When Animals Attack...

Anyone who's ever set foot in a classroom understands the student / teacher dynamic. It is generally understood that it is the teacher who is in charge and they provide guidance, wisdom and occasionally clarification for students.


Well that's definitely the ideal, but it doesn't always go that way. As a student I always hated professors who acted as though students' opinions were irrelevant because they weren't the teacher. This overlooks the fact that students can sometimes approach material in new and exciting ways, or simply that topics are sometimes best taught when the approach is questioned.


This isn't to say that I love a challenging student...in fact it's something that terrifies a lot of teachers and why so many are afraid of discussion in the classroom.


My approach is generally one of tolerance. I like to let other people have their say, even if it sometimes mean I have to go on the defensive to defend my choices or interpretation. That's what makes class fun!


Of course, I think subconsciously I try to keep these situations to a minimum by choosing subjects that most people are not as familiar with (ie: fewer people know slasher films than Meryl Streep or even Wayan Brothers films). However, when you do get that one student who knows every giallo and corrects your pronounciation - it's definitely a daunting experience.


For this reason I typically over-prepare. Which is what this whole post has been about: the fact that I'm trying to cram as many cult films down my gullet as possible before July.


So tonight's film was Long Weekend (1977). When it arrived in the mail earlier this week (thanks zip.ca!) I couldn't even remember what it was. It sounded suspicious to a horror film I watched to prep for last year's course (or was that Death Weekend?). Then I remembered: this is the movie when nature fights back!


Definitely an interesting plot, and one I'll skirt the edges of because it is most definitely worth checking out. The film takes place in Australia (that makes two with the recent Mad Max - is anyone else sensing a theme?) and focuses on a dysfunctional couple trying to repair their marriage with a weekend camping trip. Of course there are signs that things are not going to work out for the best, from the bickering between the protags to the hit and run of a poor kangaroo on the road. The fact that the locals don't seem to know anything about their destination or the mysterious RV down the beach doesn't bode well either.


Without getting into it too much, this is a film about awful city folk getting their asses handed to them when they step outside the concrete jungle. To detail what they go through would ruin the surprise, although I should mention that this ain't exactly your blockbuster style film (boobs in the trailer? It must be foreign...and from the 70s!) In any case, it's a high recommend with a ton of atmosphere, so look for it at Glebe or Invisible Cinema...or wait for the inevitable Hollywood remake starring Jim Caviezel (Jesus!) later this year.


P.S. Please disregard the atrociously lame teaser (Their only crime was against nature...and nature found them guilty! ha ha ha). The marketing people who come up with this kind of schlock deserve a special brand of justice for that kind of shit.

Productive Procrastination / Commitment Issues

I'm only a true procrastinator about 40% of the time: these are the times when I refuse to lend myself a hand and end up doing absolutely nothing (see: Masters thesis writing when I would trek my fat ass down to the grocery stuff to purchase entire boxes of little white donuts of death instead of writing).

Instead, when I procrastinate (aka the other 60% of the time), what I'm truly doing is what I call "productive procrastination" where I basically spin my wheels going back and forth. It's like second guessing yourself continuously - to the point that you never get anywhere.

And that's where I am with the course prep. As I explained to a co-worker yesterday, I should be putting aside the syllabus in favour of actually working on lectures. Basically I should bit the bullet and just submit the syllabus and live with my film choices when the time comes.

Instead (of course) what I'm doing is trying to find 'perfect' films and readings to populate the course. Should I include The Big Lebowski, or Liquid Sky, or Repo Man? Maybe repopulate certain weeks with more Lynch (Eraserhead, Wild at Heart or my personal mindfuck Lost Highway)? And what about readings? If they don't reference cult films, should I include them or can I allow my students to make the connection between a film and a reading without having to bridge them like a concerned parent?

I know the answer to all (well...most) of these questions, but I just can't make up my mind to commit. So my question to you all is...how do you commit to something?

Lest you all think I'm mired in the cult film wasteland, I'll my thoughts on a film I watched just last night (Admittedly film might be a bit much; it's really a short that clocks in at a quick 32ish minutes, but still...)

A bit of background: a few weeks ago some friends and I watched The Ruins. I mostly enjoyed it (the book is better. Have you heard that one before?), enough so that I ended up tracking down some info on the direct, Carter Smith.

