IB Film Summer Assignment *Updated*

Actually, a short series of assignments:

1.  Please watch this short film about American Cinema and film criticism. This should give you a fairly straightforward account of the way we will view and comment upon film in our class. It will also give you a model for how to complete the reflections that will be required of you for this summer assignment. Pay close attention to the commentary--both what they care to observe and how they comment upon it.
   
2. WATCH SOME MOVIES! You must watch a total of ten (10) films over the summer. This part of the assignment is more enjoyable if you actually watch them with other people, perhaps your fellow film students or even <gasp!> your parental units. You will need to watch the following:
• a Film Noir from the 1940s - 50s;
• a Sci Fi classic from the 1950s - 60s, or a Universal monster film;
• a John Ford western;
• a Hitchcock thriller;
• any two of the AFI Top 100 Films of the Last 100 Years;
• any two by the any combination of the following directors: Pedro Almodovar, Federico Fellini, Werner Herzog, Akira Kurosawa, or Francois Truffaut;
• and any two movies from the genre or era or country of your choice.***
3. Written Assignment: You will turn in a 300-500 word reflection for each film you watch, written within two days of seeing the film. This reflection should include a (very) brief summary of the film, including the year of release, the director’s name and the main characters’ and actors’ names. The rest of the reflection should discuss your analytical, interpretive and evaluative thoughts about the film. (Again, watch the link above in #1 for an example of what I'm talking about.)

***(Ed.- I originally thought this went without saying, but try to watch movies that you have not seen before. I know it says that you can watch two films of your own free choice, but I was hoping that you might want to talk about films that have only recently been released. Ultimately, it's your option, but even if you sample something that you've tasted a thousand times, I hope that you'll look at it in a more critical light than that to which you are accustomed.)

The assignment will be due the Friday of the first week of school. Period. No exceptions, unless it is a REALLY good one, and even then I reserve the right to call shenanigans and say no.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Ask me! Feel free to comment with your questions, and I promise that I will reply. Or if you believe that your question is too radical or personal to ask publicly, feel free to drop me a line at:

pmcghee@dallasisd.org

Note: I will check my email and my blog often, but not necessarily more than daily (I do have things to do, after all). I promise to get back to you at my earliest convenience.

***There was an issue with the link to the video. The correct video should pop up now.***