COM 321: TOP: The Global Blockbuster

Course Details

• Online | Asynchronous
•  2 weeks | December 27, 2023 – January 10, 2024
• 3 credits | $1,716
• Last day to register: December 20, 2023

Course Overview

This course begins with the question “what exactly is a blockbuster?”  The course focuses primarily on blockbusters produced in America, but with some attention to the larger international scene. In examining the blockbuster, one is faced with the impossibility of ignoring the massive impact American films have around the world. We need only look at the recent box office and cultural impact of Avengers: Endgame and Barbie. Towards this end, we will be examining the cultural and economic impacts of the modern-day blockbuster. As such, we will be looking at the blockbuster as both text that may be analyzed in terms of plot, myth, and story and as a commodity that is made and consumed. We will also examine the production of the blockbuster, including plot, financing, creative personnel, marketing, and financing. 

Course Advantages

Movies have adapted quite readily to the Internet. There are countless websites and discussion boards dedicated to just about any movie one can think of, and this holds especially true for blockbusters. At the same time, the Internet has become the primary means by which movies are viewed and distributed, thanks to the rise of an ever-expanding number of streaming services. This course takes full advantage of the wealth of movie information available on the Internet. Through both social media and blogs, students will engage directly with the global film community of scholars, fans, and creative professionals.  

Additional Information

Faculty will contact all students after the Wednesday, December 20, registration deadline.