tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549542455677748372024-02-28T18:43:31.141-05:00CMOS: THE BLOGNotices and Assignments for Classical Myth on Screen (CC 365), Skidmore College, Fall 2016.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-24662723336554357112016-12-03T00:04:00.002-05:002016-12-03T00:04:40.036-05:00Milestone on Wednesday, 12-21-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
A friendly reminder that the final milestone of our semester project, the finished paper,
is due via email by 11:00 p.m. Remember to include the latest version of
your overall bibliography. <br />
<br />
Full details are available on the <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/%7Edcurley/film/project.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Project web page</a>, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.<br />
<br />
Thanks for a great semester! <br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-28297384159683751002016-12-03T00:01:00.001-05:002016-12-03T00:01:10.677-05:00Assignment for Tuesday, 12-13-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
All good things must come to an end. For Tuesday, December 13, our last class of the semester, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190590/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>O Brother, Where Art Thou?</i></a> (Ethan and Joel Coen, 2000), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is also streaming
on Amazon.<br />
<br />
(2) Read Janice Siegel's exhaustive essay, "<i><a href="https://muse.jhu.edu.lib2.skidmore.edu/article/247584/pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Homer’s Odyssey</a></i>,"
which elucidates just about every possible parallel between the film and the epic poem. Hers is important work, given the Coens' testimony that they'd never bothered to read the <i>Odyssey</i>. Siegel proves the brothers to be artful, Odysseus-like double-dealers.<br />
<br />
And, yes, the piece is many pages long, but (a) they're small, journal-sized pages, and (b) the article itself is very accessible, if not downright breezy. You'll be glad you took the time.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>O Brother </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-12140798443506945392016-12-02T23:35:00.002-05:002016-12-02T23:35:56.333-05:00Milestone on Sunday, 12-11-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
A friendly reminder that the fourth milestone of our semester project, the rough draft,
is due via email by 11:00 p.m. Watch your inboxes for an invitation to sign up for meetings with me to discuss your draft starting on Monday, December 12. (This meeting will constitute the fifth milestone.)<br />
<br />
Details are available on the <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/%7Edcurley/film/project.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Project web page</a>, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-58723167605483514882016-12-02T23:32:00.000-05:002016-12-06T14:48:54.472-05:00Assignment for Thursday, 12-08-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Thursday, December 8, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047630/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ulysses</a> </i>(Mario Camerini, 1954), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is
also streaming on Amazon. Like <i>Helen of Troy</i> two years, later, this Italian-language film is one of the forerunners of the peplum genre.<br />
<br />
Why they don't hire me to do taglines, part 1: Before he was Spartacus, Kirk Douglas was...ULYSSES!<br />
<br />
Why they don't hire me..., part 2: Before she was Helen of Troy, Rossana Podestà was...NAUSICAA!<br />
<br />
(2) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Ulysses </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
DC<br />
<br />
(No, there's no secondary reading for today. Focus your non-viewing energies on your rough drafts. You're welcome!)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-84192422097061276102016-12-02T23:23:00.000-05:002016-12-02T23:23:19.939-05:00Assignment for Tuesday, 12-06-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Tuesday, December 6, we're going to take a chronological step backward and consider a film that deals with events from before the Trojan War. Please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076208/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Iphigenia</i></a> (Michael Cacoyannis, 1977), taking notes as you see
fit. The DVD is reserved at the library, BUT the film is NOT streaming on Amazon, Hulu or Netflix. It is available on YouTube in versions of varying quality. Make sure you get a version with English subtitles (it's a modern Greek-language film, like <i>A Dream of Passion</i>).<br />
<br />
Being an adaptation of Euripides' <i>Iphigenia at Aulis</i>, this film shares many of the same concerns as adaptations of the <i>Medea</i>. The movie overall is a feel-bad experience in the best possible way, cathartic in a most Aristotelian sense.<br />
<br />
I'll add, for what it's worth, that it's probably my favorite movie in our filmography.<br />
<br />
