124260 KO Critical Media Analysis (2025W)
Horror History 101: An Introduction to Film Studies via Genre Film (1960s-2020s)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Mo 08.09.2025 00:00 to Mo 22.09.2025 12:00
- Deregistration possible until Fr 31.10.2025 23:59
Details
max. 30 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
Additionally, film screenings (semi-public, non-mandatory) will take place every week from 16 October onwards. They will begin roughly at 19:50, also in Helene-Richter-Saal.
- Thursday 09.10. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 16.10. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 23.10. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 30.10. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 06.11. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 13.11. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 20.11. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 27.11. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 04.12. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 11.12. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 18.12. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 08.01. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 15.01. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 22.01. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
- Thursday 29.01. 18:15 - 19:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
- Regular attendance (max. two unexcused absences)
- Regular preparation of assigned viewing / reading material
- In-class participation and six mini-analysis tasks via Moodle (30%)
- Two written assignments (one film review (30%) and one final film analysis essay (40%))NB: Attendance is mandatory for this course because it is held in an interactive format that relies largely on plenary and group discussions as well as in-class film analysis for the development of the critical-analytical skills outlined in the curriculum. Students may miss two sessions of this course (unexcused absences); for any further session missed, students must supply a reason for their absence and produce sufficient proof (e.g. with a doctor's note). They may also be asked to complete compensatory tasks at the lecturer's discretion. Any further absence will result in a failing grade.Students who are registered but do not attend the first session (09 October) will be deregistered. If you cannot attend the first session, please e-mail me as soon as possible, at the very latest until one hour before the beginning of class (17:15); otherwise your spot will be given to someone on the waiting list.You are not allowed to use any AI support for writing your essays and analyses, for summarizing literature, or for any other part of the course (whether the task is graded or not).Attempts at plagiarism result in a failing grade and a permanent mark on your transcript of records. Your papers will be checked using the plagiarism software Turnitin upon submission.In case there is any doubt on whether submitted work was plagiarised or compiled using illegitimate means (e.g. ghostwriter, AI tools, …), I reserve the right to conduct personal interviews with students.The reason why I do not allow the use of AI in my class fully is not (just) because I want you all to suffer through the difficult processes of finding, vetting, reading, and evaluating literature yourselves, but because AI simply is not very useful for the type of work we will be doing and has been proven to, quite simply, get things wrong. It is no substitution for sustained critical engagement with texts and cannot replace the fear and excitement you’ll experience when watching horror films.I also want you to be aware that using AI tools like ChatGPT has problematic environmental, societal, and political implications. If you are interested in this topic, I have listed some sources below.Sources:
https://media.ccc.de/v/38c3-klimaschdlich-by-design-die-kologischen-kosten-des-ki-hypes
https://aibusiness.com/responsible-ai/ai-and-the-risk-of-technological-colonialism
https://mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/basics/addressing-ai-hallucinations-and-bias/
- Regular preparation of assigned viewing / reading material
- In-class participation and six mini-analysis tasks via Moodle (30%)
- Two written assignments (one film review (30%) and one final film analysis essay (40%))NB: Attendance is mandatory for this course because it is held in an interactive format that relies largely on plenary and group discussions as well as in-class film analysis for the development of the critical-analytical skills outlined in the curriculum. Students may miss two sessions of this course (unexcused absences); for any further session missed, students must supply a reason for their absence and produce sufficient proof (e.g. with a doctor's note). They may also be asked to complete compensatory tasks at the lecturer's discretion. Any further absence will result in a failing grade.Students who are registered but do not attend the first session (09 October) will be deregistered. If you cannot attend the first session, please e-mail me as soon as possible, at the very latest until one hour before the beginning of class (17:15); otherwise your spot will be given to someone on the waiting list.You are not allowed to use any AI support for writing your essays and analyses, for summarizing literature, or for any other part of the course (whether the task is graded or not).Attempts at plagiarism result in a failing grade and a permanent mark on your transcript of records. Your papers will be checked using the plagiarism software Turnitin