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Seth Barry Watter

@sbwatter.bsky.social

540 followers 280 following 630 posts

new york, ny | author of The Human Figure on Film (SUNY, 2023) and of articles on film, media, the human sciences, psychiatry scholarly writing here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Seth-Watter

www.researchgate.net

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 22d

I'm in the process of porting all my stuff over from Academia dot edu to ResearchGate, at least until I can get my own website back up and running: you can now find most of my writing (academic or otherwise) over at www.researchgate.net/profile/Seth...

Seth WATTER | New York University, New York City | NYU | Department of Media, Culture, and Communication | Research profile

Seth WATTER of New York University, New York City (NYU) | Read 14 publications | Contact Seth WATTER

www.researchgate.net

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 7d

It played at Anthology as part of a series on the horror of technology. Maybe 10 years ago? If you could find the entire program, it would probably have some good material.

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 7d

Anguish (1987 film) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 10d

Aspirations: "He led an idle, useless existence and spent most of his time locked in his study, imitating the songs of starlings, the crowing of cocks, etc., and writing so-called libertine verse." (Saltykov-Shchedrin, The Golovlyov Family)

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 10d

I've long been a tremendous admirer of The Cremator (do most cinephiles have a romance with the Czech New Wave at some point?), so I'm pretty excited to finally see some of Herz's other work:

The Gothic Visions of Juraj Herz - Metrograph

A titan of the Czechoslovak New Wave, a lightning rod for controversy following the release of his 1969 black comedy The Cremator—who, notwithstanding that film’s ban by the Communist regime, continue...

metrograph.com

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 10d

They're pretty common at Hunter for survey courses.

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 11d

This new statistic saying only 16% of Americans read for pleasure reminds me of a class the crime writer Lawrence Block once taught on "reading for pleasure." Probably most of us would benefit from such a class, perverse as it is to think that pleasure is a skill we must nourish and develop.

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 11d

It never left!

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 13d

I've noticed that hardly any job postings seem to ask anymore for "evidence of teaching effectiveness" (course or peer evaluations, usually). Did committees ultimately decide that this was too humiliating, or have they just found the undergraduate's solution of using RateMyProfessor instead?

Reposted by Seth Barry Watter

Benjamín Schultz-Figueroa @benjaminschultzfig.bsky.social · 15d

People in the Seattle/Tacoma area: I'll be reprising my talk on animal research films for the Tacoma Film Festival on October 12th and then introducing Ted Kennedy's experimental doc B.F. Skinner Plays Himself afterwards. Swing by and say "hi!"

grandcinema.com/movie/free-f...

Free Film Talk: Through the Image of an Animal

Join us for a free film talk in The Grand Cinema Lounge presented by Benjamin Schultz-Figueroa, associate professor in film studies at Seattle University. Comparisons between humans and animals are f...

grandcinema.com

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 17d

The journalism posting:

Jobs | City University of New York

cuny.jobs

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 17d

Two new job postings in the Film and Media Studies program at Hunter College: one in Film Production, one in Journalism. The production job:

Jobs | City University of New York

cuny.jobs

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 20d

This may be the best title of a book ever. Imagine if all titles were equally descriptive: "Academic Monograph with Tedious Descriptions of Gothic Architecture." "Collection of Previously Published Essays with No Unity Among Them or Discernible Point."

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 20d

I think that's a common response to silent film generally

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 21d

My partner discovered one of her favorite authors, Chris Kraus, here (it was a recommended book)

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 21d

Some things I remember buying the first few times I went there:

The Czechoslovak New Wave by Peter Hames
The Origin of German Tragic Drama by Walter Benjamin
Cavalier History of Surrealism by Raoul Vaneigem
Paris Hollywood by Peter Wollen
Shades of Noir by Joan Copjec

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 21d

Really sad to hear that Bluestockings is closing for good. It was one of the first places I started going to in New York, 20 years ago. Indeed some of these bookmarks are starting show their age, much like me.

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 22d

Every appearance of RFK Jr. in the news reminds me of a phrase I once read in Christina Stead: "depraved healthiness"

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 22d

Just a reminder that there is still time (10/1) to apply to SCMSSP's parallel conference, to be held "both virtually (online) and, simultaneously, in person in/from
Chicago (exact physical location TBA) during the same dates as SCMS March 26-29, 2026.... contingent upon agreement not to attend SCMS"

"Proposals for papers and preconstituted panels/workshops/roundtables are still being accepted. Proposals may be sent to this email address:
cine-media-studies-palestine@riseup.net, with "PROPOSAL FOR PARALLEL FORUM 2026" in the subject line. Paper proposals, on any topic related to film and media studies, should run 350-400 words and include paper title, author name/affiliation/email address along with a 5-entry bibliography and a 75-100-word biographical statement.
Panel/workshop/roundtable descriptions should run 300 words and include a title, chair name/affiliation/email address/biographical statement along with 3-4 paper/presentation proposals. Participants in the SCMSSP conference may give only one paper/presentation, and they may also chair one panel/workshop/roundtable. No more than two people from the same institution may be part of any single panel/workshop/roundtable. Submissions from filmmakers as well as scholars are welcome, as are submissions from graduate students and precariously employed scholars as well as established scholars. The revised proposal submission deadline is October 1 (with some flexibility)."

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 22d

Seth WATTER | New York University, New York City | NYU | Department of Media, Culture, and Communication | Research profile

Seth WATTER of New York University, New York City (NYU) | Read 14 publications | Contact Seth WATTER

www.researchgate.net

Reposted by Seth Barry Watter

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 27d

The content you need

The Acrobatic Fly (1910)

YouTube video by BFI

youtu.be

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 27d

Coming to the slow and painful realization that my child will repeat practically anything I say

Reposted by Seth Barry Watter

wanda strauven @wandastrauven.bsky.social · 27d

New Yorkers, get your tickets for this FREE event celebrating my new book! October 9, at 7pm, at Lenfest Center for the Arts. Details of the screening will be announced soon.
www.lenfest.arts.columbia.edu/fall-2025-ev...

‘Children Reinventing Cinema’ — Lenfest Center for the Arts

Please join us for an evening with short films made by kids from the past and the present in celebration of Children Reinventing Cinema, new book by Adjunct Professor Wanda Strauven and Alexandra ...

www.lenfest.arts.columbia.edu

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 27d

Whenever I think of Robert Redford, I think of this scene in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore:

Bea: Listen, I wonder what kind of build he's got on him.
Alice: Did you ever see his feet?
Bea: Feet?
Alice: I heard one time that's supposed to be an indication.

Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 27d

The content you need

The Acrobatic Fly (1910)

YouTube video by BFI

youtu.be

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Seth Barry Watter @sbwatter.bsky.social · 27d

I think it's healthy to remind students (and through them, ourselves) that people can hold totally contradictory views and not even recognize the existence of a contradiction, thus making no effort to reconcile the opposing terms. A good lesson for today especially.

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