Week 9: Full Metal Jacket

This week's movie is "Full Metal Jacket" (1987, 116mins). It starred Mathew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Adam Baldwin, among others. Written and directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on the novel, "The Short-Timers" by Gustav Hashford. It's a hard-core war story which follows a young man's journey through boot camp and then to the jungles of Vietnam. It's theme is the dehumanizing effects of war. WARNING: There is A LOT of bad language in this film.

I chose this movie because it was in the 80s that Americans finally started to talk about the Vietnam War in a more objective way. The war had been over for just over a decade and distance made the subject less painful and slightly less inflammatory than while it was happening. This movie was one of the first hard looks at the reality of that war.

The film was nominated for Best Writing (screenplay Based on Material from another Medium) for the 1988 Oscars. 

Here's the Wikipedia page and the script.

Instead of a trailer, here's a short clip:

Think about these questions while watching the movie:

1. Explain how the film shows the dehumanizing nature of war.

2. Compare or contrast US boot camp, as shown in the movie, and what you know about Korean boot camp.

3. Which character do you identify with the most? Why?

Final presentation guidelines

For your Final Project, you will prepare and perform a 10/15-minute presentation on a topic of your choice related to 80s movie classics.

Example topics:           

• Choose an actor/writer/director you like and tell us about other things they have done. Do not tell us every detail of their life - focus on the most important things.
• Choose a feature of film making, such as writing, music, dialog, cinematography, lighting, etc, and explain its importance in one or more of the movies we've watched.
• Pick one of the movies we've watched and tell us more about it - interesting things, trivia, whatever, that we might not know.

Anything that is interesting to you is an acceptable topic as long as you can talk about it for 10-15 minutes.

You don’t have to include all the movies in your analysis, but you may want to go ahead and watch the remaining movies if you want more material to work with. Remember that if you watch ahead of other people in class, be careful not to spoil them during class discussions. 

Presentations should be memorized. You may have notes to look at, but any students who READ their presentation will receive a ZERO. You must email me the script of your presentation by 9am the day of your presentation.

You may use Powerpoint if you want to, but text on the slides should be minimal.
Here's a video with some good tips about giving presentations:

And the accompanying article here.

Topics due: Thursday, May 16th in my email by 5pm. I may have comments or suggestions for you which I will email back to you.

Presentation Outline due:

Thursday, May 30th.
Script: You must email a copy of your presentation materials (script, ppt, whatever) by 5pm the day before your presentation.

NOTE: This is your FINAL. Students choosing not to do the presentation or who are absent on their presentation day will FAIL this class.

Grading for the presentation:

You will be graded on Preparation, Materials, Delivery, and Overall Quality. You will also give a grade to other presentations.

Average of audience scores - 50%
My score                              - 50%

Week 8: The Breakfast Club

This week's movie is "The Breakfast Club" (1985, 97 mins). It starred Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Ally Sheedy. Written and directed by John Hughes. It a story about five high school students, all from different stereotypical groups (a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, a recluse) who must serve detention together one Saturday. They discover they have more similarities than differences.

The film is acknowledged by many as the quintessential 80s movie. Here's the wikipedia page, and a transcript. 

The Breakfast Club (Theatrical Trailer)

Questions to discuss:

1. Which character were you most similar to in HS?

2. Did you know anyone similar to these kids?

3. What other "types" did you have in your HS?

4. How do the characters deviate from their normal roles while in detention?

5. What is the social status of each character?

6. During the film, the students come together as a team and become friends. How does this happen?
7. What does this film say about the pressure to conform?

Week 7: Midterm Week!

Mine is an evil laugh!

Week 6: The Terminator

This week's movie is "The Terminator" (1984, 107 mins). It starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Michael Biehn. Directed by James Cameron, written by James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, and William Wisher Jr. It's a science fiction/action movie about a time-traveling cyborg sent back to the past to assassinate the mother of the future leader of the human resistance.

The film won several Saturn Awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Best Make-Up (Stan Winston), Best Science Fiction Film, and Best Writing (James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd). It was nominated for Best Actor (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Best Actress (Linda Hamilton), Best Director (James Cameron), and Best Music (Brad Fiedel).
Here's the wikipedia page, and a transcript. 

Think about these questions while you watch the film:

1. Computers are becoming smarter and smarter as technology advances. Is it only a matter of time before the computers take over and turn on us?

2. What themes do you think are covered in this film? Explain your answer in detail and don't forget to use examples from the movie.

Homework:

1. Pick a new assignment and start working on it.

2. Review for the midterm, which is next week. Movies covered: Alien, Raiders, ET, Blade Runner, Terminator.

Optional: watch the next film, 'The Breakfast Club' (1985)