ENG 3760 - Science Fiction Cinema

Credits: 4

Perhaps no other genre is as popular in contemporary film as science fiction – from franchises like Star Wars and Hunger Games to blockbusters like Avatar and Interstellar to groundbreaking television series’ like Westworld. One reason for this popularity is that sci fi films are often spectacles that display the most dazzling, cutting-edge special effects and visual tableaus. More than mere entertainment, however, the best science fiction cinema has always posed profound questions about our place in the universe, what makes us human, and where we are headed (for better or worse). Science fiction films, that is, compel us to imagine beyond the day-to-day, beyond the ordinary. They induce a sense of awe, wonder, sometimes even trepidation about the possibilities of the future. This course offers a journey through the genre, from the earliest short films to the most recent sci fi classics. We will situate each film within its historical, cultural, and critical context, not only analyzing its techniques, forms, and aesthetic innovations, but also its messaging and meanings.
Prerequisite(s): ENG 1050
Fulfills: AL in LS Core