Thursday, January 31

We went to the computer lab and brushed up on Homer's Odyssey, preparing to examine possible parallels to 2001, A Space Odyssey. Students filled out a worksheet based on their internet investigations.

See "Odyssey worksheet.pdf" in Documents.

Wednesday, January 30

Mr. Potratz presented quotations from Stanley Kubrick dealing with the nonverbal nature of 2001: A Space Odyssey and with comparisons between the film and Homer's Odyssey.

Students then wrote lists of the most significant details from the first twenty minutes of the film, which we watched yesterday, and we began combining those details into a joint class list.

Tuesday, January 29

Mr. Potratz announced that the first project of the class would be to read/review parts of the Odyssey (in conjunction with the school play) and to connect it with a viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

We watched the first twenty minutes of that film.

Monday, January 28 – Beginning of Fantasy & Science Fiction

Off to a flying start! School closed on account of space aliens. Or maybe snow.

Friday, January 25 – Conclusion of Film Studies

We finished watching The Set Up (1949), then briefly looked at images of paintings by George Bellows and Edward Hopper which share the same noir aesthetic with the movie.

Then we said our adieus.

Thursday, January 24

We watched the first 49 minutes of The Set Up (1949), directed by Robert Wise, and starring Robert Ryan as Stoker Thompson, aging pugilist.

Wednesday, January 23

Final exam.

Tuesday, January 22

Pair and share activity making Venn diagrams comparing Breathless with Bonnie and Clyde.

Then we watched and analyzed the editing of the final "ballet of blood" in Bonnie and Clyde, with an eye to tomorrow's final, which will require similar analysis of four clips from four different films.

Friday, January 18

We finished watching Bonnie and Clyde, and Mr. Potratz reviewed the recent film elements assignment, which he gave the class the option of redoing to hand in Tuesday, Jan. 22.

The final exam was postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Thursday, January 17

Mr. Potratz announced that very few students did the most recent HW assignment (the imdb.com film elements assignment which was due Tuesday) correctly, and that he would clarify the assignment Friday and allow students to try again.

We watched all but fifteen minutes of Bonnie and Clyde.

Wednesday, January 16

Shortened day; substitute.
More of Bonnie and Clyde.

Tuesday, January 15

Students turned in their HW (imdb.com film elements assignment), and we watched twenty-five minutes of Bonnie and Clyde.

Monday, January 14

We discussed the ending of Breathless (why does Patricia turn Michel in, especially) and Godard's project of making an existentialist treatment of a genre film.

Then we watched the opening of Bonnie and Clyde.

HW due Tuesday: film elements assignment issued on Friday.

Friday, January 11

We finished watching Breathless, and discussed the ending briefly, listening to a bit of the DVD's commentary track.

HW due Tuesday: Mr. Potratz distributed a handout with details. See Documents page.

Thursday, January 10

We briefly discussed students' reactions to the beginning of Breathless, then watched more of the film.


Wednesday, January 9

Mr. Potratz introduced the nature of the final exam, to be given Tuesday, January 22. Students will be shown several clips from films (some of which we have seen, some of which we haven't), and students will be required to analyze each with reference to specific techniques or film elements, such as camera movement and angles, lighting, mise en scene, editing, etc.

We watched several minutes of The Cutting Edge, the documentary on film editing, including sections on Breathless and Bonnie and Clyde. Afterwards, we watched the first twenty or so minutes of Breathless, a French New Wave film directed by Jean-Luc Godard.


Tuesday, January 8

In a weather-shortened period of one half hour we briefly traced the early history of the Hollywood crime movie, watching clips of Jimmy Cagney from The Public Enemy, of Edward G. Robinson from Little Caesar, and of Humphrey Bogart from The Big Sleep.

Monday, January 7

Students wrote for 25 minutes, comparing "The Killers" with The Killers, i.e. Ernest Hemingway's short story with the 1946 film which improvises upon it.

After that, we discussed the question.

Friday, January 4

Students turned in their online movie reviews,.

We went to the commons and ate donuts, then returned to the room and watched the last ten minutes of The Killers.

Monday: In-class write, comparing The Killers with the Hemingway story, and with Citizen Kane.

Thursday, January 3

We watched all but about ten minutes of The Killers (1946).

HW due Friday: online movie reviews, assigned before the break

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Mr. Potratz read aloud the Ernest Hemingway short story "The Killers," and then we watched the first twenty-five minutes of the 1946 film of the same name.

During class on Monday students will be asked to compare the story with the film, in writing.