What is Communism?/What was HUAC?

These links will build on what we have done in class about the themes of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and how it related to the political enviroment in America in the 1950s. Hollywood was badly hit by the HUAC investigations which resulted in ten well known screenwriter, and other film workers being blacklisted and jailed, they were know as 'The Hollywood Ten'.


Political Links:

• Communism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist
• House UnAmerican Activities Commission: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HUAC
• The Cold War: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War

The Hollywood Ten

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollywood_Ten

You Tube Videos For HUAC and 'The Hollywood Ten'

• http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=HUAC&aq=f
• http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=hollywood+ten&aq=2&oq=Hollywood+Te

Differentiation Notes

I have uploaded some new genre notes onto moodle. These notes expand on the basic theories we have covered in class and, as a result, are more detailed and complex. You don't need to know all of this stuff as it is more advanced than you need but if you feel that what we are doing in class is too basic for you or you are simply interested in learning more then feel free to check them out. They include some extra tasks that you can do if you want as well.

The Seven Story Types

All stories will fit into one of seven basic plot types. These plots date back to ancient Greek theatre and the names we give them are based on famous examples of stories which fit into that category. The 7 plots are:

1. ACHILLES - The flawless (or almost flawless) person, e.g. Superman.
2. CINDERELLA - The dream come true (e.g. Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman.)
3. CIRCE - The chase, e.g The Blues Brothers.
4. FAUST - Selling your soul to the Devil may bring riches, but eventually, you will belong to him, e.g. Wall Street
5. ORPHEUS - The loss of something personal, e.g. Regarding Henry,
6. ROMEO & JULIET - The love story, e.g. Sleepless In Seattle. (Ironically, Shakespere's Romeo & Juliet actually goes into the Tristan and Iseult category!)
7. TRISTAN And ISEULT- X loves Y, but one or both are already spoken for, e.g. Fatal Attraction.

Key Tracking Assessment Task 4

What elements of these posters allow you to identify the film’s genre?

Exam Dates

The date of the Unit 2735: Media Issues And Debates exam paper (Genre & News) is: Thursday 11th June, a.m.

The date of the Unit 2734: Critical Research exam paper (for anybody resiting) is: Tuesday 16th June, p.m.

Classic Universal Horror Movies

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Cat and the Canary (1927)
The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Dracula (1931)
Dracula (Spanish Version) (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Mummy (1932)

The Invisible Man (1933)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

The Wolf Man (1941)

Classic Hammer Movies

The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957)

Dracula (1958)

The Mummy (1959)

The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Key Tracking Assessment 1

Many of you have failed to submit your first key tracking assessment, the deadline for which was Week Beginning 02/02/09. Failure to submit homework will not be tolerated. If this work is not submitted by the time you return from half term you will be placed on a learning contract!

Key Tracking Assessment Task 2

1. Watch a sci-fi, horror or high school teen movie and identify its stages of equilibrium, disequilibrium and return to a new equilibrium.
2. Identify your own example of a genre film which pastiches another media text.
3. Identify your own example of a genre film, which parodies another media text.

Deadline: Week beginning 23/02/09 (first lesson back after half term)