English instructor Carter Soles enjoys examining the role of the geek in contemporary film studies. A postdoctoral instructor in the English department, Soles teaches undergraduate film courses to help students develop a critical eye in analyzing texts.
In fact, even after spending the summer earning his doctorate, Soles continues to surround himself with the world of cinematic studies. This quarter, he joined forces with English graduate student Drew Beard to organize a Steven Spielberg film series open to the public.
“Film studies is a major that’s been talked about for a couple of years,” Soles said. “There’s a huge undergraduate demand for it. Every term I teach film studies I get asked why it isn’t a major.”
Though University students can earn a film certificate for which they must complete several interdisciplinary courses, film studies is not its own major. Soles said he feels that a film studies major would benefit students hungry for critical film analysis. To the students who inquire, he encourages them to earn the certificate and keep their “fingers crossed” for a major in the near future.
In the meantime, the film series launched its first viewing Thursday, Oct. 23 with “Jaws.” Tonight will feature Spielberg’s later film, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Beard, who initiated the series after attending a national conference in Philadelphia through the Society for Cinema and Media Studies last March, said he grew up watching Spielberg films such as “Indiana Jones” and “Jurassic Park.” With the film festival, Beard hopes students walk away with a better understanding and appreciation for Spielberg films.
“Most of us were too young to watch these films in theaters,” Beard said. “They’re iconic, and we’re just hoping to build some enthusiasm.”
Beard noted the crucial importance of watching features on the big screen as opposed to in a library nook alone with headphones. The social experience often plays a huge role in the outcome. Though Beard admitted he’s watched “Jaws” at least 100 times, watching with friends who had never seen it before proved to be an entirely different experience for him.
“My friend was shrieking every time something popped out, and of course there’s collective laughter at all the funny parts,” Beard said. “It’s like watching a completely different film.”
Soles will give a lecture contextualizing tonight’s film, largely regarding the role of the geek in modern day films.
“We’re now in a geek renaissance, seeing movies by Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen,” Soles said. “We’re starting to see geeks taking over Hollywood. But I’d argue that they have been since the 1970s with Spielberg films (like “Jaws”). He cast Richard Dreyfus as the Matt Hooper character instead of someone like Robert Redford.”
Soles added that it’s important to recognize the deeper messages behind the geek figure as well as understand the filmmaker’s intentions.
In films like Spielberg’s “Close Encounter of the Third Kind,” the main characters choose to run away to pursue the possibility of alien existence, ultimately escaping responsibility, Soles said.
“Learning to critically analyze film – to really take it apart
Film series celebrates Spielberg’s geeks
Daily Emerald
October 29, 2008
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