COMM 251: Introduction to American Film History and Culture, 1965–Present
| Course Home Page | Blackboard | Instructor's E-mail |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Your Instructor | Materials |
| Course Components | Final Paper | Class Discussion |
| Grading | Tips | Honor Code |
| Course Mechanics | Schedule | |
Overview
COMM 251 is an introduction to some key connections between US film history and US cultural history since 1965, most of which remain backbones of American film culture to this day.
Your Instructor
Richard C. Cante, PhD
Department of Communication Studies
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Cante’s Faculty Web site
Three evenings during the semester (Weeks 3, 6, and 9), I will offer optional live (synchronous) chat sessions, where you are welcome to discuss anything related to the course content. The sessions will be archived, so those who cannot participate can read the transcript. The times and days of the week for the chats will vary, so that you should be able to attend at least one chat session. Although the sessions are not graded, I encourage you to join the conversation.
Materials
Required Books
- Monaco, The Sixties, 1960–1969 (History of American Cinema, Vol. 8)
- Prince, A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980–1989 (History of American Cinema, Vol. 10)
- Wood, Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan … and Beyond
You may purchase the textbooks at Friday Center Books & Gifts in person, online, or by mailing or faxing in the book order form.
Required Films
The required films are listed in the order they will be studied. You must rent or purchase each film in advance of the associated lesson. Because of the number of films required in this course, it is strongly recommended that you join Netflix unless you have some other reliable source for films. Obtain copies of the first two films as soon as possible!
- High School Confidential (Arnold, 1958)
- Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (Aldridge, 1962)
- Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960)
- Medium Cool (Wexler, 1969)
- In the Heat of the Night (Jewison, 1967)
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Hill, 1969)
- Portraits of My Lai Veterans (Strick, 1971)
- High School (Wiseman, 1968)
- The Parallax View (Pakula, 1974)
- Jaws (Spielberg, 1975)
- Killer of Sheep (Burnett, 1977)
- Dog Day Afternoon (Lumet, 1975)
- The Deer Hunter (Cimino, 1978)
- Mr. Mom (Dragoti, 1983)
- The Verdict (Lumet, 1982)
- Gremlins (Dante, 1984)
- Sex, Lies and Videotape (Soderbergh, 1989)
- Bubble (Soderbergh, 2005)
- Solaris (Soderbergh, 2002)
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Giliam, 1998)
Additional Required Readings
Additional required readings will be made available through e-reserves at the UNC-Library .
Course Components
The course consists of readings from the texts, viewings of films, your weekly participation in class discussion, and the following components:
Papers
- Two short response papers. I will send you a question via e-mail in Week 3 and in Week 10. You will have approximately two weeks to respond to the question. Response papers are submitted directly to me via e-mail (not shared with the class). Length: 2–3 double-spaced pages.
- Final paper. Details provided below.
Discussion Board Assignments
- Two short preparatory previews of films. You will choose two weeks in which you will be paired with another student to post short previews—researched introductory notes—of the assigned film for an upcoming week. Your preview must be posted in advance of the lesson. One of you will place the film in the context of the rest of the work of its director, the other will situate the film in relation to the historical events and issues on the table for that week. Your introductory notes will require research and should include links to sources for further reading.
- One brief film review. You will choose a week in which to be responsible for reviewing the assigned film(s). Your review should be supported by research, and you should provide links to your sources for further reading.
- One brief critique of an assigned reading. Each student will choose a week in which to critique one of the assigned readings. Each student’s brief critique should be supported by research, and should provide links to your sources for further reading.
- One formal, detailed response to a student review. You will choose a week in which to respond to another student’s film review.
- One formal, detailed response to a student’s critique of a reading. You will choose a week in which to respond to another student’s critique of a reading.
Each discussion assignment is due on a specific day of the week:
- The preparatory preview must be posted by 5 pm Friday of the week before the film is assigned.
- The review(s) must be posted by Wednesday at 5 pm.
- The brief critique of the assigned reading must be posted by Wednesday at 5 pm.
- The formal, detailed response to a student review must be posted by Friday at 5 pm.
- The formal, detailed response to a student’s critique of the reading must be posted by Friday at 5 pm.
In the weeks you are not assigned a specific task, you are still required to participate in general discussion. Your first post is due by 5 pm Wednesday.
