HONORS CINEMA SURVEY FIL 1000H (3 credit hours) Fall 2022 INSTRUCTOR: Barry Sandler CLASS HOURS: Monday 6-8:50 pm ROOM: NSCM 145 CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR Office Hours: Wednesday 1-4 pm or by appointment Office: NSCM 130F Phone: 407-823-4387 E-mail Barry.Sandler@ucf.edu bsandler5678@yahoo.com COURSE DESCRIPTION An examination of the cinematic components and cultural currents in 15 landmark American films from 1960-2014 -- the ways those components are employed by filmmakers to create enduring works that reflect and impact society, and the ways those films reveal the changes in both the cinematic styles of movies and the cultural attitudes of the country. What we are as a society is reflected in the movies we embrace. The films to be studied are both cinematic and cultural milestones, selected not only for their groundbreaking filmic elements and innovations, but for their social and historical significance. Seeing them in chronological order, over 50 years of social and cultural transformation, students will see the changes in filmmaking techniques as well as the changes in depictions of characters, subjects and themes… From the conservative 1950s of order and convention, rigid conformity, moral rectitude and sexual repression, seeking artificial escapist movies with larger-than-life characters… To the anti-establishment counterculture 60s/70s of anti-war fervor, social upheaval, defiance of convention and authority, cultural revolution, sexual liberation and new social consciousness, seeking honesty, realism and relatability in movies, venerating rebels, outsiders, and independent women… To the cynical Watergate era with its distrust of government, feelings of betrayal and alienation, identifying with transgressors, loners and misfits struggling to find their place in a corrupt world… To the reactive 80s of materialism, militarism, nationalism, anti-feminism, and repression… to the 90s and beyond, focused on work and personal empowerment… COURSE OBJECTIVES The class will study 50+ years of classic films, the elements that make them great, and what they reveal about a changing America. By doing so, students will gain both a deeper knowledge and understanding of film and cultural history, and a greater awareness and appreciation of the role of film as art form and cultural indicator that will expand their own critical and creative perspectives. CLASS FORMAT Introductory lecture giving cinematic/historical/cultural context to the films being screened Screening of film Class discussion COURSE REQUIREMENTS There is no assigned text. Attendance each week is mandatory. Participation in class discussions is encouraged. Students will be required to write 3 (THREE) papers, each at least 7-8 pages double-spaced, hard copy, analyzing the films seen in class in the previous weeks from both cinematic and cultural perspectives, with emphasis on personal insights and reactions. Papers will be due in class on the following dates: Paper 1 -- October 3 Paper 2 -- November 7 Paper 3 -- December 5 (day of scheduled final exam – there will be no final exam but class will be held) EVALUATION METHODS AND TECHNOLOGY POLICIES The course grade will be based on the three papers. Each paper will count for 1/3 of the final grade. Failure to hand papers in on time will result in reduction of grade. Failure to attend class without a legitimate documented excuse can result in reduction of final grade. After two undocumented absences, each subsequent undocumented absence will lower the final grade by a letter. Students who miss a class are responsible for seeing the film missed. Extra credit papers to raise a final grade will be accepted, after discussion with the Instructor. Students are welcome to call or e-mail the Instructor at any time. Laptops will be permitted in class FOR NOTE-TAKING ONLY. NO CELL PHONES OR TEXTING ARE PERMITTED IN CLASS, AND ANY VIOLATION WILL RESULT IN REDUCTION OF FINAL GRADE. All directives and statements in this syllabus are subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor. Assignments of films and topics of discussion do not equal an endorsement of the material. No lesson is intended to espouse, promote, advance, inculcate or compel a particular viewpoint or belief. COURSE SCHEDULE 8/22 PSYCHO (1960) (directed by Alfred Hitchcock) re-defined horror on the screen with new realism and shocking narrative twists 8/29 WEST SIDE STORY (1961) (directed by Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins) took the movie musical in daring new directions through stylized