Turns out that Smith is a relatively new filmmaker who cut his teeth as a high fashion photographer before debuting a short film at Sundance. And that film was Bugcrush. It piqued my interest when I stumbled across this little bitty on one of my favourite horror blogs campblood.org: "Bugcrush has disturbed gay film fest viewers all over the place."

Gay whaaaa?! Colour me intrigued (I'm always up for some homo horror, so much so that I've sometimes found myself reduced to the homo-lite works of director horrible David DeCoteau...shudder). So I set about tracking down this little film to see what it was that was so disturbing.

Lo and behold the word that best describes the short is disturbing. I'm honestly not sure how it plays with straight audiences, but the metaphor isn't too deep under the surface. Here's the plot, sans spoilers: Ben is a high school student with a crush on new boy Grant. After watching him from afar, Ben finally gets up the courage to approach Grant, who asks if he wants to hang out and get high that night.

I honestly can't much more than that without giving too much away, save to say that the whole short is steeped in dread and atmosphere and that both aspects of the title play an important role. One of the reviews that I immediately tracked down made a point of referencing the acting and the dialogue of the teens, which really quite good.

Again, I can't say much else except to say that I hope you guys check it out so that we can discuss it (the ending seems to be a point of contention for people who either don't get it or hate it). Either way the film is worth checking out and should be more available on a more accessible venue instead of being stuck on Boys Life 6 (ugh...gay anthologies).

Check it out here (in two parts...and kinda dark)

The Wonderful World of Teen Television

I just finished reading an article (7 pages!) about the importance of Gossip Girl, the CW's low-rated, buzzworthy show about bitchy/troubled NY kids, their bitchy/troubled parents and the omniscient titular blogger who covers their pitfalls and successes.

Process that for a moment: 7 pages...

Most people would think that that's more than a little excessive. 7 pages in New York Magazine about a teen show with a bunch of nobdy actors? Before we break out the OMFG (to quote the show's recent racy ad campaign), let's be honest with ourselves: even if you think the show is absolute shit, it doesn't mean that it doesn't have mondo cultural importance.

For one the show is literally redefining the way television is monitored. Neilson can't get a fix on it at all (typical episodes come in at a truly pathetic 2.5 million, or half the numbers of the O.C. in its final low-rated season). The reason that the show is considered a success - and it is (consider the fact it was picked up for a second season three episodes out of the gate) - is because it doubles its viewing audience when online factors such as iTunes and live streaming is factored in. DOUBLES! That's absolutely crazy - even Lost doesn't do that (the highest online shows usually up their viewing audience by around 12-20%, not 50).

Beyond that people need to look beyond the whole "teen show" stigma. Get over yourselves people! We were the generation of 90210, Dawson's Creek and Buffy! Even if you didn't like these shows, you can't deny their importance in the cultural spectrum (so much so that 90210 is coming back next year...on the CW).

It aggravates me so much when people don't give "low" genres - like teen shows - a fair shot. Everything is valid. I'd readily admit that I hate Two and a Half Men, but I don't deny that it has a place on television as the highest rated sitcom (somebody's gotta be watching that piece of shit!).

So the next time someone talks about Gossip Girl or any other 'low' form of entertainment, be sure to put them in their place and ask them to stop being such a hater! Lord knows Gossip Girl would...and she'd put it up on her site for all to see...

The Make-Up, Break-Up Test

Sorry for not posting yesterday - it turns out that I finally stumbled upon a productive day (I know!), so I used my time wisely and tried to work my ass off.

The final result? I managed to emerge from a long weekend (of beautiful weather!) unscathed and with a working, preliminary syllabus. Tres excitant!

Of course it's not all sunshine and daisies. Now comes the true hard part, or what I call the make-up, break-up test. It's like after a while of being content with someone, you come to the point of no return and have to make a decision about whether to stick with them long term or kick them to the curb.

The truth of the matter is that I have to submit my syllabus to the department for approval / photopcopying. Doing that is akin to sending a nasty e-mail or letter: once you've done it, there's no taking it back. So I now have to decide whether I want to make-up with these films / readings and go the distance with them for the course, or give them the keys to the streets and find suitable replacements.