(2) Read Marianne McDonald's essay, "<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Film/McDonald%202001.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eye of the Camera, Eye of the Victim</a>," which offers a cogent analysis of the film in light of Euripides' play, as well as a personal response to Iphigenia's tragedy. Note: Her essay comes from <i>Classical Myth and Culture in the Cinema</i> (Oxford, 2001), one of the first major volumes combining Classical Studies and film studies, edited by Martin M. Winkler (who would go on to edit volumes on <i>Gladiator</i> and <i>Troy</i>).<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Iphigenia </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-73352974112802696922016-11-22T16:03:00.000-05:002016-11-22T16:03:36.089-05:00Milestone on Sunday, 12-04-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
A friendly reminder that the third milestone of our semester project, the annotated bibliography,
is due via email by 11:00 p.m. Also remember that a tweaked version of your overall bibliography (with mini-thesis) is also due. <br />
<br />
Details are available on the <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/%7Edcurley/film/project.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Project web page</a>, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-58817553227885281612016-11-22T15:59:00.000-05:002016-11-22T15:59:15.172-05:00Assignment for Thursday, 12-01-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Thursday, December 1, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332452/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Troy</i></a> (Wolfgang Peterson, 2004), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is
also streaming on Amazon. Remember as you watch that this movie was conceived in the full fervor of post-<i>Gladiator</i> fever.<br />
<br />
(2) Read the second half of <i>Looking at Movies </i>Chapter 5 ("<i>Mise-en-Scene</i>") (pp. 187–210).<br />
<br />
(3) Read Monica Cyrino's essay, "<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Film/Cyrino%202007.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Helen of <i>Troy</i></a>" (2007), a pivotal piece in a scholarly volume specifically conceived in response to the film (one of several such volumes edited by the prolific Martin L. Winkler).<br />
<br />
(4) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Troy </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-89441314915005093052016-11-22T15:51:00.001-05:002016-11-29T17:51:35.933-05:00Assignment for Tuesday, 11-29-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Tuesday, November 29, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049301/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Helen of Troy</i></a> (Robert Wise, 1956), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is
also streaming on Amazon. Remember as you watch that this movie is not only the archetype of <i>Troy</i> (2004), but also the precursor of the peplum craze from 1958 onward.<br />
<br />
(2) Read the first half of <i>Looking at Movies </i>Chapter 5 ("<i>Mise-en-Scene</i>") (pp. 171–87). This chapter, the last we'll read in the textbook, seems appropriate for an epic of the sort to which <i>Helen of Troy</i> aspires.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Helen of Troy </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-54686038894576726422016-11-12T16:09:00.000-05:002016-11-12T16:09:19.737-05:00Assignment for Tuesday, 11-22-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, November 22, we'll bring our unit on Jason & Medea to a close. Please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Prepare for Quiz 3, which we'll have at the start of class. Most of you may have about 30 minutes to complete it, then take a long break. Those who need extra time can work longer, then take a shorter break. Either way, we'll reconvene at 4:35 p.m. for the second half of class.<br />
<br />
(And, yes, since this is a school day, I do expect you to return for the second half. No, the fact that your ride is supposedly leaving campus is not an acceptable excuse to miss either class or the quiz. Sorry — travel is what Wednesday is for.)<br />
<br />
(2) Read<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/primary/translations/Homer%20Od%201%209%2011%2022%2023.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> these excerpts from Homer's <i>Odyssey</i></a> and come to class prepared to discuss both them as well as the <i>Iliad</i> excerpts assigned the previous Thursday. As before, feel free to fill in the gaps with a reliable summary of the poem.<br />
<br />
After the quiz, at 4:35, we'll kick off Unit 4 with a discussion of the Trojan Saga and Homer (hint: not the same thing).<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-66294670914404859922016-11-12T15:53:00.003-05:002016-11-12T15:53:26.653-05:00Assignment for Thursday, 11-17-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
With Thanksgiving break approaching, we're going to have to vary the rhythm of the class a bit. Please read this post and its sequels carefully so that you understand not only WHAT we'll be doing over the next few days, but also WHY.<br />
<br />
