So, we started this five-week exploration of teen movies in the twenty-teens by watching “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018), and we continue it this weekend by watching “See You Yesterday” (2019). But before we launch into our second movie, I want to pause to offer a brief explanation about a couple moviesContinue reading “No Fault, No Hate”
Tag Archives: media studies
Wrap Up of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”
In “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018), we first see our protagonist Lara Jean in her own fantasies. She’s engaged in that familiar teen pastime of reading a romance novel while casting herself and one of her crushes in the lead roles. This non-diegetic “dream sequence” and its sudden interruption by the intrusionContinue reading “Wrap Up of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before””
Wrap Up of “The Witch”
Thank you for joining me on this adventure to discover current trends in horror movies. I really enjoyed hearing from all of you who are following along at home. You had really good, insightful answers to my discussion questions about “The Witch” (2015). I’m definitely looking forward to getting together a live Zoom chat sometimeContinue reading “Wrap Up of “The Witch””
Read This Before You Watch “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”
Based on Jenny Han’s 2014 YA novel with the same title, the teen romantic comedy “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” has been winning hearts and making fans ever since its release by Netflix in 2018. Han reportedly turned down offers from other production companies that would not promise to cast an Asian-American actressContinue reading “Read This Before You Watch “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before””
Discussion Questions for “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”
Write a paragraph or two in response to the following prompts. How does this movie introduce us to its protagonist, Lara Jean? What is she doing when we first see her? What sort of a sister and daughter is she? What are her hopes and dreams? What are her concerns and her fears? What thingsContinue reading “Discussion Questions for “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before””
Discussion Questions for “The Witch”
Write a paragraph or two in response to each of the following prompts: Let’s start with the title. Who or what is “The Witch”? How do we know? What does it mean to be a “witch” in the world of this film? Can one choose to be a witch or is being a witch justContinue reading “Discussion Questions for “The Witch””
Read This Before You Watch “The Witch”
We’re getting started this week with “The Witch” (2015), a debut feature film both written and directed by Robert Eggers, who previously worked primarily as a set and costume designer. His attention to historical design details serves him well in this period piece set in 1630. The dialogue is spot on for the era andContinue reading “Read This Before You Watch “The Witch””
Intro to Media Studies, Round Two
I’m preparing to launch my next two media studies series later this week. Over the next month or so, I’ll be posting several items on the blog each week to guide you through two different courses of exploration. I hope you’ll join me. The first series is called “Teens in the Twenty-Teens,” where we’ll beContinue reading “Intro to Media Studies, Round Two”
Media Studies: Current Trends in Horror Movies
The past decade has witnessed a renaissance of sorts in the genre of horror films. Gone are the days of schlocky gore-fests, slasher franchises, and torture-porn. Not only have “elevated horror” films served to infuse new life into the genre, but they have also signaled a newfound respectability with larger audiences, wider acknowledgement from filmContinue reading “Media Studies: Current Trends in Horror Movies”
Media Studies: Teens in the Twenty-Teens
The popularity of Teen and Young Adult (YA) books and movies has exploded over the last few decades as young people have become increasingly active participants in this brave new digital world we inhabit. In this five-week media studies series, we will watch some representative examples of films made about the teen experience in theContinue reading “Media Studies: Teens in the Twenty-Teens”
Professor Chuck 