Assignment 1

Film Screening

For this activity you will need to choose a horror movie to watch. Choose a film from the following list or if you have another idea, ask your teacher. Remember, a film does not have to be gory or gruesome to contain horror. As you learned in “Scared Witless,” the key to horror is simulated risk — feeling like you’re in danger while knowing that you are not.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Jaws (1975)
Halloween (1978)
The Birds (1963)
Alien (1979)
The Shining (1980)
Psycho (1960)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
The Mist (2007)
The Ring (2002)

As you watch, you will need to take notes to prepare for the film analysis you will write in the attached film chart activity. Use the Film Analysis Graphic Organizer.
ASSIGNMENT 2
Writing a Film Analysis

Now that you’ve watched a horror movie, and taken notes, it’s time to write a film analysis. In the analysis, you draw a conclusion about how well the movie appeals to the psychological needs of the viewer while fulfilling the criteria of the genre. Use the following outline to plan your analysis.

Introduction	Provide some brief background information on your film: Who directed it? When was it made? How was it received by critics and audiences? You can usually find all this information on the Internet Movie Database. End this paragraph with your evaluation of the movie by answering this question: How well did the movie appeal to the viewer’s psychological needs while fulfilling the criteria of the genre? Think back to what you learned from the “Stephen King on Fear” essay, the Psychology of Fear note, and the “Scared Witless” article, as well as your note on the three genres of horror.
Body Paragraph 1	Briefly summarize the plot of the movie and identify which genre of horror it belongs to. Provide specific examples from the movie to support your claim.
Body Paragraph 2	Discuss three specific examples from your graphic organizer that you think did a good job at helping to tell the story. Make sure you’re using the correct film terminology when discussing the elements of film.
Body Paragraph 3	Discuss any examples from the film that you thought did not do a good job at helping to tell the story.
Body Paragraph 4	Explain how this film would appeal to psychological needs of the viewer. Make specific reference to at least one of your readings from this unit.
Conclusion	Overall, how well did the movie appeal to the viewer’s psychological needs while fulfilling the criteria of the genre? Remind the reader of the key points you’ve made.

Your review should be approximately 800-1000 words.

Submit the rough draft of your film review to the dropbox so your teacher can give you feedback before you write your good copy. Don’t forget to check the rubric before submitting to make sure you’ve met the criteria for this assignment. Once you’ve received feedback and revised your rough draft, submit your good copy of your film review to the dropbox, as well. Make sure you carefully identify the rough and good copy in the file title.