For Thursday, November 17, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Read <a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/primary/translations/Homer%20Il%201%206%2016%2022%2024%20Fagles.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these excerpts from Homer's <i>Iliad</i></a> in preparation for Unit 4. We won't discuss them for today's class, but you should read them now in order to avoid conflicting with the <i>Odyssey</i> selections due next class. You may fill in the gaps between books with a reliable online summary of the <i>Iliad</i>, so long as you understand that the summary is no substitute for the grandeur of the epic itself.<br />
<br />
IMPORTANT NOTES:<br />
<br />
(a) There's no assigned film to view before today's class. Rather, we'll use class time to screen the rarely-shown <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077473/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>A Dream of Passion</i></a> (Jules Dassin,1978), the last film in our Jason & Medea unit, and an interesting meditation on the intersection between myth in art and myth in real life.<br />
<br />
(b) We'll begin the screening promptly at 3:40 and watch all the way through. Since the film runs 110 minutes, we'll have to let the tape roll and won't have time for a break. Plan accordingly!<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-22419293520630807962016-11-12T15:48:00.001-05:002016-11-12T15:48:13.422-05:00Fall Classics Lecture on Tuesday, 11-15-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, November 15, at 5:30 p.m. (David Auditorium) the Classics Department will present its fall lecture: “The <i>Aeneid </i>in America, from First Contact to Final Frontier.”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvDpsLMQVLWgtFsPb5eSLNMjVbhzj1t_TtJU8-YPKp-ChV0HDbW3-VDxLAmBPmlQ-1YfJlD_1ZRD2XIME1HK5RhWJYry0A3Wtw5q09BV7SAG3A0WGbDqRh2F2dsTEE-JzO77ftubLZgo/s1600/aeneas_frontier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvDpsLMQVLWgtFsPb5eSLNMjVbhzj1t_TtJU8-YPKp-ChV0HDbW3-VDxLAmBPmlQ-1YfJlD_1ZRD2XIME1HK5RhWJYry0A3Wtw5q09BV7SAG3A0WGbDqRh2F2dsTEE-JzO77ftubLZgo/s640/aeneas_frontier.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Our speaker is Professor Meredith Safran of Trinity College, a recognized expert in the field of classical reception. Her presentation will explore the cultural heritage of Vergil’s Aeneid in the United States, from the controversial Vergilian quotation on the 9/11 Memorial in New York, to the recent reboot of the vintage science-fiction series Battlestar Galactica.<br />
<br />
Since this lecture is perfect for our seminar, I'm going to offer a 5% bonus to your class participation grade if you attend. Furthermore, if you ask Prof. Safran an intelligent question during the Q&A (or after the talk is over), I'll award an additional 5% bonus.<br />
<br />
Additional information follows. I hope to see you there.<br />
<br />
<br />
DC<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
<br />
What is classical reception? What can classicists contribute when materials and motifs from the ancient world garner the attention of modern audiences? These and other questions will be considered from the perspective of Vergil’s epic poem, Aeneid, drawing case studies from the U.S. Postal Service, the 9/11 Memorial in New York, and the recent Syfy series, Battlestar Galactica.<br /><br />Published after Vergil’s death in 19 BCE, the Aeneid became an instant classic, a seminal text for the nascent Roman empire. Its story of a man fleeing the destruction of his homeland and searching for a new one echoes loudly in the cultural history of the United States, with its own empire, and is even heard in the genre of the space Western. Professor Safran will help us perceive these echoes and offer some strategies for interpreting them.<br /><br />WHO: Meredith Safran, Assistant Professor of Classics, Trinity College.<br />WHAT: “The Aeneid in America, from First Contact to Final Frontier.”<br />WHEN: Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 5:30 p.m.<br />WHERE: Davis Auditorium.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-90628729072336415272016-11-12T15:38:00.000-05:002016-11-12T15:38:55.389-05:00Assignment for Tuesday, 11-15-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Tuesday, November 15, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066065/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Medea</i> </a>(Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1969), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is
also streaming on Amazon.<br />
<br />
(2) Read Kristi M. Wilson's essay, "<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Film/Wilson%202011.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hero Trouble: Blood, Politics, and Kinship in Pasolini's <i>Medea</i></a>," another entry from the <i>Of Muscles and Men</i> volume. Wilson will fill in the background on Pasolini and his intentions, which you might want after seeing this film.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Medea </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
NOTE: Our speaker, Meredith Safran, might be joining us in class, so look sharp!<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-34718873994020528342016-11-04T06:32:00.002-04:002016-11-04T06:32:52.942-04:00Milestone on Saturday, 11-12-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
A friendly reminder that the
second milestone of our semester project, the preliminary bibliography,
is due via email by 11:00 p.m.<br />
<br />