To sign up, log in to Blackboard using your Onyen, select this course, click on Sign-up Sheet, and follow the instructions there to claim your weeks. Sign-up is first-come, first-served. Do not choose a film chosen by other people until all films have been chosen at least once. No more than two people should sign up to respond for any given film or reading. Choose different weeks for different assignments (don’t preview and review the same film). Aside from topics that interest you the most, you may want to consider your calendar and not select a week in which you have numerous other commitments.
Final Paper
As we approach the end of the semester, I will send you a question. Your task is to explore a topic of your choice within the parameters of the question. The film to be discussed in your final paper is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Giliam, 1998).
Your final paper will allow you to demonstrate your mastery of the material. It is to be a formal essay. In other words, you will research a topic, develop a thesis, and gather supporting evidence. Then you will write an essay in which you present your argument, evidence, and a conclusion, all following rules of grammar and punctuation and providing citations for outside sources. Here is help if you need a refresher:
- For advice and tips on writing, please visit the UNC Writing Center handouts, particularly their handout on communication studies papers.
- For advice on how to properly cite sources, please take the citation tutorial available through the UNC library.
As a Carolina Courses Online student, you have access via the UNC library to scholarly Internet research tools. See Distance Education Library Resources.
Your paper must be in a 12-point font (choose a font like Times New Roman), double-spaced, with 1" margins. Write your paper in Microsoft Word and save it as a .doc file. If you use different word-processing software, save your file as Rich Text Format (.rtf). Make sure your name is at the top of your paper. Use a filename that includes your last name, such as “Jones-finalpaper.doc” and attach it to an e-mail to me. In the subject line, type “CCO COMM 251 final paper - ” followed by your name.
Late final papers will not be accepted.
Class Discussion
Weekly participation in the discussion forum is a required element of the course. Our discussions are held on Blackboard (see Course Mechanics).
You are required to participate in discussion every week, contributing ideas and responding to others. You will be graded on both the quality and quantity of your responses. Postings and responses should show a thoughtful understanding of the assigned reading material and films, and an awareness of whatever discussion is going on among participants. If you disagree with someone’s post, say so (respectfully) and give your reasons. Include Web sites you’ve found on the topic, share your opinions, or expand on someone else’s idea. When possible, draw connections between different readings and concepts from the course.
To facilitate discussion, your first post of the week is due by Wednesday at 5 pm, earlier if you have signed up to preview, review, or critique that week’s film or readings.
My posts will often ask questions to spark critical thinking and further discussion. Your posts should do more than ask questions: You should make arguments and support your points with evidence.
Please note that you are expected to submit contributions that are both on-topic and respectful in tone. If you have any questions regarding the use of the forum, do not hesitate to e-mail me.
Grading
Distribution:
| Short response papers | 2 at 10 percent each | 20 percent |
| Film previews | 2 at 10 percent each | 20 percent |
| Film review | 10 percent |
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| Reading critique | 10 percent |
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| Response to a student film review | 5 percent |
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| Response to a student critique of a reading | 5 percent |
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| General discussion participation | 10 percent |
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| Final paper | 20 percent |
Tips
Look Ahead
One benefit of an online course is that you have all the lessons available to you from the beginning. Take advantage of this—look ahead. Make arrangements to obtain a film well before it is assigned, and keep up with your viewing and reading assignments. You should be prepared to discuss a film from day one of the lesson.
Keep Up With Assignments
It is fundamental that you stay up to date with your assignments. In this course, your classmates depend on you to post your assignments by their due dates. They can’t respond until you do.
Participate Every Week
This course is based on discussion of our viewings and readings. If you miss a week, you can’t go back and participate because the class will have moved on.
Honor Code
As a student of UNC-Chapel Hill, you are bound by the University's Honor Code: “It shall be the responsibility of every student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to obey and support the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University students or academic personnel acting in an official capacity.” An especially serious Honor Code violation is plagiarism. If you are uncertain about what needs to be cited, err on the side of caution.
Course Mechanics
Policy on Computer Difficulties
Enough time has been allotted in the course schedule so that any computer difficulties can be addressed and fixed prior to the due date for the assignment. Should emergencies happen, it is important that you contact me prior to the deadline for the assignment. If you wait until after the assignment is due, your assignment will be graded down regardless of computer difficulties.
