Hitchcock: Talking Points for 7/2

About The Lady Vanishes:
1) Do you see any thematic (or other) similarities between The Lady Vanishes and The 39 Steps?
2) How would you describe Hitchcock's sense of humor in general?
3) Why do the people on the train claim not to remember the lady who vanishes?
4) Where do the three "acts" (or sections) of the film begin and end?
5) When in the film do we first realize that we're in Hitchcock's "dark" world?
6) How long did it take you to realize who the two main characters are?

Much Ado About Nothing review

Is Much Ado About Nothing the best film of the summer so far? Absolutely. Is it the best film of the year? Too soon to tell, but probably. Turns out, the increasingly amazing Joss Whedon (who directed last summer's The Avengers, as if I have to tell you) can do Shakespeare, too. His new modern-dress (and modern-attitude) production is so unfussy and lucid that it fools you into thinking it's effortless, which it simply could not have been. It's in B&W, BTW, but not that washed-out, hipsterish black and white that we recently saw in Frances Ha.  This is closer to the expressive, "colorful" kind that was used in its heyday. But why am I dwelling on the photography when I could be talking about the wonderful performances, which bring out every bit of hilarity lurking in the Bard's comedy? Most critics are making a major fuss about this movie and, for once, it's much ado about something.

Hitchcock: Reminder & Talking Points

Reminders:
1) Our first test will be on Thursday, 6/27. Please don't forget to bring a raspberry (pink) scantron.
2) Please read Chapter 14 in our text before coming to class.
3) If you have any further questions about the syllabus, we can deal with them on Thursday.

Talking Points:
We'll be continuing our discussion of The 39 Steps. Think about it.

 

Man of Steel review

I've put off writing about Man of Steel because I'm starting to sound like a broken record (do people still use that expression in the iTunes era?) about this summer's blockbusters. I have not been enjoying them, which is especially disappointing, considering that I did very much like last summer's Avengers. MoS unfortunately features the same kind of soul-deadening violence that I've seen too much of this summer. (But at least the violence in MoS is coherent, something I would not say about most of the action scenes in the latest Iron Man or Star Trek movies). The main problem, though, is pretty obvious. Warner Brothers had a big hit with its Dark Knight trilogy so it tried (as far as possible) to turn Superman into Batman. Not the same guy. Box office aside, Superman has always worked best when the film (or TV series) is at least partly facetious -- "comic," as in "comic book." (The Avengers certainly had that quality.) But MoS varies from sincere to grim: an epic saga with Superman as some kind of space messiah. Those fanboys who've been complaining that Superman isn't Superman without his external red undies (surprisingly) have a point. A world in which those crimson skivvies don't belong is just too serious for old Supey.

Before Midnight review

These "Before" movies (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and the new one, Before Midnight) just keep getting better. Before Midnight finds just the right attitude to take about the couple at the center of the story, played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. That is, the tone is somewhere between sincere and mocking. Hawke and Delpy are terrific, too. The self-indulgence we see on screen belongs entirely to their characters, not to them as actors. I enjoyed the fast-paced dialogue (credited to the director and the stars) and the way the relationship between the two lovers has continued to deepen and evolve throughout the series. I'm sure I would have liked this movie if I hadn't seen the first two installments, but having seen all three, I'm sort of in love.

Honors Adaptation: Thanks!

                       Thanks for a great mini-semester! Time to read those final papers...

Reminders & Talking Points: Final Class Meeting

Reminders:
1) Come to class prepared to talk about your final paper for about 5 minutes. You'll tell the class the name of the book & film you've selected, your theme, why you choose the book, film & theme, and something you learned while writing and researching this paper.
2) If you want your final paper (and your Little Mermaid paper) back, bring a SASE on Wednesday.
3) Bring your Little Mermaid text with 2 places marked that surprised you.

Talking Points: The Little Mermaid
1) How was watching the film different for you after having read the fairy tale?
2) What is the main theme of the fairy tale? Of the film?
3) What sort of "backstory" do you imagine for Ursula in the movie?
4) Which version of the material do you prefer?

Talking Points & Reminders

Talking Points: The Long Goodbye
1) What do you think of the film, as an adaptation? Not faithful enough?
2) What was hard to understand in the film or novel?
3) What does the title mean?

Reminders:
1) If you haven't had your final paper topic approved by me, be sure to do so before you start writing.
2) Read "The Little Mermaid" fairy tale and find two passages that surprise you.
3) If you're going to want your final paper or your "Little Mermaid" paper returned, be sure to bring a SASE on Wednesday.
4) If you email me, I generally respond within 24 hours. If I don't, you need to try again.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Disappointing. To start with, many of the action scenes are so badly edited as to be almost incoherent. But the major problem is that, like some other big-budget movies, this one follows the playbook by piling on the soul-deadening violence. With entire skyscrapers being destroyed, the body count here is incalculable (but clearly large). Around the edges, there are some little touches for Trekkers. A decent joke about Spock's ears. Bones saying, "I'm a doctor, Jim, not a [fill in the blank]." Spock (at last) revealing his human side. Etc. But even many of these touches come off as pandering because they don't arise naturally. The main thing the film has going for it is the fine, young cast (especially Simon Pegg as Scotty), but finally that's not enough. It's depressing that the film is so popular: Live long and prosper, indeed.

Schedule for Wednesday, June 12

Hawaiian Pizza

Noon-1:30 pm: Conferences. Laura E. & McKenna (noon), Mark & Amelia (12:15), Fonda & Ryan (12:30), Meg & Jessica (12:45), Joelle & Justine (1 pm).
1:30-2:30: Pizza party.
2:30-3:15: Class. Bring The Long Goodbye novel with word-picture passages marked. Required paper on The Long Goodbye is due.
3:15-3:50: More conferences. Aja & Lauren (3:15), Byron (3:30).

Conferences will be in our usual classroom. Please wait outside on a bench until I'm ready. Also, please arrive for conferences 5-10 minutes early.

Correction to final-paper prompt: Your final papers are due next week on the last day of class, Wednesday, June 19.

Honors Adaptation: Reminders & Talking Points

Reminders
1) Bring Ghost World book to class with two places marked where important information is given in a mainly visual way.
2) Continue reading The Long Goodbye and find three passages that paint word pictures.
3) Read "The Little Mermaid" and find two passages that surprise you.

Final paper conferences for Monday, 6:10:
Hannah (11 am), Ashton (11:15), Audrey (11:30), Laura T. & Monica (11:45).
Please arrive 5-10 minutes early.

Talking Points for Ghost World:
1) What's shocking about this material?
2) What does the title mean?
3) How does the addition of Seymour to the film alter the story and its themes?

Honors Adaptation: Schedule for Wednesday, 6/12

Schedule for Wednesday, 6/12.
(NOT for Monday, 6/10).

Noon-1:30 pm: Final paper conferences.
1:30-2:30 pm: Pizza party.
2:30-3:15: Class
3:15-3:50: More final paper conferences.

Honors Adaptation: Reminders & Talking Points

Reminders
1) Bring the text with "The Wisdom of Eve" and have two places marked that highlight the narrator's personality or tone.
2) Read Ghost World and find two places where important information is presented in a mainly visual way.
3) Continue reading The Long Goodbye and find three passages that paint word pictures.

Talking Points: Being There (continued)
1) What does the title mean?
2) How is music used in this movie?

Talking Points: "The Wisdom of Eve" and All About Eve
1) What do you like about the characters? What don't you like about them?
2) Who narrates the movie?
3) What does the movie's ending mean?
4) What did you think of Marilyn Monroe's performance?