Details are available on the <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/%7Edcurley/film/project.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Project web page</a>, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-79246903471198883572016-11-04T06:31:00.002-04:002016-11-04T06:31:57.050-04:00Assignment for Thursday, 11-10-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Thursday, November 10, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095607/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Medea</i></a>
(Lars Von Trier, 1988), taking notes as you see
fit. NOTE: THE FILM IS NOT STREAMING on any of the major video services,
so please plan your viewing accordingly. As per usual, the DVD is
available on reserve in Scribner Library. (Yes, it's on YouTube, but not
in English.)<br />
<br />
(2) Read "'<a href="http://muse.jhu.edu.lib2.skidmore.edu:2048/article/232479/pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An Orchid in the Land of Technology': Narrative and Representation in Lars Von Trier's </a><i><a href="http://muse.jhu.edu.lib2.skidmore.edu:2048/article/232479/pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Medea</a>,</i>"
by Susan Joseph and Marguerite Johnson. NOTE: To access this article,
you might have to first access the Project Muse database via <a href="http://lib.skidmore.edu/library/index.php/research/researchdatabases" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Scribner Library portal</a>.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Medea </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-4261132358326946692016-11-04T06:30:00.002-04:002016-11-04T06:44:31.392-04:00Assignment for Tuesday, 11-08-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Tuesday, November 8, please elect to do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0217579/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Jason and the Argonauts</i></a>
(Nick Willing, 2000), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is
also streaming on Amazon.<br />
<br />
(2) Perhaps not
unsurprisingly, there's not much worthy scholarship available on this
screen text. Given that fact, and because the film is long, please just
consider the following questions as you watch:<br />
<ul>
<li>How does this version pay homage to and/or self-consciously correct the 1963 version?</li>
<li>What is this version's conception of heroism vs. that of other screen texts?</li>
<li>How does Medea in this version compare to Medea in the 1963 film?</li>
</ul>
We will discuss your answers to these questions on Tuesday.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Jason and the Argonauts </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-62812990232035496242016-11-04T06:29:00.000-04:002016-11-04T06:29:10.254-04:00Assignment for Thursday, 11-03-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Thursday, November 3, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057197/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Jason and the Argonauts</i></a>
(Don Chaffey and Ray Harryhausen, 1963), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is
also streaming on Amazon. The movie clearly falls on the
action/adventure side of the Jason & Medea myth, and will also give
you another chance to appreciate Ray Harryhausen — this time in his
prime.<br />
<br />
(2) Read "<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/%7Edcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Film/Blanshard%20and%20Shahabudin%202011%206.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Myth and the Fantastic</a>,"
which is Chapter 6 of Alastair Blanshard's and Kim Shahabudin's 2011 book, <i>Classics on Screen</i>.
This piece will review the salient facts of Harryhausen's career and
move our ongoing discussion of special effects a little further.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Jason and the Argonauts </i>to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-70229112984685177992016-11-04T06:25:00.000-04:002016-11-04T06:26:30.907-04:00Assignment for Tuesday, 11-01-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, November 1, our
unit on Jason & Medea begins. As before, we start with a look at some ancient sources
on these characters.<br />
<br />
Note that the myth divides pretty
cleanly into two parts: adventure in the quest for the Golden Fleece
versus tragedy in the death of Jason and Medea's children. We'll be
spending equal cinematic time with both, but our primary and secondary
sources for today will emphasize the latter.<br />
<br />
(1) Read the following chapters from Emma Griffiths' book, <i>Medea</i>
(Routledge, 2006). These brief overviews of Medea's mythology and her
treatment by Euripides (and, by extension, those of Jason) ought to set
the tone for this unit.<br />
<br />
NOTE: It's up to you whether you want to read Chapter 6 before or after Euripides' play (see item 3, below).<br />
<ul>
<li>Chapter 1, "<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/%7Edcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Griffiths%202006%201.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Introducing Medea</a>"; and</li>
<li>Chapter 6, "<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/%7Edcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Griffiths%202006%206.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Euripides' Version of the Myth</a>."</li>
</ul>
