Comparative Study Bibliography

 I will be maintaining my focus on Deconstructionist Film Theory, analyzing how films comment on the nature of the film making process. However, I will be changing my two films to Adaptation (2002) and Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975). My essential question will be: How has film changed in the way it deconstructs itself through the cultural transition between postmodernism and metamodernism?

Bibliography 

Baskin, Jon, et al. “Can Charlie Kaufman Get Out of His Head?” The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2020, www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/can-charlie-kaufman-get-out-of-his-head

    Since Adaptation is such a personal piece for it's writer Charlie Kaufman, I think It is important to set up who he is in the context for adaptation. I looked at a few other biographies, but I think this is the best as it constantly brings back to his movies and focuses on his relation to his surrounding cultural forces. I will be discussing the content of Kaufman's life and work in the context section of Adaptation. 

Butler, Christopher. Postmodernism: a Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2002.

    I will use this book to explain the basics of what postmodernism is. I will try not to use many quotes. The main use of this book being in the bibliography is to be able to have something to turn to as I explain other parts of the trappings of postmodernism. I would like to provide a brief explanation as a part of the cultural context for Holy Grail.  

Derrida, Jacques, et al. Of Grammatology. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016.

    This essay is arguably the basis of all postmodern theory, but is definitely the basis of deconstruction. In this essay Derrida argues that all of thought is based on the constricting elements of language, particularly written language. Within this obtuse specific argument, Derrida makes two important claims: first our privileging of one thing over another almost always comes without basis, later this would be called "denial of master narratives" by people writing on postmodernism. Second one must look into the inter-trappings of thing to understand it, this is what we will call deconstruction (some people also have a weird understanding of deconstruction which is kind of like dialectics, but I don't feel the need to recognize that). I will use some key quotes from this essay at the beginning of the video to explain what is meant by deconstruction, in order to set up some of the key theory elements of the video. 

Free, David. “The Beatles of Comedy.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 19 Feb. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/01/the-beatles-of-comedy/309185/.

    Similar to adaptation's Kaufman, I feel it is important to establish who Monty Python were as a group and their cultural significance. This article explains both their standing in England and the US. it is a simple biography, but serves the needed purpose of establishing who this group was within the context section.  

McGowan, Todd. Only a Joke Can Save Us: A Theory of Comedy. Northwestern University Press, 2017.

    This is a book explaining the interworking's of comedy, proposing that all comedy is based on a combination of lack and excess. A relevant example from the book is the black night, the guiding comedic tension of that seen is his lack of arms and excess of confidence. I will use this theory of comedy as a means of explaining some of the key scenes in both of these films, this source will be used limitedly within the context of my analysis, but I may want to pull a few quotes.  

Renée, V. “The Soul-Crushing Boredom That Birthed 1990s 'Cubicle Movies'.” No Film School, No Film School, 22 July 2019, nofilmschool.com/soul-crushing-boredom-cubicle-movies. 

    This will be my primary cultural context source for what art in late 90s LA was a reaction to for Adaptation. Essentially, the article describes movies like Office Space and Fight Club as a reaction to stability. Adaptation is a reaction to this feeling within screenwriting. Similar to David Fincher, to some extent all of Charlie Kaufman's movies are based on this feeling, I will incorporate this argument into my context of Adaptation. "Their lives were dull and unsatisfying and will continue to be dull and unsatisfying until they die a dull and unsatisfying death." 

“The Chicago School of Media Theory Theorizing Media since 2003.” The Chicago School of Media Theory RSS, lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/mediatheory/keywords/adaptation/. 

    As both of these movies are postmodern adaptations, I think it would be valuable to establish some of the basic theory behind the analysis of adaptation when comparing them. This is a broad introductory overview on the analysis of adaptation, but will be valuable for comparative analysis of these two films.  

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Deconstruction.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Dec. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/deconstruction.

This source will be used with "Of Grammatology" in the beginning of the study to explain the broad theoretical basis of this study. This article does a better job explaining the specific trappings of deconstruction, while "Of Grammatology" gives the first real example of deconstruction as an analytic form. Again, as deconstruction is the primary postmodern trope used by both of these films, I think its valuable to begin the video on the theory behind deconstruction.   

Wallace, David Foster. “E Unibus Pluram.” Review of Contemporary Fiction, 1993, doi:10.1145/1900546.1900550.

    This essay is the basis of the switch from postmodernism to metamerism. It argues for a lot of things, but for the purposes of this study I will be focusing on it's claim that the true Avant Guard at this point is sincerity while using the style of postmodernism. I will be pulling quotes from this essay when explaining the cultural context of Adaptation. Kaufman, Adaptation's writer, has openly talked about Wallace's influence on him, even quoting him in his most recent movie. Even though the work does not use the word "metamoderism" once, in my opinion it is the best and clearest explanation of what metamoderism is that has been written. 

“Why Does the 1970s Get Painted as Such a Bad Decade?” BBC News, BBC, 16 Apr. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17703483. 

    Similar to the piece on cubical movies, I will be using this for broad context of 1970s England. England during this period had to really reconcile the end of their empire, and the effects that would have on the country. In my view, this made them reconsider their self mythology, and Holy Grail does this quite well. Not only deconstruct Film Making during this period but also the story of king author. I will be focusing on the first while briefly mentioning the second. Postmodernism will always come out of uncertainty and unfulfillment, so I think its important to set up where England was.