Syllabus
Course Name & #: Introduction to Film Genre: The Science Fiction Film
Instructor: Kelly Clement
Office Hours: By Appointment
Contact: 751-4188; kclement@laplaza.org
Textbook: Various readings
Course Description:
The study of a film genre " stresses the shared conventions by which large numbers of films are recognized as resembling each other." It emphasizes the subtle (and not so subtle) filmic techniques which alter the way we will experience a film, and examines the cultural assumptions which an audience brings to every film. In this class we’ll view a wide variety of films from the genre known as Science Fiction and see how these films are connected by a system of stylized rules. Over the course of the class students will also become familiar with the basic elements of the genre criticism and how it relates to film theory.
Course Objectives:
Neglected and often scorned by film critics, frequently relegated to the realm of juvenile escapist fantasy, science fiction films nevertheless present "the most revealing and least self-conscious indicators of what is going on in our collective souls." This class is both a topical and chronological survey of the Science Fiction film genre.
Expectations:
Students will be required to view and discuss a selection of the films from the Science Fiction genre.
Course Requirements:
There will be a mid-term due on the sixth week and a Final Exam due on the Twelfth Week. In addition, students will be required to keep a film journal of films watched outside of class.
Attendance Policy:
Students must attend class regularly and punctually. Excessive absences may result in a student being dropped from the class. It is UNM-Taos policy that a student MAY be dropped by their instructor after three absences.
Grading Policy:
Attendance/ Participation - 25%
Film Journal - 25%
Mid-Term - 25%
Final exam - 25%
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act):
Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic adjustments should contact me as soon as possible to ensure your needs are met in a timely manner. Handouts are available in alternative formats upon request.
Dropping the course:
It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course. The instructor is not required, nor should be expected, to drop a student from the official roster. Do not assume that failing to come to class will result in your being dropped from the course.
Due Process:
If you have any problems in the class that cannot be directly handled by talking with the instructor, the appropriate person to contact is the Academy Head or Katie Mares in Student Services.
WEEK Description Lab/Practicum
1 An Introduction to Film Genre The Science Fiction Genre View: “Sleeper” (1973)
2 The Evolution of the Science Fiction GenreThe Early Science Fiction Films View: “Metropolis” (1926)
3 Problems of Definition View: “Bride of Frankenstein” (1931)
4 The Alien Messiah View: “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951)
5 Keep Watching the Skies View: “War of the Worlds” (1953)
6 Atomic Films of the 50s View: “Them!” (1954)
7 Don’t Trust Anyone: The Paranoid 50s View: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956)
8 Atomic Films of the 60s View: “Dr. Strangelove” (1964)
9 Space Re-visited View: “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
10 Dystopia View: “A Clockwork Orange” (1971)
11 The Embraceable Alien View: “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977)
12 Psycho-Sexual Space View: “Alien” (1979)