(2) (If you need a refresher from Unit 2) Watch <a href="https://ensemble.skidmore.edu/app/sites/index.aspx?destinationID=Yld4o-bn30iAinaHcJU0tQ&contentID=HrQ2uaItDUmpHJLxBRjx3A&pageIndex=4&pageSize=10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the podcast on the tragic poet Euripides</a> and <a href="https://ensemble.skidmore.edu/app/sites/index.aspx?destinationID=Yld4o-bn30iAinaHcJU0tQ&contentID=ZdCnLgYDXk-vBqihDNvuzA&pageIndex=4&pageSize=10" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the podcast on Greek tragedy</a> for context on item (3).<br />
<br />
(3) Read <a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/%7Edcurley/lit-campus-only/primary/translations/Euripides%20Med.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Euripides' tragedy, <i>Medea</i></a>,
arguably the tragedian's most famous play and the quintessential Medea
text. Though our first films will focus on the voyage of the <i>Argo</i>, we'll quickly realize that tragedy is never too far away for Jason and Medea.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-76757165351549296832016-10-18T18:18:00.000-04:002016-10-18T18:18:29.188-04:00Milestone on Saturday, 10-29-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
A friendly reminder that the first milestone of our semester project, the thesis, is due via email by 11:00 p.m.<br /><br />Details are available on the <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/film/project.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Project web page</a>, but remember to submit your work as a double-spaced PDF with numbered pages and one-inch margins.<br /><br />DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-22845945346607635322016-10-18T18:13:00.001-04:002016-10-18T18:13:45.742-04:00Quiz on Thursday, 10-27-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
On Thursday, October 27, come to class for the sole purpose of taking our second quiz. Since I'll be away at a conference, I'll distribute the quiz by proxy; my proxy will collect the papers and leave them for me to grade.<br /><br />This quiz will have the same format as our first, and should take about 30 minutes to complete (unless you've arranged to have extra time). Once you are finished, turn the quiz in, and have a good weekend.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-42311444493197023922016-10-18T18:09:00.000-04:002016-10-18T18:09:28.893-04:00Assignment for Tuesday, 10-25-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Tuesday, October 25, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch the other big Hercules film of 2014,<i> </i>the simply-named <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1267297/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Hercules</i> </a>(dir. Brett Ratner). In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is
also streaming on Amazon. This film will conclude our second unit and ought to give us some closure.<br />
<br />
(2) Read Angeline Chiu's essay-in-progress (distributed last class) on the interpersonal dynamics of the movie's characters.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Hercules</i> to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-62531088306546472292016-10-18T18:01:00.001-04:002016-10-18T18:08:42.290-04:00Assignment for Thursday, 10-20-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Thursday, October 20, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1043726/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Legend of Hercules</i></a> (Renny Harlin, 2014). The movie is available on DVD via closed reserve in Scribner Library, and is also streaming on Amazon. The film is one of two big-budget Hercules productions from this year.<br />
<br />
NOTE: There's no scholarly resources on this film, but you might recall <a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Myth/Nisbet%202008%202%20excerpts.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gideon Nisbet's line of thought</a> about Hercules being imported to Rome quite easily.<br />
<br />
(2) Read pp. 121–57 of <i>Looking at Movies </i>Chapter 4
("Elements of Narrative"). This will be one of our last assigned readings in <i>LAM</i>, so I hope you've enjoyed the book. Remember, it is a resource for you in your analyses and semester projects.<br />
<br />
(3) Speaking of the semester project, please review <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/film/project.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Project web page</a> and come to class ready to ask questions, if necessary.<br />
<br />
(4)
Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice
of sequences from our film to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-55479546280874552772016-10-11T18:28:00.000-04:002016-10-18T18:08:28.017-04:00Assignment for Tuesday, 10-18-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Tuesday, October 18, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch the nostalgia-inducing (Disney's) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119282/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Hercules</i></a> (John Musker and Ron Clements, 1997), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, the film is
also streaming on Amazon.<br />
<br />
