Queer Cinema: Some Basic Strategies for

Research

Queer Cinema: Basic Strategies for Research

Gary HandmanDirectorMedia Resources CenterMoffitt Library

(Wonder Bar, (Wonder Bar, 1934)1934)

Writing About Writing About Film…Film…

100+ Years 100+ Years of Movies & of Movies & Movie WritingMovie Writing

Writing About Film:Writing About Film:The Basic The Basic QuestionsQuestions

What types of writing are out What types of writing are out there?there?

What are the sources of What are the sources of writing?writing?

Who’s doing the writing?Who’s doing the writing?

Where do you find the stuff?Where do you find the stuff?

ScholarlScholarlyy

FaFann

Writing About Writing About Film…Film…

ReviewsReviewsCritical analysisCritical analysisBiographyBiography

ReviewsReviewsPop talkPop talkBiographyBiography

PopPop

GossipGossipFantasy & fetishFantasy & fetishGeneral General weirdnessweirdness

IndustryIndustryBox office and Box office and market infomarket infoProduction infoProduction infogossipgossip

What are the Sources for Film & What are the Sources for Film & TV Scholarship TV Scholarship

and Research? For Reviews?and Research? For Reviews?

•BooksBooks

•Journals, Magazines, Journals, Magazines, NewspapersNewspapers

•ReviewsReviews•Critical/ScholarlyArticles Critical/ScholarlyArticles

Chow, Rey. "Nostalgia of the New Wave: Chow, Rey. "Nostalgia of the New Wave: Structure in Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together." Structure in Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together." Camera ObscuraCamera Obscura 09-30-1999 N.42 p. 31-40 09-30-1999 N.42 p. 31-40

Stuart, Jan. "Happy Together/Chunguang Stuart, Jan. "Happy Together/Chunguang Zhaxie." (Review) Zhaxie." (Review) AdvocateAdvocate, n746 (Nov 11, , n746 (Nov 11, 1997):67 (2 pages). 1997):67 (2 pages).

Film Scholarship/Film Reviews SourcesFilm Scholarship/Film Reviews Sources

•BooksBooks

•Journals, Magazines, Journals, Magazines, NewspapersNewspapers

•ReviewsReviews•Critical/ScholarlyArticles Critical/ScholarlyArticles

•Web Sites (the good, the Web Sites (the good, the academic, and the ugly)academic, and the ugly)

•Other online databasesOther online databases

Film Scholarship/Film Reviews SourcesFilm Scholarship/Film Reviews Sources

•Scholarly/authoritative worksScholarly/authoritative works•Pop schlock and fan worksPop schlock and fan works

How Do You Tell em’ How Do You Tell em’ apart?apart?

Author’s credentials/affiliationsAuthor’s credentials/affiliations Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI,

University Presses vs pop press; University Presses vs pop press; juried vs pop journals)juried vs pop journals)

Scholarly apparatus and Scholarly apparatus and sources: sources: notes, notes, bibliographies, other bibliographies, other documentationdocumentation

If they’ve been widely cited by If they’ve been widely cited by other scholarsother scholars

ScholarlScholarlyy

Writing About Writing About Film…Film…

Who’s doing the writing?Who’s doing the writing?Film StudiesFilm StudiesWomen’s StudiesWomen’s StudiesEthnic studiesEthnic studiesQueer StudiesQueer StudiesLiteratureLiteratureArea Studies (i.e. areas of national focus)Area Studies (i.e. areas of national focus)Others…Others…

Scholarly BooksScholarly Books ( (Some generalizationsSome generalizations))

Older FilmsOlder Films Films w/inFilms w/inlast 5 years or last 5 years or soso

Books aboutBooks aboutdirectors anddirectors andgenresgenres

Books aboutBooks aboutindividual filmsindividual films(xcept the biggies)(xcept the biggies)

MoreMore LESSLESS

Found in:Found in:•Film studies & scholarly Film studies & scholarly (print & online)(print & online)