naturalism, innovative choreography, and bold depiction of racial conflict 9/12 THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) (directed by John Frankenheimer) startling combination of political thriller and black comic satire, far ahead of its time, now regarded as a classic 9/19 WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966) (directed by Mike Nichols) based on the landmark play, considered the best film adaptation of a play in movie history with the two greatest performances, with its groundbreaking use of language bringing down the Production code and ushering in the ratings system, and its lacerating portrayal of marriage shattering anything on the screen that came before 9/26 THE GRADUATE (1967) (directed by Mike Nichols) transformed the concept of the male movie star, established the youth audience, employed groundbreaking use of innovative cinematic techniques, now hailed as one of the two landmark 60s films that defined the era and represented the new freedom of the screen 10/3 BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) (directed by Arthur Penn) the other landmark 60s film that defined the era, celebrating the outlaw anti-hero and the use of screen violence to create cinematic effect and character revelation 10/10 THE GODFATHER (1972) (directed by Francis Ford Coppola) the epic three-hour saga of an American crime family, considered one of the greatest films of all time 10/17 LADY SINGS THE BLUES (1972) (directed by Sidney J. Furie) a cinematic milestone as the first major studio film produced, written by and starring Black filmmakers and actors, bringing to the screen the turbulent life of legendary Black musical icon Billie Holiday with a monumental film debut by the legendary Black musical icon Diana Ross 10/24 ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980) (directed by Robert Redford) searing portrait of an American family coming apart, depicting themes of alienation, teen suicide, family conflict, repression and guilt with an intensity rarely seen before on the screen 10/31 FATAL ATTRACTION (1987) (directed by Adrian Lyne) terrifying look at the deadly price of adultery, a film portraying 80s morality and sexual attitudes that became a cultural phenomenon, and THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) (directed by Jonathan Demme) the dark, creepy tale of Hannibal and Clarice that became a horror classic NOTE * -- THIS IS A SPECIAL HALLOWEEN HORROR DOUBLE FEATURE WITH FOOD PROVIDED BETWEEN FILMS FOR THOSE STUDENTS ABLE TO STAY 11/7 c BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY (1989) (directed by Oliver Stone) epic, panoramic portrait of America before, during and after the VietNam War and its effect on both those who fought in it there, and those who rallied against it here -- the most realistic depiction of the period, the treatment of veterans, and the conflicting attitudes of the country ever put on film 11/14 PULP FICTION (1994) (directed by Quentin Tarantino) one of the cinematic milestones of the 90s in its groundbreaking use of the fractured narrative structure, innovative storytelling techniques, and portrayals of wild characters 11/21 FIGHT CLUB (1999) (directed by David Fincher) a startling, subversive look at American consumerism and masculinity that is both hypnotic and unsettling, and has endured as a classic 11/28 THE GREAT GATSBY (2013) (directed by Baz Luhrmann) dazzling, stylized, visually eye-popping adaptation of the great American novel, both passionately faithful to its story and characters, and daringly original in its cinematic approach BARRY SANDLER -- background information With BA and MFA Film degrees from UCLA, Barry Sandler has written screenplays for numerous motion pictures, including the transgressive psychosexual cult classic CRIMES OF PASSION (New World/Orion/ Kathleen Turner, Anthony Perkins/dir.Ken Russell) THE MIRROR CRACK’D (EMI/Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, Kim Novak, Angela Lansbury/dir. Guy Hamilton), EVIL UNDER THE SUN (Universal/Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, James Mason, Diana Rigg/dir. Guy Hamilton), THE DUCHESS AND THE DIRTWATER FOX (20th Century Fox/Goldie Hawn,George Segal/dir. Melvin Frank), THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT (20th Century Fox/Susan Sarandon, Marie-France Pisier/dir. Charles Jarrott), GABLE AND LOMBARD (Universal/Jill Clayburgh, James Brolin/dir. Sidney J. Furie), ALL-AMERICAN MURDER (Trimark/ Christopher Walken, Charlie Schlatter/dir. Anson Williams), THE LONERS (Fanfare/Dean Stockwell, Gloria