(2) Read Chris Pallant's essay, "<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Film/Pallant%202011.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Developments in <i>Peplum </i>Filmmaking: Disney's <i>Hercules</i></a>," another entry from the terrific <i>Of Muscles and Men</i> volume. Pallant will help us connect the dots between Harryhausen, first-wave peplum films, and the Disney version.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Hercules</i> to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-65296904019373502872016-10-06T18:43:00.001-04:002016-11-04T06:34:08.233-04:00Assignment for Thursday, 10-13-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Thursday, October 13, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch the following episodes from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111999/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Hercules: The Legendary Journeys</i></a>, widely acknowledged as being among the TV series' best:<br />
<ul>
<li>(2.8) "The Other Side" (George Mendeluk, 1995);</li>
<li>(5.3) "Resurrection" (Philip Sgriccia, 1998); and</li>
<li>(6.8) "Full Circle" (Bruce Campbell, 1999).</li>
</ul>
In addition to the DVDs being reserved at the library, the series is also streaming on Netflix.<br />
<br />
(2) Read the <a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Myth/Nisbet%202008%202%20excerpts.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">excerpts from Chapter 2 ("Mythconceptions") of Gideon Nisbet's book</a>, <i>Ancient Greece in Film and Popular Culture</i> (Liverpool University Press, 2008). Nisbet is that rare scholar who offers more than a descriptive appraisal of <i>H:TLJ</i>, and his analyses here will help us make sense of Hercules in the 90s and beyond.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of sequences from TWO of the three episodes to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-25062404834850724682016-10-06T18:31:00.000-04:002016-11-04T05:57:39.431-04:00Assignment for Tuesday, 10-11-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Tuesday, October 11, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) Watch the third-wave peplum <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085672/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hercules </a>(Luigi Cozzi, 1983), taking notes as you see
fit. In addition to the DVD being reserved at the library, <strike>the film is
also streaming on Amazon (though, oddly, the "cover" image there is from the 1958 Steve Reeves version)</strike>. Our task is to make sense of this movie within the peplum tradition and in the context of its own times: toward that end, <i>Clash of the Titans</i> (1981) might provide some instructive parallels.<br />
<br />
(2) Read the following sections of <i>Looking at Movies </i>Chapter 3 ("Types of Movies"): "Six Major American Genres" (pp. 90–108) and "Evolution and Transformation of a Genre" (pp. 108–11). Since peplum was clearly an evolving genre, these sections might help us think about its form and content in the 1980s and beyond.<br />
<br />
(3) Read <a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Myth/Stafford%202012%207%20excerpts.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the following sections from chapter 7 of Emma Stafford's book</a>, <i>Herakles</i> (Routledge, 2012): "Hercules the Movie Star"
and "Conclusions: Herakles/Hercules." These sections trace the history of the peplum genre but quickly branch out into the 1980s and beyond, and so set the tone for the latter half of our Heracles/Hercules unit. Stafford herself is not kind toward the film we will watch for today's class, but, knowing that, we might aspire to try harder.<br />
<br />
(4) Remember by noon on Tuesday to comment on this post with your choice of a sequence from <i>Hercules</i> to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454954245567774837.post-61805347514366460152016-09-29T11:15:00.000-04:002016-09-29T11:15:12.798-04:00Assignment for Thursday, 10-06-16Dear Mythologists,<br />
<br />
For Thursday, October 6, please do the following:<br />
<br />
(1) PEPLUM DOUBLE FEATURE! Watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052782/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Hercules Unchained</i></a>
(Pietro Francisci, 1959), the sequel to <i>Hercules</i> (1958); and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058311/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Hercules against the Moon Men</i></a> (1964). Take notes as you see
fit. In addition to being reserved at the library (both are on disk 5 of the <i>Sci-Fi Classics</i> series), the films are also streaming on Amazon. As you watch, you might consider how the films uphold and/or subvert the conventions of the Hercules <i>peplum </i>genre as we have begun to define it.<br />
<br />
(2) Read "<a href="https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/lit-campus-only/secondary/Film/D'Amelio%202011.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hercules, Politics, and Movies</a>"
by Maria Elena D'Amelio. Her essay — which appears in <i>Of Muscles and Men</i> (ed. M. Cornelius), a volume devoted to <i>peplum</i> — discusses how the late-50s and early-60s Hercules movies played in both Italy and the U.S.<br />
<br />
(3) Remember by noon on Thursday to comment on this post with your choice of sequences from BOTH FILMS to view in class.<br />
<br />
DCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13