In this senior Hispanic Studies capstone seminar we investigate the prolific manifestations of Spanish and Latin American genre cinema from the late 19th century to the present. Drawing heavily on recent horror theory, students will explore the social and political function of fringe cinema, from its ability to provide simple scopic entertainment to its capacity to offer influential political allegories. We will examine the portrayal in Spanish language films of widely known figures such as zombies, vampires, werewolves and mad scientists, as well as creatures specific to Hispanic culture such as the Mexican Aztec mummy, the Spanish living-dead Templars, and the Port Rican chupacabra. Throughout the course, we will challenge the distinctions made between Art House Cinema and Horrorshows, high art and euro-trash, and the purveyors of the Avant-Garde and the promotional cults of genre filmmakers.
COURSE PARTICULARS
Evaluation
Participation in class discussion and group screenings 20%
Short assignments (reports, short papers, class presentations) 30%
Final Project 50%
Final Project
For the final project (50% of final grade), students have two choices
1. Individual Research Paper. Students write a 15 -20 page research paper on the horror cinema of a specific director, or from a particular movement, period, or country.
2. Group Documentary. Working in groups of two to five, students research, write, and produce a 15 minute documentary on the horror cinema of a specific director, movement, period, or country.