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Horror History
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December 2-20: Horror Around Us
The race & gender unit will wrap up with a look at Peele's Us, and a written response to reflect student learning over the course of our viewing and reading. We will transition into a look at how horror has influenced the way we understand crime, including looks at murder ballads, true-crime stories and Jonathan Demme's film Silence of the Lambs. It is very important that students be working on their projects outside of class, as a draft will be due on 1/7 when we return to school after winter break!
November 4-22: Race & Gender
All arts tend to reflect or react to the society from which they grow. This is particularly true in genres such as horror that often play a marginalized role compared to the so-called 'fine art' film and literature of a culture. This allows these marginalized genres to take on what were sometimes taboo subjects, such as race and gender issues in the U.S. Our Popular Culture unit will segue into Race & Gender, where we will explore how horror has portrayed and confronted these issues. Reading will include "Bloodchild" by Octavia Butler, and Perkins' "The Yellow Wallpaper." Films will include Get Out and The Stepford Wives.
October 21-November 1: Pop Culture and Horror
As the Gothic unit wraps up, students will examine how popular culture influences (and is influenced by) the horror genre. Our initial focus will be on the 1950s, and how political concerns shaped horror film. Films viewed will include Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing. We will move on to a focus on the zombie as metaphor, and watch Night of the Living Dead, as well as discussing The Walking Dead television series.
October 1-18: Going Gothic
Students are studying the Gothic movement and its relationship to the horror genre. Readings include works by Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, and we discuss the folklore and history of the Vampire before watching Tod Browning's 1931 film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. Student will read an excerpt from Shelly's Frankenstein before viewing the 1932 James Whale film that stars Boris Karloff. Assessment will be in the form of an original Gothic tale or and academic response to a Gothic text.
September 16-27 Wrapping up Ancient Roots, moving to Gothic
As our first unit on the origins of horror as a genre ends, students are watching Friedkin's 1973 film The Exorcist. Students will contrast the views of the Greeks and early pagans with those of our more monotheistic society to answer the question of where evil comes from, and to look at what monsters society creates.
Our next study will be of the Gothic style, beginning, of course, with Edgar Allen Poe.
September 5-13 Welcome back!
In our first unit we are looking at the origins of the idea of evil. Starting with monsters from Greek myth, we are looking at how the influence of Judeo-Christian religion began codifying what is 'evil' as compared to the simply monstrous. Students will be creating their own monsters based on modern societal values. We will be watching the 1973 classic The Exorcist to explore how film magnifies and transmits these themes.
The race & gender unit will wrap up with a look at Peele's Us, and a written response to reflect student learning over the course of our viewing and reading. We will transition into a look at how horror has influenced the way we understand crime, including looks at murder ballads, true-crime stories and Jonathan Demme's film Silence of the Lambs. It is very important that students be working on their projects outside of class, as a draft will be due on 1/7 when we return to school after winter break!
November 4-22: Race & Gender
All arts tend to reflect or react to the society from which they grow. This is particularly true in genres such as horror that often play a marginalized role compared to the so-called 'fine art' film and literature of a culture. This allows these marginalized genres to take on what were sometimes taboo subjects, such as race and gender issues in the U.S. Our Popular Culture unit will segue into Race & Gender, where we will explore how horror has portrayed and confronted these issues. Reading will include "Bloodchild" by Octavia Butler, and Perkins' "The Yellow Wallpaper." Films will include Get Out and The Stepford Wives.
October 21-November 1: Pop Culture and Horror
As the Gothic unit wraps up, students will examine how popular culture influences (and is influenced by) the horror genre. Our initial focus will be on the 1950s, and how political concerns shaped horror film. Films viewed will include Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing. We will move on to a focus on the zombie as metaphor, and watch Night of the Living Dead, as well as discussing The Walking Dead television series.
October 1-18: Going Gothic
Students are studying the Gothic movement and its relationship to the horror genre. Readings include works by Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, and we discuss the folklore and history of the Vampire before watching Tod Browning's 1931 film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. Student will read an excerpt from Shelly's Frankenstein before viewing the 1932 James Whale film that stars Boris Karloff. Assessment will be in the form of an original Gothic tale or and academic response to a Gothic text.
September 16-27 Wrapping up Ancient Roots, moving to Gothic
As our first unit on the origins of horror as a genre ends, students are watching Friedkin's 1973 film The Exorcist. Students will contrast the views of the Greeks and early pagans with those of our more monotheistic society to answer the question of where evil comes from, and to look at what monsters society creates.
Our next study will be of the Gothic style, beginning, of course, with Edgar Allen Poe.
September 5-13 Welcome back!
In our first unit we are looking at the origins of the idea of evil. Starting with monsters from Greek myth, we are looking at how the influence of Judeo-Christian religion began codifying what is 'evil' as compared to the simply monstrous. Students will be creating their own monsters based on modern societal values. We will be watching the 1973 classic The Exorcist to explore how film magnifies and transmits these themes.