Blackboard
Some of your class components (discussion forums, announcements, the class listserv) are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to log in to Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.
If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen. If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), you will find help on the Onyen Web site.
Use your Onyen to log in to Blackboard, then click on the COMM 251 link. You will see navigation buttons on the left taking you to the Discussion Forums.
If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:
- If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.
- If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), go to the Onyen Web site.
- If you have your Onyen but can’t log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
- If you can log in to Blackboard but can’t find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
- If you can’t locate a forum in Blackboard, contact the instructional designer at the Friday Center.
If you have other technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP). The Response Team is available around the clock, seven days a week.
Library Services and E-reserves
Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online have access to the UNC Library System. Visit Distance Education Library Services to access a wide array of online services and resources including e-reserves, online databases, online journals, online books, and live help with research and library access. Most online resources require you to log in with your Onyen and password. If you have any trouble finding the resource that you need or logging in to a resource, you can contact the library through the contact information at Distance Education Library Services. You can chat live about your problem, or send an e-mail to request assistance.
All communication from your instructor will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one that appears when you post to the discussion forum). Off-campus users can access their UNC e-mail using UNC Webmail. You can have your e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking “Forward e-mail” at the Onyen Web site. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account for this course.
If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from me, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses “blind carbon copy” to protect privacy. Some commercial webmail services such as Yahoo! frequently block messages sent from the University. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account for this course.
It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to your instructor via e-mail. If your instructor doesn't receive your work, you must have a copy of the e-mail with the attached file, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered. Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to your instructor, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to your instructor and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.
Other Questions
Contact your instructor with questions regarding the content of the course and your progress. (There is an e-mail link at the top of every lesson page.) Please include “COMM 251 CCO” in the subject line of your e-mail.
Contact the instructional designer at the Friday Center about problems with this Web site, including bad links.
If you have any logistical questions as you work through the course (enrollment, Onyen, credits, withdrawal, and so on), contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).
Schedule
Our course follows the UNC-Chapel Hill academic calendar. Our weeks generally run from Monday through Sunday. It is essential that you adhere to the scheduled due dates. Mark them in your personal calendar. Establish a plan for reading, viewing, study, discussion, and writing that enables you to meet the deadlines.
Click on the link for each week to view your assignments. Remember, look ahead and prepare for upcoming weeks.
| Unit I | Selected Elements of American Film History, 1960–1970 |
| Week 1 | After the “Fall” of the Studios High School Confidential |
| Week 2 | After the European New Waves What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? |
| Week 3 | After Hitchcock Psycho Response Paper #1 question will be sent via e-mail on September 8. Synchronous chat session September 9 at 1 pm EDT. |
| Week 4 | After Television, After 16mm, and After Cinéma Verité Medium Cool |
| Unit II | Selected Aspects of American Cultural History as Accessible Through Film, 1960–1970 |
| Week 5 | After JFK and Into the Great Society In the Heat of the Night Response Paper #1 due. |
| Week 6 | Into Vietnam and Into Domestic Division Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Synchronous chat session October 1 at 8 pm EDT. |
| Week 7 | 1968 in the United States and Abroad Portraits of My Lai Veterans High School |
| Unit III | American Film and American Culture in the 1970s |
| Week 8 | The Dirge of ’73 and the Problem of American Identity The Parallax View Response Paper #2 question will be sent via e-mail0. |
| Week 9 | The Film School Generation and 1970s US Society Jaws Killer of Sheep Synchronous chat session October 19 at 1 pm EDT. |
| Week 10 | Independents, Politics, Commercialism Dog Day Afternoon Response Paper #2 due. |
| Week 11 | The New American Cinema The Deer Hunter |
| Unit IV | The 1980s (and Since): Some Key, Overarching Transit Points Between Contemporary American Film and Contemporary American Culture |
| Week 12 | The Economy as Context: Macro and Micro Mr. Mom The Verdict |
| Week 13 | The Mass (Re-)Emergence of Some (Irreconcilable?) Differences Everywhere Gremlins |
| Week 14 | Cable, Video, Digital, and the Resurgence of Independent Production Sex, Lies and Videotape Bubble Final Paper question will be sent via e-mail. |
| Week 15 | New Internationalisms and New Technologies Solaris |
| Week 16 | Wrap-up and Work on Final Paper
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Final Paper due |