Klein’s Class Screens Cult Classic

Dr. Amanada Klein’s class FILM 4980/ENGL5330 recently screened The Room, a cult classic, where attendees received a prop bag, including items to toss at the screen (rose petals, spoons, footballs), instructions on what to yell and when, and free movie theater popcorn.

“Trash Cinema and Taste” is an aesthetics course that asks students to consider what qualities that categorize a film alternately as “bad,” “low brow,” or “cult,” how to taste cultures and taste publics are established, and why certain films are believed to have “cultural capital.” The class project tasks students to organize themselves into groups, book a venue, write advertising copy, and create promotional “ballyhoo” around the film. Their goal is to get as many students as possible to attend a “bad movie” and, in addition, to get them to interact with the film. This project illustrates the intimate relationship between cult films and their audiences, further emphasizing concepts we had read about and discussed throughout the semester. This year’s event brought together 70 students, who had a raucous interactive experience.