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Contents

FILM 222 History of Horror Films

This course is an interdisciplinary study of the history and film art of the horror film during the twentieth century. The course will cover several themes of the horror genre; these will include the vampire, werewolf, Frankenstein, and the ghost story. The student will view and analyze the older classic films and compare them to more current ones that were produced on the same theme. The student will analyze these films from a historical perspective as well as the artistic and technical, including an examination of the acting, directing, scenery, music, and cinematography of the art form.

Credits

3

Hours Weekly

3 hours weekly

Course Objectives

  1. 1. Establish a definition of the horror film.
  2. 2. Identify running themes in horror films.
  3. 3. Critique horror films within the context of the culture, politics and values of the times in which they
    were produced.
  4. 4. Discuss the directors’ use of mise-en-scène and revolutionary camera angles.
  5. 5. Evaluate the use of color vs. black and white in horror films.
  6. 6. Recognize the use of anticipation in horror films.
  7. 7. Analyze some of the editing techniques used in classic horror films.
  8. 8. Distinguish different cinematic styles and genres developed over the span of horror films.
  9. 9. Compare and contrast key elements in film authorship, genre, ideology and theory.
  10. 10. Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of horror films.

Course Objectives

  1. 1. Establish a definition of the horror film.
  2. 2. Identify running themes in horror films.
  3. 3. Critique horror films within the context of the culture, politics and values of the times in which they
    were produced.
  4. 4. Discuss the directors’ use of mise-en-scène and revolutionary camera angles.
  5. 5. Evaluate the use of color vs. black and white in horror films.
  6. 6. Recognize the use of anticipation in horror films.
  7. 7. Analyze some of the editing techniques used in classic horror films.
  8. 8. Distinguish different cinematic styles and genres developed over the span of horror films.
  9. 9. Compare and contrast key elements in film authorship, genre, ideology and theory.
  10. 10. Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of horror films.