Monday, October 29, 2012

Scary movie assignment

For next time (10/31), write at least 300 words (more would be good) about:

What has frightened you in TV and film? Is there a particular film or TV show that frightened you? Detail that. What disturbed you about it? What types of things frighten you typically in film? Is there anything you like being scared by?

Friday, October 19, 2012

Double Indemnity assignment

Hey there, film fans!

As I said in class, I'm changing the structure of the Double Indemnity assignment to allow more variety in the responses. Note that, in my links (to the right), I've put a PDF of the Hays Code for reference.

Please do one of the following for next Tuesday; the piece should be approximately 250-300 words:

a. Write a response to seeing Double Indemnity as if you were a reviewer of the time (1944). In this case, you will need to look over the Hays Code, because you'll either be complaining about how the film violates the letter or spirit of the code or how you think the film masterfully avoids crossing the line.

b. Write a personal response to the film, keeping in mind that it's a black-and-white film from another era. What did you like or especially appreciate? What surprised you? How did it compare to modern films? What seemed better than a modern film?

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Three, three, three reviews!

As we discussed in class, I'm expecting you to read three reviews of current or recent films from the New York Times site, which is here. As I warned, clicking on the site more than 10 times will get you locked out (unless you have a subscription). Let me know if that happens to you. There's a way around the block.

Your task is to efficiently paraphrase those reviews, turning them into "capsule reviews" such as this and this.

The title for each review should tell me whose review you read. You're free to use the language of the review, though, of course, you'll need to severely edit the original text. Think about what needs to be in the review: some sense of whether or not the movie is good or enjoyable; basic information about the plot; a feel for the kind of film it is; actors, writer, and the most prominent actors.

Length for each review: 150-200 words.