upon submission.In case there is any doubt on whether submitted work was plagiarised or compiled using illegitimate means (e.g. ghostwriter, AI tools, …), I reserve the right to conduct personal interviews with students.The reason why I do not allow the use of AI in my class fully is not (just) because I want you all to suffer through the difficult processes of finding, vetting, reading, and evaluating literature yourselves, but because AI simply is not very useful for the type of work we will be doing and has been proven to, quite simply, get things wrong. It is no substitution for sustained critical engagement with texts and cannot replace the fear and excitement you’ll experience when watching horror films.I also want you to be aware that using AI tools like ChatGPT has problematic environmental, societal, and political implications. If you are interested in this topic, I have listed some sources below.Sources:
https://media.ccc.de/v/38c3-klimaschdlich-by-design-die-kologischen-kosten-des-ki-hypes
https://aibusiness.com/responsible-ai/ai-and-the-risk-of-technological-colonialism
https://mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/basics/addressing-ai-hallucinations-and-bias/
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Active Participation and at least six Mini-Analyses: 30% (5% per analysis)
Film Review (1,000 words): 30% - deadline 23 December, 23:59
Final Essay (1,500 words): 40% - deadline 08 February, 23:59 Late submissions will result in point deductions (one point for every day past deadline).Written assignments will be assessed on a scale of 0-100 points (30 points for language and formal aspects, 30 points for structure and cohesion, 40 points for content and correct deployment of film analysis terminology). For more information on the assignment requirements, please consult the syllabus on Moodle; we will also discuss them in the first session.Please note that all assignments are mandatory, i.e. students must fulfil and pass each of the three graded course requirements by achieving at least 60% (mini-analyses, film review, final essay) and score at least 60% altogether in order to pass this course. Active participation and the preparation of primary viewings and secondary readings will not be graded, but they are obligatory preconditions for course attendance.Grading Scale:
1 (very good): 90-100%
2 (good): 80-89%
3 (satisfactory): 70-79%
4 (pass): 60-69%
5 (fail): 0-59%
Film Review (1,000 words): 30% - deadline 23 December, 23:59
Final Essay (1,500 words): 40% - deadline 08 February, 23:59 Late submissions will result in point deductions (one point for every day past deadline).Written assignments will be assessed on a scale of 0-100 points (30 points for language and formal aspects, 30 points for structure and cohesion, 40 points for content and correct deployment of film analysis terminology). For more information on the assignment requirements, please consult the syllabus on Moodle; we will also discuss them in the first session.Please note that all assignments are mandatory, i.e. students must fulfil and pass each of the three graded course requirements by achieving at least 60% (mini-analyses, film review, final essay) and score at least 60% altogether in order to pass this course. Active participation and the preparation of primary viewings and secondary readings will not be graded, but they are obligatory preconditions for course attendance.Grading Scale:
1 (very good): 90-100%
2 (good): 80-89%
3 (satisfactory): 70-79%
4 (pass): 60-69%
5 (fail): 0-59%
Examination topics
There will be no written exam. This is a course with continuous assessment (“prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung”). The specific course format of a ‘Konversatorium’ (KO) means that the emphasis is placed on primary viewing and secondary reading as well as in-class discussions..
Reading list
Primary Viewing:
- Peeping Tom (Mike Powell 1960)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper 1974)
- Videodrome (David Cronenberg 1983)
- Scream (Wes Craven 1996)
- Saw (James Wan 2004)
- Terrifier (Damien Leone 2015)
- Us (Jordan Peele 2019)
- Blood Quantum (Jeff Barnaby 2019)
- Candyman (Nia DaCosta 2021)
- The Substance (Coralie Fargeat 2024)I am currently working on arranging potential (non-mandatory) film screenings for the primary viewing materials. These will be optional; if you prefer to watch the films by yourselves, you absolutely can. However, you will then have to find/purchase them, as I cannot make them available to you via Moodle.Secondary Reading:
Bordwell, David, et al. Film Art: An Introduction. 12th edition, McGraw Hill, 2020.
Briefel, Aviva, and Sam J. Miller. Horror after 9/11: World of Fear, Cinema of Terror. University of Texas Press, 2011.
Clover, Carol J. “Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film.” Representations, 20, 1989, pp. 187-228.
Freud, Sigmund. “The Uncanny” in The Uncanny. Penguin, 2003, pp. 123-162.
Gemünden, Gerd and Johannes von Moltke. “Introduction: Kracauer’s Legacies” in Culture in the Anteroom: The Legacies of Siegfried Kracauer, edited by Gerd Gemünden and Johannes von Moltke. University of Michigan Press, 2012, pp. 1-25.
hooks, bell. “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators.” Black Looks: Race and Representation, South End Press, 1992, pp. 115-131.
Kracauer, Siegfried. “Hollywood’s Terror Films: Do They Reflect and American State of Mind?” in New German Critique 89, 2003 [orig. 1946], pp. 105-111.
Means Coleman, Robin R. “Introduction” in Horror Noire: A History of Black American Horror from the 1890s to Present. 2nd edition, Routledge, 2022, pp. 1-16.
