Mockbusters, Monsters, Mass Destruction, and Lots More Stuff!: Appreciations of The Asylum Oeuvre
If you are familiar with made for SyFy films featuring cgi monsters and bloodshed, or if you have mistakenly rented a film that you mistook for a current blockbuster, or if you are still digging through the five dollar bins at various department stores then you are probably familiar with films like Sharknado, Mercenaries, Sinister Squad, American Virgin, Sunday School Musical, and Snakes on a Train, all courtesy of The Asylum. Functioning similarly to American International Pictures did in the 1950s, this film company produces the same sorts of fare, accompanied by similar exploitation impulses. The films no doubt have varying degrees of quality, but they are numerous, and have become a significant part of the cultural fabric.
I solicit proposals for essays to be included in a collection devoted to academic analysis of The Asylum’s cinematic output. There will be sections devoted to Sharknado and Z-Nation, but each will be limited to three or four essays. Other areas of interest include:
• The Asylum movies as inspired by exploitation cinema
• Z Nation as tv phenomena
• Lensed readings (feminist, race, colonial, eco-critical, et al) readings of individual films
• Generic placement or influences in specific films or bodies of films
• The concept of mockbusters
• The Asylum films as parody or satire of genres
• Social media influences on The Asylum’s films
• Close readings of individual films or episodes (especially comedies and family films)
The list represents a small set of possibilities, I will consider all submissions that propose scholarly projects with a focus on The Asylum. I especially welcome submissions from undergraduate and graduate students, independent scholars, retirees, and anyone with an ongoing interest in The Asylum and its films.
Timetable
July 15: Submission deadline
September 15: Notifications of acceptance and submission of proposal
If the proposal is accepted I would then expect 6-9 months from the date of acceptance for submission of final papers.
Submit: A 250-300 word abstract and a brief cv or bio (not more than a page) to:
J. Rocky Colavito
Professor of English
Butler University
4600 Sunset Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46208
or email
jcolavit@butler.edu
