Last week we looked at: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime (gangster), and Drama, This week we will look at 5 more popular feature film genres: Horror, Musical/Dance, Science-Fiction, War, and Westerns.
Horror Films: Horror films are designed to invoke our worst fear; primarily to deliberately scare, frighten in the most terrifying way through suspense, shock, and/or violence. Horror Films should captivate as well as entertain an audience with a cathartic experience. Variations of horror films are: Dark Fantasy, Ghost stories, Monster, Giant Monster, Occult, Slasher, and Survival Horror. Horror films are also combined with Science Fiction films, such as when Earth is threatened by aliens. Think Aliens. The most memorable horror films are Dracula and Frankenstein. Then there’s Night of the Living Dead, The Blair Witch Project, etc.
Musical/Dance Films: Musical/dance films usually center on a combination of narrative, music, dance routines, choreography and songs. Think: The Wizard of Oz, Moulin Rouge, The Lion King, Les Miserables, etc.
Horror Films: Horror films are designed to invoke our worst fear; primarily to deliberately scare, frighten in the most terrifying way through suspense, shock, and/or violence. Horror Films should captivate as well as entertain an audience with a cathartic experience. Variations of horror films are: Dark Fantasy, Ghost stories, Monster, Giant Monster, Occult, Slasher, and Survival Horror. Horror films are also combined with Science Fiction films, such as when Earth is threatened by aliens. Think Aliens. The most memorable horror films are Dracula and Frankenstein. Then there’s Night of the Living Dead, The Blair Witch Project, etc.
Musical/Dance Films: Musical/dance films usually center on a combination of narrative, music, dance routines, choreography and songs. Think: The Wizard of Oz, Moulin Rouge, The Lion King, Les Miserables, etc.
Science-Fiction Films: Sci-Fi are often visionary, imaginative, futuristic films dealing in the unknown and with unknown forces to destroy humankind; sometimes by nuclear havoc, monsters, or mad scientists. Sci-Fi films are similar to Horror films, Fantasy, Action and Adventure films. Think Ghostbusters, I, Robot, ET, The Book of Eli, Avatar, etc.
War Films (anti-war): War films are primarily plots of combat fighting against humankind or nations, on land, sea, or air. War films may be documentaries, biographical, fiction, or historical fiction. War films are often epic and are similar to Action films, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Comedy, and Westerns. Think Courage under Fire, Platoon, Schindler’s List, The Pianist, etc.
Anti-war films are often used politically or ideological to bring an awareness of the pain and horror of wars. Think Hotel Rwanda, War Horse, etc.
Westerns: Westerns are probably the oldest genre in films. It often portrays plots of settling the new frontier, with cowboys, gunslinger, bounty hunters, trails, sheriffs, dusty towns, and Indians. Think True Grit, Unforgiven, Tombstone, Django Unchained, etc.
Sub-Genres: Listed here are some popular sub-genres of the above genres. These are: Biopic, Chick Flicks, Detective/Mystery, Disaster, Fantasy, Melodramas, Romances, Romantic Comedy, Sports, Supernatural films, Thriller/Suspense, etc.
War Films (anti-war): War films are primarily plots of combat fighting against humankind or nations, on land, sea, or air. War films may be documentaries, biographical, fiction, or historical fiction. War films are often epic and are similar to Action films, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Comedy, and Westerns. Think Courage under Fire, Platoon, Schindler’s List, The Pianist, etc.
Anti-war films are often used politically or ideological to bring an awareness of the pain and horror of wars. Think Hotel Rwanda, War Horse, etc.
Westerns: Westerns are probably the oldest genre in films. It often portrays plots of settling the new frontier, with cowboys, gunslinger, bounty hunters, trails, sheriffs, dusty towns, and Indians. Think True Grit, Unforgiven, Tombstone, Django Unchained, etc.
Sub-Genres: Listed here are some popular sub-genres of the above genres. These are: Biopic, Chick Flicks, Detective/Mystery, Disaster, Fantasy, Melodramas, Romances, Romantic Comedy, Sports, Supernatural films, Thriller/Suspense, etc.