The term 'genre movie'?

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  • #16
    Re: The term 'genre movie'?

    Just to throw my hat into the ring...

    I've always been told it is more of fantasy, sci-fi or horror film/story.

    I've also heard it in regards to thrillers or action films. I don't think it's a term of poor quality. Just something that doesn't cater to a wide fan base like a blended genre film (like, Action/Comedy might cater to comedy fans and action fans, whereas an Action film really only caters to action fans.)


    Originally posted by Matt the Cat View Post
    Guess it depends on who you are talking to, for me the opposite has been true.
    I stick to Genre. By that I mean Horror and Sci-Fi.

    Distributers seem to use the term a little differently to most, they want to file everything in a box. I often hear "Quirky Americana" A category spawned by the likes of Napolean Dynamite, Little miss Sunshine etc.....

    Anyhow sticking to genre has worked for me so far. (bare in mind this is from a Writer/Director POV).

    Imho, You sell a movie on Star Power, or Genre. Or... (when the budget gets up to a certain level) both.

    That's because most Horror/Sci fi fans couldn't give a **** if George Clooney is in the movie, in fact they prefer that he isn't, because it detracts from the reality of the experience. Horror fans just want a scary experience, no-name actors are fine, as long as their performances stand up.

    Not many mainstream dramas get good numbers at the box office without an A-list cast.

    However, there are plenty of Horror/Sci Fi movies that have done pretty well without any stars. District 9, Paranormal Douchebags, Monsters, Moon, Chronicle is getting some traction I think.

    In fact, I can't think of any new Writer/Directors that have "broken out"
    with a short or feature that falls into "straight drama".

    I guess people differ on their definitions here, but I still consider cross overs to be genre. The Alien, Predator and Terminator movies all tick Horror and Sci Fi boxes, yet I would still stick them in the "genre" category.
    This brings up an interesting point... the term "genre" could mean that it's a story that focuses more on the genre then on the cast.

    I still think that the term "genre" applies to Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror films.

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    • #17
      Re: The term 'genre movie'?

      I've always thought it was basically a set of conventions set up in the marketing of a story and its opening moments.

      Thrillers - a crime, someone trying to solve it, suspense, violence, some kind of puzzle with moral overtones which is resolved at the end.

      Horror - a supernatural threat, probably as revenge for some kind of historical sin, violence, some sex. Quite often a group of victims trapped in a finite space.

      Romantic comedy - boy meets girl, boy loses girl, they're reconciled and live happily ever after. Funny, sentimental.

      Etc.

      They're popular with audiences and producers because they define the basics of a story quickly.

      For us as writers, they mean we have a set of expectations to meet or hopefully exceed in the story or the audience will feel disappointed.

      Non-genre movies are ones that you can't fit into a known genre. You could argue that all moves are genre movies.

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      • #18
        Re: The term 'genre movie'?

        Originally posted by Done Deal Pro View Post

        Maybe another way of looking at is a script or film which falls into a clearly defined milieu. Drama and comedy are broad and don't have any real specific elements to them that would set them apart from other films as the previously mentioned genres would, relatively speaking. An audience expects certain key elements, formulas and "rules" to exist in a specific genre project and in most cases can quickly name what they are.

        It's a short hand that's not perfect and probably gets thrown around a bit more than it should be.
        Exactly. Like Jeff's example, Clive Cussler. He has become a genre in himself, writing genre fiction. Same with the Porky's answer. Today, while the American Pie series is considered broad comedy, they could also be referred to as a genre comedy because they often specialize in raunchy sex humor.

        Tarantino makes genre films, and while many people would classify his work as mostly crime fiction, others will point out he's made some heist films, a car chase film, and a war film.

        It's all about how the term is used, and by whom. When Eli Roth says 'in my genre', his fans know that means probably a lot of gore. While others would just think 'horror'. Because it's Eli Roth, we know he at least means horror, but if he's speaking about other horror movies being in his genre, we know it probably means gore, rather than just horror. It's all about connotation.

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        • #19
          Re: The term 'genre movie'?

          A genre movie is a pure example of its genre. It may feature various influences, but at its core, it categorises within the generally agreed upon rubric of that genre. It can be broad, e.g. crime. Or it can be more niche, e.g. slasher films.

          This article explains it in a thorough but simple way

          https://digitalfox.media/movie-wolf/...commendations/

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