Spring 2009

VAMPIRES, IMMIGRANTS, NATIONS

Listed in: English, as ENGL-01

Faculty

Dale M. Hudson (Section 01)

Description

This course acquaints students with the critical study of “entertainment” film by reading vampire films as immigration stories and by considering these films in terms of the uneven and unequal global circulation of audiovisual media. The course situates cinematic vampires within the historical and cultural context of pre-cinematic vampires, including vampires from central and eastern European folklore, vampires from western European literature and drama, as well as supernatural creatures from much older traditions, such as the Indian vetala and the Chinese jiang shi, that come to be confused with vampires. Weekly writing assignments emphasize textual analysis of film in terms of its formal properties and generic codes and conventions, whether from horror and melodrama, or from masala and wuxia, to support thematic analysis. The course ask students to consider ways that vampires function in European, North American, and Asian popular cinemas in relation to questions of cultural assimilation, racialization, nativism, nationalism, and violations of national sovereignty, such as political assassinations and vigilantism. As a counterpoint to vampire films, we will screen short films on the subject of immigrants from the early days of cinema. The course asks students to reflect upon the politics of entertainment in films from Canada, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, México, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Weekly film screenings. Preference given to first-year students and sophomores. Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Visiting Professor Hudson.

ENGL 01 - L/D

Section 01
Tu 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM CHAP 210
Th 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM CHAP 210

Offerings

2024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Spring 2010, Spring 20122024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 20122024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2007, Spring 2009, Spring 20112024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 20212024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2021, Fall 20212024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 20132024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 20082024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2008, Spring 20092024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010