In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, new directors such as Jaume Balagueró, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Paco Plaza, J.A. Bayona and Alejandro Amenábar radically changed the contours of Spanish horror through a fundamental strategy: the internationalization of the national film output from an aesthetic and industrial viewpoint to appeal to both the domestic and foreign markets. This class, led by instructor Vicente Rodríguez Ortega, will examine this period through a detailed analysis of the four installments of the [Rec] franchise (Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza), films that use the imperfect aesthetics of video, and simultaneously epitomizes the configuration of Horror as the main exportable asset for the national film industry. It will also connect Spanish horror with other international films that deploy the imperfect aesthetic of video as a key stylistic feature, such as The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield.

About the Instructor

Vicente Rodríguez Ortega has a PhD in Cinema Studies from New York University (NYU) and he is Senior Lecturer at Universidad Carlos III from Madrid. He has published in New Media & Society, Studies in European Cinema, Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies or Television and New Media, among others. He is the co-editor of Contemporary Spanish Cinema & Genre (2009) and has written over twenty book chapters in a variety of edited volumes. He is the editor of Tecmerin: Journal of Audiovisual Essays and a member of the Research Group Tecmerin.

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Please note these are live events - they cannot be watched later, so please be sure you are available at the time and time zone the classes are being offered in before registering. All sales are final, and we will not give refunds to people who miss classes because of the time zones, and changes in time from standard to daylight savings. Classes curated by Miskatonic New York are in Eastern Time. If you are ever unsure, a quick way to check is the Miskatonic website.

About the Miskatonic Institute

Founded by Film writer/programmer Kier-La Janisse in 2010, The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies offers classes in horror history, theory and production, with branches in London, New York and Los Angeles, as well as hosting special events worldwide.