Q: How does the film use the genre of horror to reflect on the realities of late 1960s US society? 

A: The film is revolutionary in several rights, some of this revolutionary aspect comes from the critiques on 1960 society. Duane Jones being cast as the main protagonist of the film was revolutionary in the fact that it was the first Horror movie to have a black man in a real protagonist role; in fact it was the first in film in general. George Romero, the director, wanted to convey the fear felt in the sixties through his film. This was a time of dramatic cultural shifts and new territory being explored in History. The Cold War and in particular the Space Race may have influenced the story for the causation of the cannibalistic impulses which came from the destruction of a satellite probe to Venus which had a dangerous amount of radiation. The very next year, the U.S. would land on the moon. Overall, Romero and this film created an interesting genre and critique on 1960’s society.

1) What is Clover’s thesis in her article “Dancin’ in the Rain” (i.e. what is the main point she is making about the film’s production context)?

Clover’s thesis in her article is that the main point of giving credit where it is due shown in “Singin’ in the Rain” is not followed even in the production of the movie itself. The film takes advantage of different people without due credit.

2) Give at least 3 examples she gives from the film (scenes, lines of dialogue etc.) that support her thesis.

1. Noyes/Royce,
2. The singing happening when Lina is “exposed” for lip syncing is actually the actor for Lina’s real voice
3. Black Culture highly influenced the dance and certain instances of the film

3) What are your thoughts on this?

I think her article is interesting. The section regarding how even though singing is in the name, the underlying emphasis of dancing as the hero/solution to the problem of the story was strange. The focus on “athleticism” in the musical genre was interesting as it played into this emphasis on dancing.