Lesson plan

The Stuff

The Stuff is a 1985 American science fiction horror film written and directed by Larry Cohen and starring Michael Moriarty, Garrett Morris, Andrea Marcovicci, and Paul Sorvino. The film follows the discovery of a mysterious, sweet, and addictive substance becoming a popular dessert in the United States but soon begins attacking people and turning them into zombies. Cohen cited consumerism, unhealthy foods, and potentially hazardous products as his influences for writing this film's story. The film was the subject of a legal dispute, Effects Associates v. Cohen. Effects Associates sued Cohen, but the trial court ruled in favor of Cohen. In 1990, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Effects Associates held the copyright of the footage for use outside of The Stuff. When the film was released, it did not perform well. Later, critics praised its acting, story, and performances, and it has been compared to The Blob and The Substance and regarded by film scholars and critics as a cult classic satire on American consumerism, mass media, and health foods.

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Article summary

The Stuff is a 1985 American science fiction horror film written and directed by Larry Cohen and starring Michael Moriarty, Garrett Morris, Andrea Marcovicci, and Paul Sorvino. The film follows the discovery of a mysterious, sweet, and addictive substance becoming a popular dessert in the United States but soon begins attacking people and turning them into zombies. Cohen cited consumerism, unhealthy foods, and potentially hazardous products as his influences for writing this film's story. The film was the subject of a legal dispute, Effects Associates v. Cohen. Effects Associates sued Cohen, but the trial court ruled in favor of Cohen. In 1990, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Effects Associates held the copyright of the footage for use outside of The Stuff. When the film was released, it did not perform well. Later, critics praised its acting, story, and performances, and it has been compared to The Blob and The Substance and regarded by film scholars and critics as a cult classic satire on American consumerism, mass media, and health foods.

Key claims

  1. release date: 1985-06-14 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. release date: 1985 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. release date: 2000 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. release date: 2016-04-19 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the release date is "1985-06-14". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the release date is "1985". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the release date is "2000". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the release date is "2016-04-19". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1376375307

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.