English 383-004
Cinema and Genre: Horror Films, 1960-1985
Instr: Blasini, Gilberto M.
Office: CRT 487; 229-4540
e-mail: gblasini@uwm.edu
Office hours: TBA
Course Information: MW; 4:30-7:20pm; CRT 104
Course Description
The course surveys the gradual transformation of horror films - mostly but not exclusively in the U.S. - from B-movie status to a popularly and critically praised genre during the 25-year period between 1960 and 1985. The appearance of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Michael Powell's Peeping Tom in 1960 marks a transition in terms of thematic, ideological and cinematic approaches to conveying horror filmically. The historical changes that took place after 1960 (e.g., Vietnam War, Watergate scandal, second wave of feminism, civil rights movements, the end of the Hays Code and the appearance of the MPAA ratings system, among others) further helped transform the cinematic configuration of the horror genre, giving many directors the opportunity to create socially relevant and aesthetically challenging texts that were able to engage a wide variety of audiences (e.g., the youth, African Americans, etc.). In order to understand the social relevance of these cultural artifacts, the course will pay close attention to these films' relationship to their historical context. As a result, we will examine how these films engage discourses related to gender, race, class, and sexuality.
*Warning*: Although the purpose of the course is to understand the horror genre critically, either if you cannot tolerate gore, violence and profanity, or if any of the topics and issues depicted in these films go against your moral and/or religious beliefs, you should not take this course. There are plenty of other Film Studies courses that would be a better fit to your interests and way of life.
