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30 Sept 2016

POLL - CRIME Films

Rules, tropes, cliches all films have them, what sub-genres should I test?


Help decide on future film sub-genres to be tested by doing the following poll (explanations for sub-genres appear after the poll.)




  • Courtroom drama - A film based around a trial, often a murder but not always.  [Anything based on a Grisham novel.]
  • Detective films - A film based around a cop, private detective or amateur detective solving a crime.  [Dirty Harry]
  • Gangster - A film based around the mob.  [The Godfather]
  • Heist - A film based around a group of people committing a complex crime.  [Ocean's Eleven]
  • Heist Gone Wrong - A film based around a group of people after a crime goes horribly wrong.  [Reservoir Dogs]
  • Murder Mysteries - A type of detective film, but more in the Agatha Christie style, usually a murder solved like a puzzle.  [Any adaptation of Christie]
  • Noir - A stylish type of detective film usually from the 40s or 50s.  [The Maltese Falcon]
  • Serial Killer Films - A type of detective film where a series of murders by a single killer is investigated.  [Silence of the Lambs]
  • Sherlock Holmes films - Films based on the character created by Arthur Conan Doyle.  [Sherlock Holmes]
  • Vigilante films - A film in which an ordinary citizen takes the law into their own hands.  [Death Wish]

There may be a lot of crossover between these sub-genres, Noir and Sherlock Holmes films are types of Detective films.  Films may be tested in multiple genres.

There are crime sub-genres not included here that appeared on previous polls.
There are crime sub-genres not included here that will appear on later polls
  • Exploitation films - will include: Rape/Revenge (connected to the vigilante sub-genre).
  • Thriller & Suspense films - probably most of.
Any sub-genres of comedy or musical films you feel are missing and need to be added to the list?  Any films that need to be tested?  Please comment below.


26 Sept 2016

ZOMBIE FILM RULES - World War Z (2013)

Every genre has cliches, but how well do zombie films follow the Zombie film rules?


The following analysis may contain spoilers for

WORLD WAR Z (2013)




19 Sept 2016

HIGH FANTASY RULES - The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Film genres have formulas and rules, but how well do High Fantasy films follow their formula?


The Wizard of Oz (1939) is a High Fantasy film, as well as a Children's Film featuring High Magic as well as being a musical.


The following analysis may contain spoilers for

THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)



16 Sept 2016

POLL - COMEDIES & MUSICIALS

Rules, tropes, cliches all films have them, what sub-genres should I test?




Help decide on future film sub-genres to be tested by doing the following poll (explanations for sub-genres appear after the poll.)




  • Black comedies - Films that find comedy in dark themes, especially death.  [Weekend At Bernie's]
  • Farces - Films that use buffoonery and absurd situations for comedy.  [The Dinner Game]
  • Gross-out comedies - Films that use toilet humour and sex for comedy.  [There's Something about Mary]
  • Mockumentaries - Films that pretend to be documentaries to heighten the comedy.  [This is Spinal Tap]  Serious mockumentaries exist, and especially for horror films are often "found footage" films, but will not be tested by this category.
  • Musicals - Films that include songs that replace character's dialogue or thoughts in some scenes.  [The Sound of Music]
  • Parodies/Spoofs - Films that make fun of other films and popular culture.  [Airplane!]
  • Screwball comedes - Films that use fast-paced repartee and heightened situations.  [Bringing Up Baby]
  • Sex comedies - Films that find humour in sexual relationships, including attempts to get sex or cover up affairs.  [The Seven Year Itch]  Sub-genres of this type of film are Teen Sex Comedies and the Carry On film series, both of which appear on the Sex and Romance poll.
  • Slapstick comedies - Films use exaggerated physical humour.  [The Pink Panther]
  • Stoner comedies - Films that find humour in people who are high.  [Any Cheech & Chong film.]  
There may be a lot of crossover between these sub-genres, farces and screwball comedies usually include slapstick, etc.  Films may be tested in multiple genres.

There are comedy or musical sub-genres not included here that appeared on previous polls.

There are comedy or musical sub-genres not included here that will appear on later polls

Any sub-genres of comedy or musical films you feel are missing and need to be added to the list?  Any films that need to be tested?  Please comment below.


7 Sept 2016

HIGH FANTASY FILM RULES - The Rules

Film genres have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?



High Fantasy is a sub-genre of Fantasy set on a "Secondary World" (a fictional universe, as opposed to the real or "Primary World.")