What Is The Worst Genre Of Cinema?

[Crabwalk]

A truly pointless debate, but even adopting a broad definition of "horror" I would argue the sci-fi elements of Alien are more central than the horror elements. You could have a similar movie without the brutal murder aspect, but if you removed the sci-fi elements (and had it be a gremlin on a plane or whatever) it would have been shit.

To return to my earlier worst-genre nomination, I thought of a movie that is great and is undeniably "horror" (The Exorcist), but once again I think everyone knows what I mean when I refer to a certain genre of modern horror that more or less began with Halloween, extended through the slasher films of the 80s and 90s, and has mutated into the torture porn and jump-scare films of the 2000s/2010s. Colloquially known as "horror," that genre is total shit.

That's just a ridiculously narrow definition of 'horror' though, that nobody else would share. What you seem to dislike, and it's entirely fair to do so, is slasher movies and zombie movies.

You don't have to write off all horror as a result, and it doesn't mean that you have to tie yourself in knots to declassify a horror film as such so that you can justify your enjoyment. The Exorcist is a horror film. The Thing is a horror film. The Shining is a horror film. Psycho is a horror film. The Wicker Man is a horror film.

And by the way, Alien is a Sci-Fi Horror film. It is just intrinsically both, just like The Fly (brilliant) and Event Horizon (shit).

It's like arguing that Shaun of the Dead or Braindead can't be classified as both horror films and comedies. Films can belong strongly to more than one genre at a time.

[newbridge]

Christ almighty, is this thread a joke? Am I being gas-lit? Is nobody actually reading my posts?

[samadriel]

Well you've also got the X-Men films (apart from The Last Stand), the first two Raimi Spider-Mans (particularly the second), The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Oh go on then, and Iron Man 3.

Okay, I'd probably count Winter Soldier as up there with Guardians; I'm not really thinking of the Spider-Man and X-Men films, as the post I replied to was addressing Marvel 'phases'.

[Puce Moment]

Christ almighty, is this thread a joke? Am I being gas-lit? Is nobody actually reading my posts?

What a horror!

[Brundle-Fly]

Is Newbridge the ghost of Christopher Lee?

http://www.3news.co.nz/entertainment/christopher-lee-hates-obscene-modern-horror-2009102813#axzz3nYAFrOp0

Horror in all its forms is my favourite film genre so yah boo sucks.

For me, 'political drama' is my least favourite. Whether it's the worst? No. Probably, horror then. Good.

[Spiteface]

Them SyFy "Creature Features" like Sharknado and the like, can fuck right off.

I think I hate those because they are sold on this weird "so bad it's good" thing that at the same time seems completely soulless. Most things people like in a "so bad it's good" way usually aren't made like that. I honestly believe a lot of them set out to want to make something good, but end up being enjoyed in a different way.

And no Asylum, you're not Toho, either.

[MoonDust]

Them SyFy "Creature Features" like Sharknado and the like, can fuck right off.

I think I hate those because they are sold on this weird "so bad it's good" thing that at the same time seems completely soulless. Most things people like in a "so bad it's good" way usually aren't made like that. I honestly believe a lot of them set out to want to make something good, but end up being enjoyed in a different way.

And no Asylum, you're not Toho, either.

So glad someone has said this.

I do genuinely enjoy B-movies when they're so bad they're good, but the type of B-movies you point out; where they were probably made with the intention of being good, but were unfortunately just shit. That's a true B-movie.

The likes of Sharknado et al seem to have hijacked the notion of a B-movie in the minds of most people. I'll mention how I sometimes find B-movies entertaining, and get "oh yeah, like Sharknado?! That's so funny, that!"

No. Not like Sharknado. No.

[hedgehog90]

Comedies. A shitty comedy is worse than a shitty film of any other genre.

I'd go one further - even good comedies are shit films generally.
City Lights and Jackass The Movie are good though.

[bushwick]

Scat porn coz it is disgusting with shit and that

[Replies From View]

The worst genre of film is "the chick flick".

/thread

[greenman]

That's just a ridiculously narrow definition of 'horror' though, that nobody else would share. What you seem to dislike, and it's entirely fair to do so, is slasher movies and zombie movies.

You don't have to write off all horror as a result, and it doesn't mean that you have to tie yourself in knots to declassify a horror film as such so that you can justify your enjoyment. The Exorcist is a horror film. The Thing is a horror film. The Shining is a horror film. Psycho is a horror film. The Wicker Man is a horror film.

And by the way, Alien is a Sci-Fi Horror film. It is just intrinsically both, just like The Fly (brilliant) and Event Horizon (shit).

It's like arguing that Shaun of the Dead or Braindead can't be classified as both horror films and comedies. Films can belong strongly to more than one genre at a time.

What you could say is that horror as it exists today is bar the odd exception pretty awful, an endless series of cheap shocks and low rent slashers aimed at a rather narrow dumbass teen market compared to what we saw in the 70's and 80's.

[Johnny Textface]

Biographies tend to left me cold.

[Crabwalk]

What you could say is that horror as it exists today is bar the odd exception pretty awful, an endless series of cheap shocks and low rent slashers aimed at a rather narrow dumbass teen market compared to what we saw in the 70's and 80's.

