This course will examine evolving conceptions of the monster and of monstrosity in select horror films from the late silent era (e.g. the German Expressionist vampire classic, Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror) to the present (e.g. the Japanese revenge dramas of Takashi Miike and the cyberpunk horror of Shinya Tsukamoto). Concomitantly, it will examine the aesthetics of cinematic horror by situating readings of the films’ iconographic elements within broader historical, social, political, and cultural perspectives. In doing so, students will interrogate the films’ constructions of categories of gender, race, class, sexuality, identity, and the family. Instructional methods will include lectures, film screenings, discussions, readings, writing assignments, and examinations. This course may be used to satisfy an elective requirement of the English major. This course satisfies a requirement for a minor in women, gender, and sexuality studies. Prerequisite: TFMS 220, 221, or consent of the instructor.
2016-2017 Course Catalog / Courses / Horror Film: Of Monsters and Monstrosities