Attack of the Remakes Due Date

Please have a complete draft of your "Attack of the Remakes" essay for next Tuesday, Dec. 2nd when we will have a peer review workshop.

Refer to the previous posting with the assignment.

Remember to gather together a few sources in the form of movie reviews or online articles. The Roger Ebert website is a wonderful source for high quality film reviews. Also, Proquest provides access to many magazines and journals (available through the library's online resources).

Remember that the assignment requires you to watch the films you are writing about, so make sure to be planning ahead.

The draft for Tuesday will be the 100 point final draft. We are skipping the 25 point first draft because of the time crunch. You will have the opportunity to revise this essay again for the final portfolio if you choose.

Special Two Day Activity

Come to class next week on Monday and Tuesday, and earn an extra 25 points, but you must attend both days!

The Attack of the Remakes essay is now due on Monday after the Thanksgiving break!

Long Weekend

After we take our in-class essay on King Kong, you have a dual mission over the long weekend: post a version of your pop-culture phenomenon essay on your new blog (and email me the link), and begin thinking about which film you want to write about for the Attack of the Remakes Essay! Consider renting a film that is a candidate for this essay assignment.

I changed the schedule, so click on the "syllabus" to see the new deadlines for our essays.

Attack of the Remakes

Essay Prompt:
Analyze a film that is an adaptation of a previous film (no sequels – the instructor needs to approve your topic). Discuss the significant points of difference and similarity between the versions, and interpret the filmmakers’ storytelling choices in the remake. Develop a thesis statement on the cultural significance of the remake.

Topic Selection:
Choosing the right film is an important first step. The film should be a fictional, full-length feature film. The assignment requires you to study the original and the remake. If the remake is based on an original film, plan to watch both versions. Memory is not enough; you need to view both films. We will brainstorm ideas in class.

King Kong option:
We will view and study the original film version of King Kong in class. If you choose to write your essay on King Kong, you will need to rent the remake. In addition, you can include quotations and ideas from the essay handout and class discussion. This option provides the student with the most support. Selecting your own topic requires more independent planning.

In order to discuss the significant points of similarity and difference, remember to consider the historical and cultural contexts of both the original and the remake. For example, the audience for King Kong in 1933 was profoundly different than the audience in 2005. Another example: the Japanese Ringu and the American Ring are aimed at culturally different audiences.

The film unit in the textbook includes essays that might be applicable to the topic you choose. For example, the Seger reading would be appropriate for hero movies. Feel free to quote from these texts in your essay. In addition, film reviews from the Internet might be helpful, but be aware of whether or not the review is analytical or merely evaluative.

Avoid summary! Summarizing, or simply retelling the story in your essay is an example of weak topic development. Concise pieces of summary may be necessary within a paragraph of analysis, but assume that your audience already knows the story and don’t waste valuable paragraph space on reporting the story back to your audience.

Pop-Culture Phenomenon

Essay Topic:
Tell the story of why you are a fan of a specific phenomenon in American pop-culture. Analyze why this phenomenon is important to your life and why it matters to American culture. If you're not a fan of the phenomenon, then discuss why the phenomenon matters to people who are fans.

Topic selection: A pop-culture phenomenon could mean a film, television series, music artist, video game, celebrity, comic book hero, etc. Make sure to select a topic for which there is a fan base. For this essay, let’s avoid political figures, religious figures, and important figures in your personal life like a parent or a coach. Select something from American pop-culture.

Definition: How do you define the term “fan?” The word is an Americanism that is derived from “fanatic.” Look up various definitions of the term and consider offering your own definition in the paper.

This is a personal essay. The essay will include “I” and will involve an important story from your life that connects to your pop-culture phenomenon. If you’re truly a fan of something, there must be a story behind why it is important to you. For this part of the essay, tell your story with specific details. Make the reader understand why you love the pop-culture phenomenon. If you're not a fan yourself, you can still use "I" as a standpoint for your observations and interpretations.

You will also analyze the importance of the pop-culture phenomenon and how it relates to you. During the analysis part of the essay, you will discuss why the phenomenon is important to American culture, extending your analysis past yourself into the bigger picture. If there is a fan base, explore what other fans have to say about the phenomenon through websites and message boards.

Organization: Weaving together storytelling and analysis can be a challenge. You will want to use transitions between the main sections of the essay. The best way to do this is to repeat or echo main ideas and concepts in the concluding and introductory sentences of paragraphs.

The first draft will receive comments from the instructor on how to improve the essay for the next draft.

Informal Presentations on subjects: Thursday 10/23
First Drafts Due: Monday 10/27

Great Job on Superman Essays

Excellent job on the Superman essays!

Make sure to read the Jenkins essay on page 524 for Tuesday.

The Mind Machine