Grahame/dir. Sutton Roley), THE VALLEY (Lagoon/Gerard Depardieu/dir. Barbet Schroeder) , EVIL NEVER DIES (Warner Bros/Katherine Heigl, Thomas Gibson/dir. Uli Edel), KANSAS CITY BOMBER (MGM/Raquel Welch, Jodie Foster/dir. Jerrold Freedman), and the groundbreaking landmark film MAKING LOVE (20th Century Fox/Michael Ontkean, Harry Hamlin, Kate Jackson/dir. Arthur Hiller), the first major studio film to present a positive portrayal of LGBTQ men and women. Sandler also produced CRIMES OF PASSION, ALL-AMERICAN MURDER, KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, and associate produced MAKING LOVE. Sandler has also written FUTURE HOUSE for Warner Bros., BRAINWAVE and LOVELAND for Universal, THE COMMON MANN for Columbia, TORCH for CBS, HOLLYWOOD HUSBANDS for NBC, STAR LADIES, ACTRESS and STAT for ABC, THE FRONT RUNNER for Wildcat Entertainment, NIGHTMARE MAN for Planet Productions, FREAK SHOW and MINDBLOWER for Regent Entertainment, STARCHILD for Four Leaf Productions, and THE BLUE HOTEL for Cinema Line. In 2010, his essay on Montgomery Clift, co-written with Tison Pugh, was published in LARGER THAN LIFE: MOVIE STARS OF THE 1950'S by Rutgers University Press. Sandler is the recipient of the GLAAD Media Award, the Southern California Psychotherapy Association Courage in Filmmaking Award, the People for the American Way Defending Freedom Citation, the PFLAG Oscar Wilde Award, the MECLA Humanitarian Award, the GLCSC Award, the FMPTA Crystal Reel Award, and the Outfest 2002 Gay Pioneer Award for Courage and Artistry. He has been honored by the Berlin, Seattle, Florida, Asheville, Santa Barbara, Outfest, Gay Orlando and Q2 Film Festivals, profiled in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Advocate, the Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando Weekly, the Miami Herald, the Chicago Sun Times, After Dark, Daily Variety, Esquire Magazine, GQ, the Village Voice, Wikipedia, Filmmakers Forum, ABC 20/20, NBC Today Show, A&E Biography, CBC Saturday Night, WHO’S WHO IN AMERICA, and THE CELLULOID CLOSET by Vito Russo. He served as on-screen commentator in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s award-winning documentary THE CELLULOID CLOSET. In the acclaimed book by Eric Marcus, MAKING HISTORY: THE STRUGGLE FOR GAY AND LESBIAN EQUAL RIGHTS 1945-1990, he is profiled in the chapter “The Hollywood Screenwriter – Barry Sandler” In 2002, Sandler was named by The Advocate as one of the most influential gay artists in America. Sandler currently has film projects in development at Dirtwater Productions and Rapid Heart Pictures, and is mounting a stage adaptation of CRIMES OF PASSION which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010. In addition, he serves on the WGA Credit Arbitration Committee, the WGA Policy Review Board, the American Cinemateque Advisory Board, and has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1977, as well as being Artistic Director of the Outfest Screenwriting Lab and advisor to the Orlando Gay and Lesbian Center. Since 2003, in addition to screenwriting, Sandler has been on the faculty of the University of Central Florida, where he teaches Feature/TV Writing and Film history in the Film Program of the Nicholson School of Communication and Media. He was the inaugural instructor in the UCF Honors College LGBTQ program. In 2007, Sandler was selected as one of the WGA Gay Groundbreakers. In 2008, he was chosen as an honorary guest speaker at California State University, Northridge. I In 2009, he was honored with a week-long tribute and retrospective of his work by the University of Nebraska, and in 2010 he was honored by the Florida Queer Arts Council wit commemoration of his contribution to advancing the positive images of gay and lesbian people through his work In 2002, Sandler was honored by UCLA with a 20th anniversary tribute screening of his historic MAKING LOVE. In 2011 he was honored by the Orlando Gay and Lesbian Center with a month-long tribute of his work and a celebration of MAKING LOVE. In 2012, he was an Outfest Legacy Project honoree for that film, and in 2012, the Chelsea Arts Center in New York honored his film CRIMES OF PASSION, which was also given a special 25th Anniversary tribute screening in 2009 at the Florida Film Festival, where Sandler was honored along with the film's legendary director, Ken Russell. In 2012, Outfest presented a 30th anniversary commemorative screening of MAKING LOVE in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of Outfest, in which the film was named at the top of a list of “The Films That