Mentally there's definitely some juggling going on, but (in case you're interested) here is the working 'preliminary' list:

Class 1 - Introduction: Rocky Horror Picture Show

Class 2 - Introduction: Donnie Darko

Class 3 - Paracinema: Pink Flamingos

Class 4 - Slasher: Friday the 13th - Part 7 (The New Blood)

Class 5 - Splatstick: Braindead aka Dead/Alive

Class 6 - Women in Prison: Caged Heat

Class 7 - Sexploitation: Showgirls

Class 8 - Controversy 1 (Sex): Crash (1996)

Class 9 - Controversy 2 (Violence): Battle Royale

Class 10 - Textual Poaching (TV 1): The Prisoner

Class 11 - Seriality (TV 2): Twin Peaks

Class 12 - Why isn't this Cult?: Strange Days

What do you guys think? I'm unsure about Donnie Darko and Friday the 13th.

Films that didn't make the cu(l)t: Mad Max/Tank Girl (Dystopian), Coffy/Foxy Brown (Blaxploitation), Black Christmas (Slasher/National Cinema), Audition/Ichi the Killer (Excess/National Cinema), Blue Velvet/Lost Highway (Lynch!)

Narrowing the List

As I come to the end of day 2 of my intensive reading/writing process, I can definitely say that I am not as far ahead as I'd like, but I can feel things starting to come together

It's been an unusual day, marked by some detours (late start to the gym, then groceries, then a late lunch) which sort of threw off my game. Add in my ability to procrastinate online (what other resources are available at Amazon.com?!) AND get sleepy, and all of the sudden the day seems to have taken a wrong turn.

But as Frank'n'Furter suggests to both Brad and Janet in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) "it's not all bad, is it?" The answer is, of course, no: by staying in and trying to read as much as possible, I've managed to nail down three readings and I'm starting to get an idea how to organize my incredibly short 6 weeks with students.

I think the summer session is one of my big stumbling blocks at this point. I'm a bit of an overachiever, and I'm zealous to boot, so the idea of scaling back my readings, and as a result my results (!) isn't all that appealing. Unfortunately you can't assign two 50 page readings two days apart - it's not feasible. It might have flown back when I was teaching in the Winter semester and had one class a week, but this summer that is most definitely not going to work.

Unfortunately that forces me to select all my materials much more carefully. Sure it's good because it boils everything down and forces me to get the heart of the course. It also doesn't allow much wiggle room. Something tells me this will be an ongoing struggle as the course continues to develop.

As it stands though, I have for sure decided to include screenings of Rocky Horror (to kick off the course), as well as episodes of Twin Peaks and The Prisoner somewhere along the line (subject to moving around status). But I feel better than where I was when I woke up this morning, so that's good!

And now I'm off to celebrate with a few drinks with friends, which hopefully won't be a disaster (I'm forcing said friends to go to a different bar than they originally wanted, so if it's not a good idea I'm sure I'll have plenty to blog about tomorrow). Until then...adieu!

The Educated Narcoleptic

It's suddenly coming back to me!

When I first got word that the Cult course was going ahead, I was excited not only because I was yearning to return to the classroom, but because it was an opportunity for me to get my head back into reading journicles (journal articles) and textbooks.

Alas it also seems to have brought back my old scolastic nemesis: sleepiness.

Don't get me wrong; it's not that I'm not interested in what I'm doing. It's fascinating to read about the cross-national implications present in 2000's Battle Royale, the super controversial kids-killing-each-other-on-a-reality-tv-show that caused a huge sensation both in its native Japan and in its North American release (where it was immediately banned and became a cult, underground sensation, thereby forcing me to buy a copy on ebay and smuggle it into the country!) It's honestly a fascinating article, but I always find that as I shift positions (first at the dining room table, then the couch because it's softer, then on my side because that's more comfortable, then with my eyes shut because they're soooo heavy)...wait a minute! This is how I get nothing done!

I used to have a trick back in my undergraduate years that I may have to bring back: I used to chew gum because mentally I told myself that if I feel asleep I would choke to death on it.

Now there's a tool to avoid procrastination and narcolepsy!

Course Prep: The Sophie's Choice Factor

VS

If there's one thing I've learned in my limited experience with preparing a film course syllabus it is this: you never end up with the films you begin with.

When I found out that I had successfully lobbied for my Cult film course (due to begin in July), I was ecstatic. I had so many films that I wanted to show! I broke them down into categories: by genre, by director, by media, by decade, etc. It feels like the cinematic equivalent of a kid in a candy store: there are so many options it's hard to think of where to begin.

And then the shine comes off...quickly.

What initially seems like the most exciting aspect of preparing a course rapidly becomes the equivalent of Sophie's choice as you have to jettison your choice films for a variety of reasons. The unfortunate truth (and I'm still struggling with this) is that you can't just show the films you like and you think other people should watch. Instead you have to do right by the course and pick the best films for your particular topic.

