New summer course: Superhero Cinema

FLST 3160-01: Superhero Cinema
5:30-9:30, Tuesday/Thursday May 29-June 29 (Five weeks, 10 class meetings)

The Dark Knight was the highest grossing film in the world last year, with over one billion in ticket sales. But thirty years ago, the superhero film as a genre didn't exist. How did we go from a movie version of the campy Batman TV show to Hollywood producers haunting the San Diego Comic-Con looking for properties to greenlight?

This course examines the origins and rise of the superhero film genre out of its roots in the comics. We will discuss the definition of the genre based in the comics and its dynamics as they are realized in the film medium. The roots of the genre in the serials are examined, as well as the desires of the fans as expressed in fan films. The superhero blockbuster is the primary subject of the course, beginning with Superman: The Movie. We will examine sequel exhaustion, franchise revival, and issues of adaptation. Films include examples of serials (Superman, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Batman), the Superman series, the X-Men series (X-Men II, First Class), the Spider-Man series, the Nolan Batman series, the Marvel Movie Universe (Captain America, Thor, Avengers), Kick-Ass, and possibly an original superhero movie like Defendor, Super, or The Specials.