We all have our favorite film genres–Horror, Romance, Science Fiction…the list goes on. But why are some genres currently experiencing a popularity boom while other genres have waned in popularity, such as the Screwball Comedy? In this five-week course, we will dip our toes in to the study of genre history and theory. In the process, we will learn that while genre has a long history throughout other forms of art, cinema’s dominant generic formations were established, for the most, part in Hollywood in the 1930s. We will acquire tools to read genre historically and see the way different genres developed throughout film history (haven’t you always wondered why Western merged with Science Fiction during the 1970s?). Finally, we will conclude by looking at Genre in Hollywood today, which operates through radically different institutions than its classical, “genre factory” mode during the 1930s.
- Week 1 – Hollywood invents film genre in the 1930s
- Week 2 – Studying Genre
- Week 3 – Genre and History
- Week 4 – Genre and Spectatorship
- Week 5 – Film Genre in the 21st Century
Classes will take place every Monday at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT with a one-week break in between. These will be virtual calls with a lecture and discussion. Full dates will be announced soon, and every effort will be made to accommodate those who cannot attend due to conflicts or time zone. Calls and other class materials will be viewable at the online “hub” on this website.
Register at the form below. Please note that if you are one of my Substack subscribers or one of CineJourneys Magic Hour subscribers, you will get a $15 discount. Please check either the Substack or the membership hub for the coupon.
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