Oh sure, you can squeeze in a few films that make sense and you happen to adore (in fact I'm dedicating the final week to films I think should be cult films and asking students to think about why they should or should not be included). But for the most part you can't do this because you're doing a disservice to your students. Just because you like something does not mean that it is the best fit!

What you end up with is a Frankenstein hybrid of your ideal course: some films you love and other films you end sitting at the back of the class, wincing in pain, wondering if students will hate you because you forced them to sit through this schlock. For my first go around in the slasher course, this was the Canadian week when they were forced to endure Ripper: Letter From Hell (which is a truly atrocious film in terms of editing, acting and narrative). Ultimately it served the right purpose for the week, but it was hard to get up in front of students the next class and talk about it, especially when the damn film turned out to be 1/2 hr longer than I remembered and the class ran late!

And so, as I sit here on my self-imposed day off to work on the course, I'm still trying to make my Sophie's choice film list: do I try to include a "women in prison film" (Caged Heat) and if I do is it at the expense of my blaxploitation film (Coffy)? Can I cram Rocky Horror Picture Show into the first week (at 2.5 hrs) and can I justify an entire week of Takashi Miike films (Audition/Ichi, the killer) instead of spreading out the love to David Lynch and David Cronenberg?

The answer is that I just don't know - this is definitely still a work in progress...

Look for many more updates as the weekend continues. The boy is gone to MTL, so this is what I'll be working on for the next two days.

Women on Top: Leona Lewis

Before anyone tries to claim the title is dirty, I am - of course - referring to the top of the music charts (interested readers take note since this will be one of the few times I EVER refer to music as it's not really my realm).

Let's take a look at the stunning success of the former X-Factor winner:

1. Her album Spirit opens at #1 on the Billboard 200 (the first UK solo artist ever to do so with their debut)


2. She's the first UK artist to hit number one since Rod Stewart...back in Oct 2006


3. She's the first UK female to hit #1 since Sade...22 yrs ago


4. Her album sales of 205k is just beyond spitting distance of Britney's 290K back in October


5. Bleeding Love, the first single from Spirit (in America) has been nestled comfortably at number 1 these past few weeks (save a brief interruption for Mariah's Touch My Body), which makes it the first single by a UK female to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1981

The reason I bring this all up is because this month is the highly anticipated battle of the divas at music retailers. Most figured that it would be between Mariah Carey (who's E=MC2 came out Tuesday) and Madonna's Hard Candy comes out at the end of the month on April 29. I think it'll be interesting to see if the music industry will be saved by not one, not two, but three female musicians.

Because judging on Lewis' debut, she's definitely a contender...

Film Me...Disappointed: Quarantine Trailer

I'm not gonna lie: it's been a rough go for horror movies of late. There have been some absolutely awful scary movies released in 2008 (I'm looking at you Prom Night), so imagine my disappointment when I see the suckage that is the new trailer for Quarantine (check it out here). The film is a (what else?) American adaptation of the much heralded Spanish horror film which caused quite the stir when it played the festival circuit recently.

Sure some will obviously check out the trailer and exclaim "WTF...another Zombie movie?!" but I happen to like the lurkers and the creepers (better than those long haired, little asian brats who hang around technology). I guess I just had high hopes for an exciting, interesting horror film in the wake of something like Prom Night taking the box office crown with $22 million as The Ruins slips off to be discovered on DVD. Where's the quality, people? And why won't gorehounds be a bit more discerning in their choice of flesh?!

Introductions First

First posts are always really awkward. Do you introduce yourself or jump right in? Do you provide all sorts of information or allow it to occur naturally?

I think in the case of a semi-anonymous blog out there in the world, I'll opt for a process of discovery, meaning that my preferences and personality characteristics will come out naturally as the blog continues (after all - the topics about which someone blogs will kind of reveal who that person is, right?)

In any case, I'd prefer to use this as a quick welcome and say that I hope to use the blog as a means to discuss issues in entertainment and education that I don't always have to opportunity to riff on during an average day. For the foreseeable future, I'll probably include my thoughts as I develop my Summer film course on Cult Works (sample internal dialogue: should I include television AND movies?) as well as my upcoming PhD stint, of which I'm freaked (I haven't been in a classroom as a student in almost two years).

And with that...we're off!