Changed Our Lives”, the most important LGBTQ films ever made. In 2013, the Lavender Effect and the One Institute presented "Making Love Letters", a benefit performance for LE consisting of prominent actors reading letters Sandler received from hundreds of LGBTQ men and women around the country who were profoundly affected by the film. In July 2014, Outfest presented a special 30th anniversary screening of CRIMES OF PASSION, followed by a panel reuniting cast and crew from the film. In October 2014, the Montreal International Festival du Nouveau Cinema presented another 30th anniversary showing of the film, and in February 2015, the Spectacle Cinema in Brooklyn presented a month-long tribute to the film. In 2015, Sandler wrote and produced KNOCK 'EM DEAD, a black-comedy/mystery satire of Hollywood, directed by David DeCoteau. The film is noteworthy for casting an entire cast of Black actors in roles non-race-specific. It was released in theaters by eOne, followed by release on VOD, DVD and Netflix. In September 2016, Arrow Films released a special Blu-Ray edition of CRIMES OF PASSION, for which Sandler did an extensive video interview that appears on the Blu-Ray, discussing his 40-year career as screenwriter and producer. In January 2017, Outfest presented a special tribute/screening in Los Angeles of Sandler’s film THE MIRROR CRACK’D, followed by a Q&A with Sandler, in anticipation of the Special Edition Blu-Ray release of the film on which Sandler did an interview recounting his experiences adapting Agatha Christie to the screen and working on the film in England with an all-star cast. In July 2017, Laemmle Anniversary Events presented a special 35th anniversary tribute and screening of MAKING LOVE in Los Angeles, followed by a panel discussion with Sandler on the groundbreaking impact and legacy of the film after 35 years. At its Closing Night Gala Ceremony in Los Angeles on July 16, 2017, Outfest presented Sandler with its highest honor, the Thom/Tom Award, for Distinguished Service to the LGBTQ Community. In the fall of 2021, the American Cinemateque presented a special screening of KANSAS CITY BOMBER. On September 8, 2021, the WGA LGBTQ Writers Group presented their Inaugural Salon as a tribute to Sandler and his groundbreaking landmark film MAKING LOVE. The event, “MAKING LOVE WITH BARRY SANDLER” was a celebration of Sandler’s career, his contribution to LGBTQ history and culture, and the film’s legacy and historical significance as the first major studio film to present a positive portrayal of LGBTQ men and women. On May 17, 2022, the American Cinemateque presented a special screening of CRIMES OF PASSION in their series of classic, subversive erotic thrillers. In May 2022, the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles presented a screening of CRIMES OF PASSION as part of a week-long series of “Classic Films Set in L.A.” On June 23, 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held a special 40th anniversary event screening of MAKING LOVE, celebrating the film’s role in LGBTQ cinematic history and the positive impact it has had and continues to have for LGBTQ people around the world. The sold-out screening was followed by a panel discussion with Sandler. Scott Berg and Harry Hamlin on the film’s historical and cultural significance and its enduring legacy. On Opening Night of Outfest 2022, Sandler was honored with an onstage tribute as one of the “Architects of Outfest”. Sandler has written the book for an original stage musical “KNOCK ‘EM DEAD: A CRAZY MURDER MUSICAL”, that he’s currently working on with composer Daniel McCook, to produce for the stage in 2023. 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Scholarship: I will cherish and honor learning as a fundamental purpose of my membership in the UCF community. 3. Community: I will promote an open and supportive campus environment by respecting the rights and contributions of every individual. 4. Creativity: I will use my talents to enrich the human experience. 5. Excellence: I will strive toward the highest standards of performance in any endeavor I undertake. The following definitions of plagiarism and misuse of sources comes from the Council of Writing Program Administrators <http://wpacouncil.org/node/9> and has been adopted by UCF’s Department of Writing & Rhetoric. Plagiarism In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source. This definition applies to texts published in print or on-line, to manuscripts, and to the work of other student writers. 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