What makes a science fiction film a science fiction film? What images, sounds, and thematic concerns are revisited over and over again in science fiction films? How have science fiction films evolved over time in response to political and social conditions while still maintaining coherent formulae? These questions and more will be addressed in this course. We will begin with an introduction to some basic concepts of film theory and analysis, including the concept of "genre study." We will then proceed to an analysis of the generic conventions of the American science fiction film. Since science fiction has traditionally been viewed as marginal, it has provided a relatively "safe" space for individuals to imagine alternative realities. Thus, we will be especially interested in reading science fiction films in their social contexts from the Cold War paranoia of 1950s sci-fi to the ecological obsessions of the 1970s to the gender remodeling of the 80s to the postmodern entropy of the 1990s and beyond.

Evaluation will be based on 10 brief on-line discussion postings, two exams,

and an online research project. Students who have a class conflict with the scheduled lab time (Tuesdays 12:30-2:30 pm) will be expected to view the assigned films independently before the next class session. I will make the films available in the library's media room as soon as the screening is over.

• Geoff King & Tanya Krzywinska, Science Fiction Cinema (SFC)
• Sean Redmond, Liquid Metal: The SF Film Reader  (LM)
• A selection of readings available in the "Readings" section of the Desire2Learn (D2L) website <https://oc.okstate.edu>. You may read these on-line, or download and print the essays so that you can make notes and comments in the margins as you read.
• Optional: Timothy Corrigan, A Short Guide to Writing About Film.

This book covers both film theory and terminology and writing strategy and structure. Highly Recommended!

Participation: Students are expected to attend class regularly and participate actively in class discussions, both real and virtual.

On-Line Discussion Postings: You will write a series of informal on-line responses to the day's readings or screenings. Topics and instructions will be posted each week in the "Discussions" section of D2L <https://oc.okstate.edu>. You must post at least 10 responses over the course of the semester. You may post up to 2 additional responses for extra credit if you meet the attendance criteria above. Each assignment will be worth ten points, and together they will comprise 10% of your course grade. There will be no late postings accepted. These are easy points so don't forget about them.

Exams: There will be one mid-term and one final exam in this class. The exams will consist of identifications, short-answer responses, and/or essay questions and will cover the course readings, lectures, and discussions in equal measure. Check the course schedule to determine the exam dates. There will be a study guide offered for each exam; it behooves you to use these. Make-up exams will be given only in cases of documented emergency and only if I am notified of said emergency well before the scheduled date and time of the exam. If you contact me after you miss an exam, I will be unable to help you, and you will receive a grade of zero.

"Wiki" Project: You will each create a "wiki" entry related to a film of your choice. The assignment will proceed in stages, each of which asks you to approach your study of the film in a slightly different way. The first phase will consist of a summary and review of the film, which states how the film fulfills or upsets the expectations associated with the SF genre. The second phase will consist of an ideological analysis of the film, including a close analysis of a single shot or sequence and its relation to key themes in the film. The third phase will ask you to situate your film in relation to either its production or its reception context. Together we will create a database of information about a variety of films, old and new, that sci fi lovers can consult & add to over time. See the "Assignments" folder of D2L for details and consult the schedule below for due dates.

Academic Honesty: All work you turn in for this class must be your own work. Incidents of plagiarism—including failure to cite your sources properly—will result in a failing grade for the assignment. Any more egregious violation (cheating on exams, turning in someone else's work as your own, or copying content from the internet, for example) will result in a failing grade for the course. Consult OSU's Office of Academic Affairs for more information on the University's new, more stringent Academic Integrity policy, or view this video.

1/8

Introduction: Class Overview

1/10

SFC: "Introduction" & "Defining Science Fiction: Narrative Themes" (1-57)

1/15

LM: Vivian Sobchak, "Images of Wonder"
SFC: "The Design of SF" (72-90)
*Corrigan, "Mis-en-Scene and Realism"

Optional: Corrigan, Chapters 2-3

Lab Screening: Blade Runner

1/17

Discussion of Blade Runner

1/22

 SFC: "Sounds Weird: Music and Sound in SF Cinema" (68-72)
*Vivian Sobchak, "The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo: Sounds of Sci Fi"

1/24

SFC: "Industrial Light & Magic" & "Interactivity & Immersion" (58-68, 90-94)
*Lev Manovich, Selection from Language of New Media

1/29

*Leonard J. Kohl, "Flash Gordon Conquers the Great Depression"

Lab Screening: Flash Gordon + Them!

1/31

LM: Susan Sontag, "The Imagination of Disaster"

2/5

LM: Peter Biskind, "The Russians are Coming, Aren't They?"

2/7

LM: Marc Jancovich, "Re-Examining the 1950s Invasion Narratives"

2/12

*Jimmy Carter, "Crisis of Confidence" Speech
*H. Bruce Franklin, "Visions of the Future in Science Fiction Films"

Lab Screening: THX1138 + Clips

2/14

*Ronald Reagan "First Inaugural Address" (1981)
*Robin Wood, "Papering the Cracks: Fantasy & Ideology in the Reagan Era"
*Hugh Ruppersberg, "The Alien Messiah"

2/19

Learn about Wiki building

2/21

Mid-Term Exam

2/26

*Per Schelde, "Woman the Polluter" & "Sexy Weapons"
*Vivian Sobchak, "The Virginity of Astronauts"

Lab Screening: Clips Shrinking Men, 50ft. Women, & other Humanoids

2/28

Discussion of gender in SF films

3/4

LM: Eric Avila, "Dark City: White Flight and the Urban SF Film in Postwar America"

3/6

*Eric Greene, "Urban Riots and Ape Revolution"

DUE: Wiki Project Phase 1: Film Summary and Review

3/11

LM: Vivian Sobchak, "Postfuturism: Altered States"
*Thomas Byers, "Commodity Futures"

Lab Screening: Robocop

3/13

Discussion of film

3/18-3/20

Spring Break--No Class

3/25

Blockbusters: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

SFC: "Case Study: Star Wars Phantom Menace" (95-113)

3/27

Discussion of Phantom Menace cont.

DUE: Wiki Project Phase 2: Ideological Analysis of Film

4/1

Remakes: Invasions of the Body Snatchers (1956, 1978, 2007)

*Constantine Verevis, "Remaking as Industrial Category"

Lab Screening: Clips from Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1, 2 & 3

4/3

Discussion of films

4/8

The Transmedia Franchise: The Matrix

*Henry Jenkins, "Transmedia Storytelling"

4/10

Work on Wiki Projects

4/15

LM: Henry Jenkins, "Star Trek, Rerun, Reread, Rewritten"

4/17

LM: Will Brooker, "New  Hope: The Postmodern Project of Star Wars"

4/22

Work on Wiki Projects

4/24

Presentation of Wiki Projects; Exam Study session

DUE: Wiki Project Phase 3: Analysis of Film Production/Reception

4/29

Final Exam (8-9:50 am)