Final Exam

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

FINAL EXAM TIME!
 

Your final exam is posted. You can click on it here, or you can click on it over to the right under CLASS HANDOUTS.

Important! You need to enter in the comments section ON THIS ENTRY which filmmaker you are choosing. First come, first served!

Keeping the Gators Fed

So now you've watched one of the great horror freakshows of the 1980s - Poltergeist - and you've read Stephen King's essay "Why We Crave Horror Movies." Here's my question for you:

What 'gators' (figuratively speaking, of course) does the movie Poltergeist 'keep fed'?

Be specific in your answer, and be sure to make specific references to the movie.

Bonus Trivia - King at one time was in talks with Speilberg to write the scirpt for Poltergeist. It never happened. King was then later in talks with Speilberg to write the screenplay for The Haunting, a movie Speilberg produced based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - King's favorite haunted house novel. That never happened, either.

Bonus Lesson - We spoke briefly about 'letterbox format'. I have a better review of it here. Take a look. I actualy use Poltergeist as one of examples as to how letterboxing can mutilate films.

Kane Today

So, now you've watched Citizen Kane. It's supposed to be one of the greats, you know. The authors collected in the study guide you read last night agree. Kane is a truly "great movie."

At least, that's the story.

Here's the question I put forth to you: True or false?  Hm? How good is Citizen Kane? Is it really one of the best of all time? Does it still hold up today? Or has it worn out it's welcome?

 

To answer this question, I'd like you to address 3 perspectives:

1. What was your initial, personal reaction to the movie? (Forget what I told you, and forget what you read. I just want to know, what did you think of the movie regardless of outside static the minute you saw it?)
2. With what aspects of the reviews you read do you agree or disagree? (Address at least three separate ideas from the study guide. Be sure to cite them using direct quotations.)
3. Upon reflection, what do you now think of the movie? (Is it a classic? Is it brilliant? Is it over rated? And why?)

I know I initially said this was due on Thursday. Let's make it Monday.