AJL17096 Aesthetic Intensity in Contemporary Anglophone Horror Film

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jan Čapek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 23. 9. 12:00–13:40 G03, Tue 24. 9. 12:00–13:40 G03, 14:00–15:40 B2.41, Wed 25. 9. 10:00–11:40 G03, 12:00–13:40 B2.34, Thu 26. 9. 12:00–13:40 G03, 14:00–15:40 D51, Fri 27. 9. 12:00–13:40 G03, 14:00–15:40 B2.43
Prerequisites (in Czech)
AJL01002 Practical English II || AJ01002 Practical English II
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 10 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 10/10, only registered: 2/10, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/10
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 13 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives (in Czech)
The intensive course focuses on recognizing, interpreting, and discussing aesthetic intensities found in the selected films by contemporary English, Canadian, and American filmmakers. The selected works, which the filmmakers in question not only directed but also wrote and produced, all in their own way present highly stylized, thematically involved, and vividly expressive aesthetics. The assigned films are chosen for the intensity with which they enfold and envelop their reflection of reality in the genre-defining aesthetic evocation of anxiety. The assigned readings accompanying the films are chosen as thematic supplements, suggesting a connection to the anglophone literary history of aesthetic thematization of aesthetic intensity. The overarching aim of this intensive course is to cultivate the student’s sensitivity to thematic structure and emergent meaning by way of drawing attention to the aesthetic intensity of the imagery which expresses them. The intensive course format will be employed in order to confront the students with aesthetically intense films and to invite and encourage them to react and produce sensible commentary in the shortly following discussion session. This should enhance the student’s ability to comfortably produce sensible commentary in future studies, research, publications, and teaching practice.
Syllabus
  • Introduction to the intensive course (single session): Ari Aster – The Strange Thing about the Johnsons (short, 2011)
  • Gendered intensity (projection and discussion sessions): Alex Garland – Men (2022) / D. H. Lawrence – “Nathaniel Hawthorne and ‘The Scarlet Letter’” (1923)
  • Phallic intensity (projection and discussion sessions): Robert Eggers – The Lighthouse (2019) / Herman Melville – “The Bell-Tower” (1855)
  • Drugged intensity (projection and discussion sessions): Panos Cosmatos – Mandy (2018) / Thomas de Quincey – excerpt from Confessions of an English Opium Eater (1821) / Samuel Taylor Coleridge – “Kubla Khan” (1816)
  • Bodily intensity (projection and discussion sessions): David Cronenberg – Crimes of the Future (2022) / Franz Kafka – “In the Penal Colony” (1919)
Teaching methods
Please note that the scheduled sessions in room G03 are the projection sessions and that the discussion sessions will follow shortly afterwards in the SAC room at KAA.
Assessment methods
60% regular attendance and active participation in discussions + 40% a viewer’s diary, mapping the students’ engagement with the assigned materials in something similar to four brief response papers, MLA formatting, min. BA 1500 words / MA 2000 words
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Teacher's information
https://elf.phil.muni.cz/23-24/course/view.php?id=8141
The link leads to an ELF e-learning course where all assigned films and texts can be located. In addition, there is a backup link there to the G-Drive repository.
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  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2024/AJL17096