FTV150B1

The horror film is often considered lowbrow and disreputable due to its frequent emphasis on simple shock effects and explicit violence. However, horror films can help us answer many important questions. The course will be broken down into various monsters to better understand the development of the genre (horror) as well as the development of changing definitions of cultural identity as it connects to race, ethnicity, and/ or gender. This course functions as an introduction to the study of horror cinema, emphasizing both close textual analysis and key critical approaches to the genre. We will consider the genre's enduring popularity, and why the horrific serves as such a fertile ground for a broad range of cultural and political perspectives. The course will take on a multicultural approach to the genre by including films from different cultures and perspectives.