What I've bolded there applies to the majority of horror since about 1950. Horror in the 80s was absolutely dominated by stuff that sits squarely within that definition.

History has largely forgotten all the junk, just as in 20 years people will be talking about the quality stuff produced now, and forgetting about Cabin Fever 3 or whatever. I'll wager that the volume of thoughtful, effective horror cinema is as high now as it's ever been.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Shit movies for shit people.

LEAVE SALO ALONE!!!

[slavestate]

Parodies can do one

I remember when a mate worked in a video shop 25 years ago someone came in and asked where the American High School Comedy section was.  If that is a genre you can also throw that in for me.

[billtheburger]

Parodies can do one

What about Airplane & Naked Gun?

[slavestate]

What about Airplane & Naked Gun?

In general they can.  I struggle to sit through all of those too, to be honest.  Just doesn't float my boat. 

[Blinder Data]

War films and, like someone said upthread, biopics. Oh yeah, biblical films too.

The Thin Red Line?
Where Eagles Dare?
Apocalypse Now?
Paths of Glory?
Ran?

[greenman]

What I've bolded there applies to the majority of horror since about 1950. Horror in the 80s was absolutely dominated by stuff that sits squarely within that definition.

History has largely forgotten all the junk, just as in 20 years people will be talking about the quality stuff produced now, and forgetting about Cabin Fever 3 or whatever. I'll wager that the volume of thoughtful, effective horror cinema is as high now as it's ever been.

Such as?

Something like Berberian Sound Studio maybe but for me that kind of illustrates the point, its horror but really not horror coming from the same background at all as the majority of modern horror. Its mainstream American Horror that's gone from mostly crap but with a few gems similar to cinema in general to almost entirely crap.

[garbed_attic]

I was going to say westerns (as in, the original genre, not revisionist or spaghetti) because I can't really get behind manly American myth-making and The Searchers was just about this dick who is going to kill his daughter for being raped by a dirty injun and then heroically doesn't kill her and so is hero. Plus, they *are* pretty brown.

But actually, I reckon comedies. Because there are so many bad 'uns and I honestly don't think I've ever seen a comedy film which made me laugh anywhere near as much as the best tv comedies (the Python films and Withnail possible exceptions).

[DukeDeMondo]

Such as?

Something like Berberian Sound Studio maybe but for me that kind of illustrates the point, its horror but really not horror coming from the same background at all as the majority of modern horror. Its mainstream American Horror that's gone from mostly crap but with a few gems similar to cinema in general to almost entirely crap.

I think you're makin some wild assumptions there.

Anyway, I'm not sure what mainstream American Horror is anymore, but if we're talkin about any American horror film that has proven especially popular with multiplex audiences over the past ten years or so, then I'd say we'd be a sorrier lot without The Hills Have Eyes, both Hostels (that count), Paranormal Activity (and Paranormal Activity 3, for that matter), Halloween II, Cabin in the Woods (although I think that film is a bit too smug for its own good, it's still a lot of fun)... even the likes of Insidious I have a fair bit of time for. Some wonderful imagery in (awful ghosts aside) and I thought it was very funny. Alright it's a horror film in the same way that Gremlins or Poltergeist is a horror film, but it's still good at it.

If we're talking any (relatively) widely seen horror film with American funding or with Americans in that has appeared in the last while then the whole thing is just ridiculous. I can't even begin to count the number of excellent American horror pictures that've been released over the past decade, but, I dunno:

Excision, American Mary, Borderlands, The Woman, It Follows, Teeth, Slither, Red White & Blue, Jug Face, Trick 'r Treat.... the list goes on and on. 

If we're ignoring America entirely then the whole thing just falls to fuck for some of the most innovative and brilliant and thought-provoking films made anywhere in the world over that same time period have been horror films, and that's all there is to it.

So no. In as good a state as it's ever been.

[Ignatius_S]

I was going to say westerns (as in, the original genre, not revisionist or spaghetti) because I can't really get behind manly American myth-making and The Searchers was just about this dick who is going to kill his daughter for being raped by a dirty injun and then heroically doesn't kill her and so is hero. Plus, they *are* pretty brown....

Revisionist westerns started talking off in the early 1960s but there's an exceptionally strong argument to be made that certain ones from the 1940s should be included. 3:10 Yuma, which is late fifties, is usually seen as one – it's a tremendous film and certainly doesn't fit the traits you're talking about.

Revisionist westerns are an important aspect of the western genre and one of the problems trying to separate it in some way is that some will also be seen as 'classic' westerns (e.g. 3:10 Yuma, again.) Spaghetti westerns often share themes with revisionist ones and I think some (e.g. when focussing on violence and sexual violence) could be more problematic to ones in the 'original' genre.

[garbed_attic]

Maybe I just don't like John Ford :-p

[Head Gardener]

boardgame to movie if the trailer to Warcraft is anything to go by, but maybe I'm not the target audience
and how come on my screen it's 17 views and 21,000 likes?!

[garbed_attic]

boardgame to movie if the trailer to Warcraft is anything to go by, but maybe I'm not the target audience

Nah. Werner Herzog's adaptation of Buckaroo is ace.