Miller, Cynthia J, and Bowdoin Van Riper. Elder Horror: Essays on Film’s Frightening Images of Aging. McFarland, 2019.
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Feminist Film Theory Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 58–69.
Pramaggiore, Maria, and Tom Wallis. Film: A Critical Introduction. Laurence King Publishing, 2020.
Sikov, Ed. Film Studies. 2nd edition, Columbia University Press, 2020.
Smith, Ariel. “This Essay Was Not Built on an Ancient Indian Burial Ground: Horror Aesthetics within Indigenous Cinema as Pushback against Colonial Violence.” Offscreen, vol. 18, no. 8, n.p.
Truscello, Michael, and Renae Watchman. “Blood Quantum and Fourth Cinema: Post- and Paracolonial Zombies.” Quarterly Review of Film and Video, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 462-83.
Wood, Robin. “An Introduction to the American Horror Film” in Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew [ed]. The Monster Theory Reader. University of Minnesota Press, 2020, pp. 108-135.These and other secondary reading materials will be made available via Moodle.
- Peeping Tom (Mike Powell 1960)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper 1974)
- Videodrome (David Cronenberg 1983)
- Scream (Wes Craven 1996)
- Saw (James Wan 2004)
- Terrifier (Damien Leone 2015)
- Us (Jordan Peele 2019)
- Blood Quantum (Jeff Barnaby 2019)
- Candyman (Nia DaCosta 2021)
- The Substance (Coralie Fargeat 2024)I am currently working on arranging potential (non-mandatory) film screenings for the primary viewing materials. These will be optional; if you prefer to watch the films by yourselves, you absolutely can. However, you will then have to find/purchase them, as I cannot make them available to you via Moodle.Secondary Reading:
Bordwell, David, et al. Film Art: An Introduction. 12th edition, McGraw Hill, 2020.
Briefel, Aviva, and Sam J. Miller. Horror after 9/11: World of Fear, Cinema of Terror. University of Texas Press, 2011.
Clover, Carol J. “Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film.” Representations, 20, 1989, pp. 187-228.
Freud, Sigmund. “The Uncanny” in The Uncanny. Penguin, 2003, pp. 123-162.
Gemünden, Gerd and Johannes von Moltke. “Introduction: Kracauer’s Legacies” in Culture in the Anteroom: The Legacies of Siegfried Kracauer, edited by Gerd Gemünden and Johannes von Moltke. University of Michigan Press, 2012, pp. 1-25.
hooks, bell. “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators.” Black Looks: Race and Representation, South End Press, 1992, pp. 115-131.
Kracauer, Siegfried. “Hollywood’s Terror Films: Do They Reflect and American State of Mind?” in New German Critique 89, 2003 [orig. 1946], pp. 105-111.
Means Coleman, Robin R. “Introduction” in Horror Noire: A History of Black American Horror from the 1890s to Present. 2nd edition, Routledge, 2022, pp. 1-16.
Miller, Cynthia J, and Bowdoin Van Riper. Elder Horror: Essays on Film’s Frightening Images of Aging. McFarland, 2019.
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Feminist Film Theory Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 58–69.
Pramaggiore, Maria, and Tom Wallis. Film: A Critical Introduction. Laurence King Publishing, 2020.
Sikov, Ed. Film Studies. 2nd edition, Columbia University Press, 2020.
Smith, Ariel. “This Essay Was Not Built on an Ancient Indian Burial Ground: Horror Aesthetics within Indigenous Cinema as Pushback against Colonial Violence.” Offscreen, vol. 18, no. 8, n.p.
Truscello, Michael, and Renae Watchman. “Blood Quantum and Fourth Cinema: Post- and Paracolonial Zombies.” Quarterly Review of Film and Video, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 462-83.
Wood, Robin. “An Introduction to the American Horror Film” in Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew [ed]. The Monster Theory Reader. University of Minnesota Press, 2020, pp. 108-135.These and other secondary reading materials will be made available via Moodle.
Association in the course directory
Studium: BA 612, BEd 046/407
Code/Modul: BA07.3; BEd 08a.2, BEd 08b.1
Lehrinhalt: 12-4260
Code/Modul: BA07.3; BEd 08a.2, BEd 08b.1
Lehrinhalt: 12-4260
Last modified: We 08.10.2025 17:46
- deploy the core terminology of film analysis (cinematography, mise-en-scène, …),
- reflect on the complexities of filmic representations with regard to important theoretical schools (gender studies, postcolonial and critical whiteness studies, queer theory, …),
- situate horror films within the genre and contemporary American media history at large and
- critically engage with film on an academic-analytic level.