•Journals in various disciplines Journals in various disciplines (print & online)(print & online)

•Web sites (occasionally… Web sites (occasionally… academic and commercial academic and commercial databases)databases)

Critical/Scholarly Journal ArticlesCritical/Scholarly Journal Articles

• Current Films Current Films (fewer)(fewer)• Older Films Older Films (more)(more)

(Bringing Up Baby, 1938)(Bringing Up Baby, 1938)

Found in:Found in:•Popular, news, & fan journals and Popular, news, & fan journals and

newspapers (print & online)newspapers (print & online)•Film studies & scholarly journals Film studies & scholarly journals (print & online)(print & online)•Industry journals (e.g. Variety)Industry journals (e.g. Variety)•Web sites Web sites

•Fan and enthusiast sitesFan and enthusiast sites•Commercial sites (e.g., studio Commercial sites (e.g., studio

sites, video sites, video distributors)distributors)•Academic (or at least Academic (or at least academically-minded) film sitesacademically-minded) film sites

REVIEWSREVIEWS Current ArticlesCurrent Articles Retro ArticlesRetro Articles

PathfinderPathfinderIndexes &Indexes &AbstractsAbstracts(oooh baby!)(oooh baby!)

Inventory ofInventory ofBooksBooks and andJournalsJournals(what the(what theLibrary owns)Library owns)

Journal articlesJournal articlesby disciplineby discipline

How do you locate this stuff?How do you locate this stuff?

How do you locate this stuff?How do you locate this stuff?Journal Articles/ReviewsJournal Articles/Reviews

Film-related (not many) Film-related (not many) General news General news Literary Literary Other disciplines: e.g. Women’s Other disciplines: e.g. Women’s Studies, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, American Studies, Ethnic StudiesStudies

Jumping Off point for Finding Online Indexes:Jumping Off point for Finding Online Indexes:http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/filmstudies/reviewslist.html

Online & Print Online & Print Indexes and AbstractsIndexes and Abstracts

(Morocco, 1930)(Morocco, 1930)

Reviews: How to Look Reviews: How to Look em’ Upem’ Up•Search index using title of work Search index using title of work

(as a phrase) (as a phrase)

•You can also include directorYou can also include director

•Try using Try using and reviewand review

e.g. e.g. Happy TogetherHappy Together and and reviewreview

oror

Happy TogetherHappy Together and and Wong Kar-Wong Kar-waiwai and and reviewreview

Once You Find a Citation, Once You Find a Citation, How Do You Find the Article?How Do You Find the Article?

•Some indexes provide Some indexes provide holdings info [UC eLinks]holdings info [UC eLinks]

•Some indexes Some indexes link tolink to full-textfull-text

If neither…use PathfinderIf neither…use Pathfinder

How to Begin searching for books and/or articles on a research topic?

Before you click: THINK

Formulate your search in terms of:

•KEY WORDS and SYNOMYMS: --Looks for words anywhere in record: title, subject, abstract and full-text (if avail)

•PHRASES:--Looks for words in the exact order entered

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

Formulate your search in terms of keyword and key phrases:

The representation [reflect* portray* depict*] of gender [sex*] and masculinity [masculin*, male, men] in the films films [cinema, movie*] of Rainer Fassbinder.

****Truncation varies from db to db: * # ?emigra* = emigrant, emigrants, emigrate, emigration

•Tweak your topic: Broaden it / select a different angle•Rethink your search strategy (new keywords, new concepts, etc.)•Bail out completely and choose another topic

What to do if nothing is turning up

http://www.lib.berkeley. edu/MRC/FilmBibMenu.html

Bibliographies on various film topics and individual films compiled by MRC (includes bibs for genres, filmmakers, national cinemas, and individual film).

Film Reviews and Criticism

…being driven over the edge by your research?

Call me:Gary Handman

643-8566ghandman@library.berkeley.edu

Review this presentation at:http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/filmstudies/instruction.html