The Cinematic Schematic continues our special Three Films That Got You Through the 2020 Pandemic interview series with part four of this ten-episode run. In this episode, I speak with film studies educator, Oklahoma Film Critics Circle member, and Ward 2 city councilperson in Oklahoma City, James Cooper. I talk with Cooper about the importance of media literacy in the current climate and how the pandemic impacted how he taught his classes and interacted with his students.

When talking with Cooper, I’ve learned he’s not here to give you his opinion, and he’s more focused on telling you his story through references to everything from Richard Linklater’s Waking Life to essays from academia like Andre Bazin’s “The Myth of Total Cinema.” He’s not just providing a quick take, but rather taking you on a journey to ensure his perspective is honest, grounded, clear, and empathetic. Did I mention he’s also passionate about horror movies like Scream 2? 

Special Guest

James Cooper

College educator, Oklahoma Film Critics Circle member, and Ward 2 city councilperson in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Follow James @jamesforokc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

For Ward 2 matters, James can be contacted at ward2@okc.gov.

Cooper’s work as a writer detailing film, Oklahoma culture, federal hate crimes legislation, and Oklahoma City’s LGBTQ+ community has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including The Oklahoma Gazette, The Huffington Post, and Nondoc. He also wrote “The Coming of Age Through Queer Cinema,” for The Cinematropolis back in June 2018. 

Outside of his work as a writer, he teaches as an adjunct English professor at the University of Central Oklahoma and as an adjunct Film Studies and Philosophy professor at Oklahoma City University.

Throughout our conversation, he shares the most recent films and television shows he’s included in his syllabi. A few of his selections include. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Django Unchained (2012), Many Rivers to Cross (2013), and his latest addition, HBO’s Watchmen (2019). As for recommended reading, Cooper gives nods to Carol J. Clover’s “The Final Girl” Theory and Make Room for Television in reference to the blurring of the lines we saw between film and TV in 2020.

In April 2019, Cooper took the oath of office to begin his first term on the Oklahoma City Council as the representative for Ward 2 where he serves as a trustee o...