Welcome to the Cult Cinema DeCal. You may be wondering, “What is cult cinema?” Well, if you search on Google, definitions abound: cult movies are weird! They are ‘so bad that they’re good’! They have a massive cult-like fanbase! They must be obscure and later recognized for their cinematic value! Even amongst fans of cult cinema, it remains difficult to agree on an exact definition, as this film classification spans genres, decades, and cultures. In this DeCal, we will study the history, social and cultural influence, and various subcategories of cult cinema in order to broaden our understanding and engage with discourse surrounding its many definitions.

In this class, the films we will be screening include the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Room, Donnie Darko, The Big Lebowski, Eraserhead, and Pink Flamingos, to name a few! It should be noted that these films contain some potentially offensive/obscene content. In our discussion of these films, I hope to contextualize them within the settings in which they were created, but also critique and interrogate their content. Many of these films fall into the “cult” category because of their explicit nature, and I want to ensure that all students are aware that these films contain some graphic content.

CLASS STRUCTURE/ASSIGNMENTS: Every other week, there will be a short lecture on the week’s topic followed by a class discussion of the assigned readings. On the weeks where there is not a lecture and discussion, there will be a screening of a film.

As for assignments, each week, there will be a brief required reading response. As well, at the end of the semester, there will be a 1-2 page paper on a film that we have watched in the class.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Students are expected to attend all meetings and participate in class discussion. As such, attendance accounts for 25% of the total points. Attendance is especially important because films will be screened at every other class. That being said, we are completely willing to work with you! If you need an excused absence, please do not hesitate to contact us. As well, ​​there will be two unexcused absences given throughout the semester.

NOTE: A large component of this course requires screening cult films, and so teaching this course in a remote setting is very difficult. If Spring 2022 classes at U.C. Berkeley are forced to be online for the duration of the semester, we have decided that we will cancel this course, as it just does not translate well to an online format. For this reason, we are waiting to start the course until Feb 1. If you are choosing to take a DeCal in order to reach the unit requirement, we recommend that you also enroll in a back up course.

There are only 60 seats available in the room we have been assigned, so as much as I would absolutely love to include everyone, not every applicant can be enrolled in the class. To enroll in the course, please fill out the application. This application is due on *FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021 AT 11:59 PM* Accepted students will receive a confirmation via email on January 30. Students who are not accepted have the option of adding themselves to the waitlist. All students must attend the first session of class on Tuesday, Feb 1 from 5-7 at *Classroom TBD* in order to receive the CCN and enroll.