Increase self-awareness of students and develop a global perspective
Motivate students to reject apathy in favor of hope
Provide students with a contextual basis for appreciating cultural and biological diversity
Use film as a catalyst for personal growth and change
Objectives/Rationale
Critically read and evaluate film as a medium of cultural expression
Identify and objectively discuss themes and issues presented in film
Examine the relationships between characters' assumptions, motivations and decisions
Consider multiple perspectives, evaluating alternate points of view on controversial topics
Explore themes and issues through research and selected readings
Participate in informal discussion and writing activities
Engage in personal reflection by maintaining a film viewing log
Background
I conceived the concept of film study while teaching social studies to juveniles incarcerated as adults at Clallam. Despite the diversity of the students, a striking lack of empathy for others presented as a universal trait. In an effort to instill a basic sense of compassion for people from different backgrounds and points of view, I began introducing films that featured material to serve as a catalyst for confronting antisocial thought patterns and challenging assumptions about life. Bay Corrections Center
Film is a medium unique in its ability to captivate an audience, and thus has an amazing potential to reach students while their affective filter is low. This provides the opportunity to redirect negative or unhealthy assumptions and rigid thinking and to replace these with a more flexible, inclusive worldview. The mission of this course is to build empathy and respect for others.
Film Selection
Films are presented in thematic series, with a different theme introduced each term. I carefully research potential films using an array of print and Internet sources until I am confident that my selections represent the best opportunity to explore a vital facet of the featured theme. A word on controversial material: In accord with the goals and intent of the course, I seek out films that confront important social issues and problems. These often provide the best opportunity to sensitize an increasingly desensitized audience and change antisocial or otherwise unhealthy assumptions and thinking. Because of my personal experience observing changes in homophobic, racist, and other antisocial behavior as a direct result of films I have shown and discussed, I embrace controversy for the powerful catalyst that it can be for personal change.
Assessment
50% Production or Performance
50% Film viewing log & Discussion notes
The syllabus seems to be wrote out much neater then last year it will open us up to writing and commenting about each persons own idea of what the movie was but Performance is key I think. If we're lucky enough to sit, watch, and learn it will be much easier to allow everyone to understand how the blogs will each be useful. Movies are movies, and if a report is due for it. Alrighty then!
Posted by Raven on 09/13/2010 15:30:59
I think its a really good idea for this class. At first I was hesitant but after I read this I figured that its more then just watching movies. I'll get to understand the film better and actually get to write about what I saw and what I got from it. I just hope we watch movies about peoples' real life experiences and actually get to feel what they're feeling and get something out of them.
Posted by Delaney Baxter on 09/13/2010 15:32:46
Rocky Horror Picture Show,
REPO! The Genetic Opera,
Rent,
For the past couple of night, I have been watching Rent over and over, it is an extremely deep musical about people that are in the streets, extreme poor, living with aids, and being addicted to drugs, I used to watch it because I loved the music, but just last night I realized how sad and deep this movie is.
I think everyone should watch it.
Posted by Amber Akin on 09/13/2010 15:37:09
Top 5 movies that impacted me.
1.The Wall
2.The nightmare before christmas
3.Clash of the Titans
4.Frankenstien
5.The night of the living dead
The night of the living dead would have to be my most memoriable movie in my life time, When I was able to speak my mom sat me down and what we did was watch old horror films. The oldest I remember is the wolfman, dracula, and frankenstien but Night of the Living Dead made my fasination with zombies grow. To this day I would rather go to a cemetery and meditate then anywhere in my life. I even am receiving stitchs either tattooed or peirced. My biggest impact was this movie, Zombie Nation survived.
Posted by Raven on 09/13/2010 15:38:46
1. Waterboy
2. Step Brothers
3. Happy Gilmore
The movie Waterboy was the movie that motivated me to begin playing my now favorite sport football. Me and my cousin used to watch it non stop everday when we began football.
Posted by Justin Banks on 09/13/2010 15:39:24
Thirteen
The Notebook
Coach Carter
A movie that made a difference for me would have to be My Sisters Keeper.This movie showed me how family sticks together through thick and thin,and it also showed me alot about cancer.having had someone in my family who had cancer really made this an emotional movie for me.
Posted by Maddie Haavik on 09/13/2010 15:39:29
1. A Walk To Remember
2. Rent
3. The Fox And The Hound
The Fox And The Hound impacted my life like this:Its not really the movie its more of when I would watch it. Before my brother Josh died he would always want to watch it with me because it was my favorite movie and he would always cuddle with me and watch it over and over again. Everytime I watch it to this day it makes me think about him.After he left I watched it once and cried the entire time because I knew he was never going to come back home.At his funeral we played bits and pieces of it and not everyone knew the significance of it but some did.Those few people were crying and telling me it'll be okay.Thats why The Fox And The Hound will always have an impact on me in my life.
Internet Movie Database
More information than you really need to know about almost any movie you can think of and tons that you've never even heard of. You can search using a variety of parameters, including actor, title & genre
Thirty Top 70s Cult Films
A list of 30 cult films (in no particular order) which you should see at least once
The Greatest Films
Interpretive, descriptive review commentary and historical background for hundreds of classic Hollywood and other American films in the last century.
Amazon.com Movie Search
Want to find information about a particular movie? Know the actor but forget the title? Want to know all the movies by Quentin Tarantino? Start here!
Film Threat
A really great film review site that specializes in independent film.
Ain't it Cool News
One of the greatest web sites ever devised in life, info on all the important stuff.
Bad Movies
Have you ever watched a movie so bad that it is actually funny, well that's what this site is all about.
Wookiepedia
Like Wikipedia, but all the articles are about Star Wars
I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was all actors should be treated like cattle.
Alfred Hitchcock
Generic secondary film study guide This page contains secondary study guides available to download free of charge covering English, History, Media and Film Studies.
SparkNotes Film Study Guides SparkNotes books and SparkNotes.com exist to help students learn and practice basic skills, write a paper, study for a test and achieve their academic goals.
Film Study Guides Introduction to science-fiction cinema, attempting a definition of the genre, "from (George) Méliés to The Matrix
