you have a superior edition from another source you may want to
use that. The films are on reserve to guarantee they will be available for you.
You can either view them in MMR or
take them home overnight; but be careful to return them the next day. There are
stiff fines for keeping them too long. You can check out the films as many
times as you need to. Again, if you delay doing this until the last minute
you may find that someone else has your film when you need it; start early.
7) Use the online bibliography which you will be
shown in class to look for articles and books about your film. The bibliography
is at http://nwda.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8080/sfbsearch.html
.
Borrow the materials you
need, read them, and take notes. If an article you need is not in the
library, contact me immediately and I will help you get it.
8) Prepare your report. Each one must last fifteen
minutes and incorporate one or two short scenes from the film lasting a total
of no more than five minutes.
You can use PowerPoint if
you wish, or other presentation software, but you must bring your material to
my office in 202H Avery an hour before class to be installed on my laptop. Do
not bring other laptops to class. Presentations must be capable of running on a
Macintosh laptop running System X.4. Computer-based presentations are not
required. You may also speak from written notes on paper. If you would like
technical help and advice, just ask me; but do so well in advance of your
report due date.
Scenes can either be run
from the laptop (again, you must
come to my office before class and get your disc cued up) or run over the
university system. Note that the distributed video system is often hard to
control and cannot display full DVD resolution. If your film is available only
on VHS tape you will have to use the university system.
If at all possible,
choose scenes which begin at a chapter point that can be easily cued up. We do
not want to take class time fast-forwarding through chapters to find a scene.
If you have the skills to
rip a scene out and put it on a DVD-R, that can be useful. There is equipment
for doing this in the library, but you cannot reserve it ahead of time and it
is popular; so you need to start early to guarantee you will have access to it.
Here are the criteria by which your report will be judged: