Dr. Christopher Weedman
Associate Professor | Director of General Education English | Faculty Advisor of Film Studies Minor
Fall 2024
Mondays – Thursdays 9:00-10:00 a.m., Fridays 1:00-2:00 p.m., and by appointment
Departments / Programs
Degree Information
- PHD, Southern Illinois University (2011)
- MA, Eastern Illinois University (2005)
- BA, Eastern Illinois University (2000)
Areas of Expertise
- British, American, and European film history, theory, and aesthetics
- Film censorship
- Film genres (particularly film noir, gangster film, horror, melodrama, social drama, and thriller)
- Film representations of class, gender, and sexual identity
- Post-1945 British literature and drama
Biography
Dr. Christopher Weedman's primary research and teaching focus is Film Studies, particularly post-1945 British, American, and European film history and criticism. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate Film Studies courses, he serves as both the director of General Education English and the faculty advisor of the interdisciplinary Film Studies Minor. He also holds aff...
Read More »Dr. Christopher Weedman's primary research and teaching focus is Film Studies, particularly post-1945 British, American, and European film history and criticism. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate Film Studies courses, he serves as both the director of General Education English and the faculty advisor of the interdisciplinary Film Studies Minor. He also holds affiliate faculty status in both the University Honors College and the Women's and Gender Studies Program, as well as organizes the English Department's annual Oscar Derby. Before arriving at MTSU in 2017, Dr. Weedman taught at a variety of institutions, including Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.
He is co-editor of the scholarly collections Adult Themes: British Cinema and the X Certificate in the Long 1960s (Bloomsbury, 2023 with Anne Etienne and Benjamin Halligan) and Liminal Noir in Classical World Cinema (Edinburgh University Press, 2023 with Elyce Rae Helford). His scholarship has also appeared in such journals as Film International, Jewish Film and New Media, Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, Quarterly Review of Film and Video, and Senses of Cinema, as well as multiple edited collections.
A native of central Illinois, Dr. Weedman lives in Murfreesboro with his wife Eudora, daughter Elenore, and cat Pip. A lifelong baseball fan, he is an official member of the "Die-Hard Cub Fan Club" and has a penchant for coffee, jazz, and midcentury kitsch.
Publications
Books (Edited)
- Adult Themes: British Cinema and the X Certificate in the Long 1960s. Co-edited with Anne Etienne and Benjamin Halligan. Bloomsbury, 2023.
My chapter: "The Commercial Idealism of Controversial Cinema: Raymond Stross and the Censorship of The Flesh Is Weak" (pp. 37-54).
Reviewed in Hi...
Books (Edited)
- Adult Themes: British Cinema and the X Certificate in the Long 1960s. Co-edited with Anne Etienne and Benjamin Halligan. Bloomsbury, 2023.
My chapter: "The Commercial Idealism of Controversial Cinema: Raymond Stross and the Censorship of The Flesh Is Weak" (pp. 37-54).
Reviewed in Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television. 28 Nov. 2024. - Liminal Noir in Classical World Cinema. Co-edited with Elyce Rae Helford. Edinburgh University Press, 2023.
My chapter: "The Deadly Seduction of a Rake: British Costume Melodrama, Noir, and the 'Othered' Woman in The Gypsy and the Gentleman" (pp. 105-130).
Reviewed in Film International (online edition). 26 Dec. 2023.
Articles and Book Chapters
- "Fear and Exploiting in the Age of Aquarius: Early Representations of the Zodiac Killer in 1970s Film and Television" in David Fincher's Zodiac: Cinema of Investigation and (Mis)Interpretation. Eds. Matthew Sorrento and David C. Ryan. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2022, pp. 31-51.
- "A Dark Exilic Vision of 1960s Britain: Gothic Horror and Film Noir Pervading Losey and Pinter's The Servant." Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, vol. 58, no. 3, Spring 2019, pp. 93-117.
- "Joseph Losey" in Fifty Hollywood Film Directors. Eds. Suzanne Leonard and Yvonne Tasker. Routledge, 2015, pp. 143-151.
- "From the Ground Up: Shaping Community, Collaboration, and Multiliteracies at Georgia Tech" (co-written with Rebecca Burnett, Karen Head, Brandy Ball Blake, Andy Frazee, Diane Jakacki, Christopher Ritter, and Nirmal Trivedi) in Making Space: Writing Instruction, Infrastructure, and Multiliteracies. Eds. Jim Purdy and Danielle Nicole DeVoss. University of Michigan Press/Sweetland, 2014.
Short Articles
- "Melodramatic Postwar Confessions: Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini's La Paura (1954)." Senses of Cinema, no. 75, 2015.
- "Jean-Pierre Melville's Quand tu liras cette lettre: The Novice and the Homme Fatale Amidst Moral Decay in Postwar France." Senses of Cinema, no. 74, 2015.
- "Realism Painted with Darkness: T-Men and the Docu-noir Aesthetic of Anthony Mann and John Alton." Senses of Cinema, no. 67, 2013.
- "Notre Musique: Godard's Shot/Reverse Shot Ruminations on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” Senses of Cinema, no. 66, 2013.
- "The Prowler." Quarterly Review of Film and Video, vol. 27, no. 5, 2010, pp. 365-367.
- "Mr. Klein." Senses of Cinema, no. 55, 2010.
- "Optimism Unfulfilled: Jerzy Skolimowski's Deep End and the Swinging Sixties." Senses of Cinema, no. 51, 2009.
- "Under the Cover of Darkness: Expressionistic Experimentation in Howard Hawks' The Criminal Code." Senses of Cinema, no. 49, 2009.
- "Cul-de-Sac." Senses of Cinema, no. 34, 2005.
Film/Blu-ray/DVD Reviews
- "The Restoration of 'Der Rote Pabst': Westfront 1918 and Kameradschaft on Eureka and Criterion." Blu-ray/DVD rev. of Westfront 1918 and Kameradschaft (1930 and 1931, dir. G.W. Pabst). Film International (print edition), vol. 16, no. 2, 2018, pp. 115-119.
- "Marcel Pagnol's 'Marseille Trilogy': An Essential Reemerges on Criterion." Blu-ray/DVD rev. of Marius (1931, dir. Alexander Korda), Fanny (1932, dir. Marc Allégret), and César (1936, dir. Marcel Pagnol). Film International (online edition), 12 Feb. 2018.
- "The Charming 'Lithuanian Cary Grant': Walter Matthau in Hopscotch on Criterion." Blu-ray/DVD rev. of Hopscotch (1980, dir. Ronald Neame). Film International (online edition), 10 Oct. 2017.
- "The Sublime Beauty of Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg on Criterion." Blu-ray/DVD rev. of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, dir. Jacques Demy). Film International (online edition), 15 Sept. 2017.
- "The Roots of Social Change: Ermanno Olmi's The Tree of Wooden Clogs on Criterion.” Blu-ray/DVD rev. of The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978, dir. Ermanno Olmi). Film International (online edition), 30 May 2017.
- "More Than Plays on Film: Marcel Pagnol's 'Marseille Trilogy' Restored by Janus Films." Rev. of Marius (1931, dir. Alexander Korda), Fanny (1932, dir. Marc Allégret), and César (1936, dir. Marcel Pagnol). Film International (online edition), 27 Mar. 2017.
- "The Resurrection of Abel Gance's J'accuse (1938) on Olive Films." Blu-ray/DVD rev. of J’accuse (1938, dir. Abel Gance). Film International (online edition), 25 Jan. 2017.
- "Mifune: The Last Samurai—Overshadowing His Tribute." Rev. of Mifune: The Last Samurai (2016, dir. Steven Okazaki). Film International (online edition), 28 Nov. 2016.
- "A Fun Swansong: The Last Film Festival." Rev. of The Last Film Festival (2016, dir. Linda Yellen). Film International (online edition), 5 Oct. 2016.
- "Japan’s Modernist Enigma: Woman in the Dunes on Criterion." Blu-ray/DVD rev. of The Woman in the Dunes (1964, dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara). Film International (online edition), 25 Sep. 2016.
Book Reviews
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"Ben Hecht: Fighting Words, Moving Pictures by Adina Hoffman." Jewish Film & New Media, vol. 8, no. 1, Spring 2020, pp. 122-125.
- "Mutating War Traumas: Monsters in the Machine by Steffen Hantke." Film International (online edition), 29 Jun. 2017.
Interviews (Academic Publications)
- "Making Cinema for Television: An Interview with Linda Yellen." Film International (print edition), vol. 15, no. 2, 2017, pp. 131-138.
Interviews (Film Journalism Publications)
- "Anne Heywood: Britain's Daring Beauty." Cinema Retro, vol. 13, no. 36, Jan. 2017, pp. 56-59.
Presentations
Conference Paper Presentations
- "The Changeling, Prestige Horror, and the Specter of America's 'Long National Nightmare.'" Revisiting Horror Tropes panel. Southwest Popular Culture and American Culture Association Summer Salon (regional conference). Virtual. 21 Jun. 2024.
- "Outfoxing the Production Code: The Censorship and Distribution Battles Over The Fox (1967)." The Sixties area. Popular Culture Association Conference (n...
Conference Paper Presentations
- "The Changeling, Prestige Horror, and the Specter of America's 'Long National Nightmare.'" Revisiting Horror Tropes panel. Southwest Popular Culture and American Culture Association Summer Salon (regional conference). Virtual. 21 Jun. 2024.
- "Outfoxing the Production Code: The Censorship and Distribution Battles Over The Fox (1967)." The Sixties area. Popular Culture Association Conference (national conference). Virtual. 14 Apr. 2022.
- "'We’re Not All Called Fifi in My Country!': Leslie Caron and the Xenophobic Sexual Landscape of The L-Shaped Room." Popular Culture/American Culture Association in the South Conference (regional conference). Wilmington, NC. 26 Sept. 2019.
- "Raymond Stross and Film Censorship: British Cinema of Social and Sexual Provocation." Film area. Popular Culture and American Culture Association Conference (national conference). Indianapolis, IN. 28 Mar. 2018.
- "A Cinema of Terrible Beauty: Gender and Sexual Identity in the Films of Anne Heywood and Raymond Stross." Film History panel. Southwest Popular Culture and American Culture Association Conference (regional conference). Albuquerque, NM. 11 Feb. 2016.
- "Does Tutoring Influence Teaching? – A Case Study of Georgia Tech." Co-presented with Karen Head, Malavika Shetty, and Brandy Ball Blake. Southeastern Writing Centers Association Conference (regional conference). Nova Southeastern University. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 22 Feb. 2013.
- "The Last Summer of Innocence: Narrative Intrusion and National Trauma in Losey and Pinter's The Go-Between." British Cinema panel. Southwest Popular Culture and American Culture Association Conference (regional conference). Albuquerque, NM. 15 Feb. 2013.
- "No Freedom from Fear: Noir Shrouding Rockwellian America in Losey's The Boy with Green Hair." Politics and Film/Television Aesthetics panel. Southwest Popular Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (regional conference). Albuquerque, NM. 26 Feb. 2009.
- "Distorting the Story: The Complexities of Authorship in the Kazan/Pinter/Spiegel Film of Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon." AEGIS Conference (local conference). Southern Illinois University. Carbondale, IL. 5 Apr. 2008.
- "The Combination to the Gates of Hell: Gothic Influence in Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter." AEGIS Symposium (local symposium). Southern Illinois University. Carbondale, IL. 7 Apr. 2007.
- "Our Man in Havana: Reed-ing [Graham] Greene's Atomic Pile." Embarass Valley Film Festival: Burl Ives Symposium (local symposium). Eastern Illinois University. Charleston, IL. 22 Sept. 2006.
- "These Three: Toland's Gaze among Hellman's Schoolgirls." Citizen Gregg: A Retrospective on Gregg Toland and His Career Symposium (local symposium). Eastern Illinois University. Charleston, IL. 24 Sept. 2004.
Invited Guest Lectures (campus)
- "For Adult's Only: Censorship and British Film." MTSU English Department and Virginia Peck Trust Fund Committee. English Faculty Lecture Series. Middle Tennessee State University. Murfreesboro, TN. Forthcoming, 27 Mar. 2024.
- "Social Isolation and Non-Traditional Friendships in 1960s British Cinema." University Honors College. Fall 2022 Honors Lecture Series: "Friendship." Middle Tennessee State University. Murfreesboro, TN. 8 Nov. 2022.
Invited Guest Lectures (international)
- "The 'Wind of Change' Blows Home: The Servant, Genre Hybridity, and Sixties Social Upheaval." Autumn Semester Lecture Series (online). Centre for Film, Media, Discourse, and Culture. University of Wolverhampton, England. 2 December 2020. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-wind-of-change-blows-home-tickets-122377844427
- "Exilic Vision and the Cinematic Interrogation of Britain: The Joseph Losey and Harold Pinter Collaboration." School of Liberal Arts. Tianjin University. Tianjin, China. 31 May 2012.
Research / Scholarly Activity
Dr. Weedman is currently writing the monograph Anne Heywood: Beauty, Sex, and the Controversial Film (under advance contract to University Press of Mississippi), a critical biography of the groundbreaking British actress of the films The Fox (1967) and I Want What I Want (1972). Excerpts from his personal interviews with Heywood appeared in the film magazine Cinema Retro in January 2017.
He is also co-editing a scholarly collection on the films of American director Michael Cimino with Benjamin Halligan (University of Wolverhampton).
In the Media
- "MTSU’s English Department Hosts Annual Celebration of Student Writing." MTSU News. 17 Apr. 2024.
- Introduction to the 1949 film White Heat (The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, TN. 25 Jan. 2020) mentioned in this
- "MTSU’s English Department Hosts Annual Celebration of Student Writing." MTSU News. 17 Apr. 2024.
- Introduction to the 1949 film White Heat (The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, TN. 25 Jan. 2020) mentioned in this Belcourt Theatre press release. Belcourt.org. Jan. 2020.
- Introduction to the 1945 film Leave Her to Heaven (The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, TN. 19 Jan. 2020) mentioned in this Belcourt Theatre press release. Belcourt.org. Jan. 2020.
- Introduction to the 1972 film Ulzana's Raid (The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, TN. 5 Sept. 2018) discussed in the press article "MTSU Brings 'Western Movies Alive." WGNSRadio.com 29 Jul. 2018.
Courses
- ENGL 6565/7565 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: British Cinema--Social Upheaval, Censorship, and Moral Panic
- ENGL 6565/7565 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: British New Wave Films of the 1950s and 1960s
- ENGL 6561/7561 -- Film Studies
- ENGL 4860 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: The Gangster Film (scheduled for Spring 2025)
- ENGL 4860 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: Global Filmmakers in Hollywood
- ENGL 4860 -- Special Topics in Film...
- ENGL 6565/7565 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: British Cinema--Social Upheaval, Censorship, and Moral Panic
- ENGL 6565/7565 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: British New Wave Films of the 1950s and 1960s
- ENGL 6561/7561 -- Film Studies
- ENGL 4860 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: The Gangster Film (scheduled for Spring 2025)
- ENGL 4860 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: Global Filmmakers in Hollywood
- ENGL 4860 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: Global Hitchcock--World Cinema in the Tradition of Alfred Hitchcock
- ENGL 4860 -- Special Topics in Film Studies: Horror Films
- ENGL 4855 -- Film Theory and Criticism
- ENGL 3885 -- Topics in Gender and Film: Women Film Pioneers
- ENGL 3885 -- Topics in Gender and Film: Women in British Film
- ENGL 3870 -- Film History
- ENGL 3860 -- Film Genre (scheduled for Spring 2025)
- ENGL 3007 -- Writing and the Literary Imagination
- ENGL 2020 -- Themes in Literature and Culture: Detective Fiction
- ENGL 2020 -- Themes in Literature and Culture: The Swinging Sixties
- ENGL 1020 -- Research and Argumentative Writing
- ENGL 1010 -- Expository Writing