ENG 3600 Summer 2023 Flynn

In this course, we will approach Hollywood cinema through the study of films that can be defined as meta. From the Greek, meaning “beyond,” meta-cinema exhibits a self-reflexive awareness about its status as cinema, films about films, about film-making, about narrative construction, about the magic of cinematic illusion, etc. Our studies of Hollywood cinema will span from the silent picture of the 1920s to more contemporary films, paying specific attention to reflecting on films that reflect upon themselves, their genre, or the mechanics or motivations of their authorship. Particular attention will be given to meta-level reflections on genre (in films like Singin’ in the Rain and 500 Days of Summer) and auteurism (in films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, etc.). Films of study may also include: Citizen Kane, The Muppet Movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Sherlock Jr., Sunset Boulevard, Vertigo