Crunch Time...

Well peeps...this is it. I've given myself a self-imposed deadline of tomorrow, which means that I need to make my final decisions and stand by them. It's a daunting process, but even I can see that I'm dragging my feet and if it absolutely came down to it, I can change a film or reading without horrible, horrible consequences.

At the same time, the syllabus is delaying my ability to go beyond and actually start working on the course. If there's one thing I learned last time, it was to put less focus on the films/readings and make sure the rest of the course is taken care of. It's like focusing on your outline instead of your report...there's still a lot of wiggle room between the proposal and the end result!

And so I need to make two final decisions:

1) I've scrapped the slasher week in favour of the more specific (and enjoyable) giallo week. I now have to find a giallo that embodies all the typical characteristics, but which is also comprehensible (this can be a problem).

I'm tempted to show Argento's Deep Red, but the narrative literally makes no sense, which can make it a difficult viewing experience. The Bird with the Crystal Plummage was good, but not spectacular, leaving me with Tenebrae or Opera, although I haven't watched the latter).

2) I can't decide which film to program first. Rocky Horror works best as a second class film when I can properly put it in context (aka preface the musical numbers, the reception of the film, the midnight revivals, the dress-ups). So what to show for the first week? I'm still considering Donnie Darko because it's recognizable but not that many people have seen it.

At the same time, part of me wants to go in a completely new direction and program something really off-kilter like Liquid Sky (an alien drug/sex movie)...

3) I also can't decide which film to end on. I'm going to do a recent film to demonstrate how new cult films riff on previous ones using a collage/homage style method (ex: any Tarantino or Rodriguez film, but I was specifically thinking of Planet Terror from Grindhouse) OR a film that may become a cult film or is an example of a failed cult film (ex: so bad it may be good "hot mess" Southland Tales)

Decisions, decisions!

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?

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!

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.