Mix 'n' Match

Here is a short list of basic genres. Which combinations have never been done? Not many. The Category Index in the back of the VideoHound Golden Movie Retriever lists dozens of possibilities, including such specifics as "Nursploitation!" and "Martyred Pop Icons." This also proves that genre designations are sometimes fairly arbitrary, and genres cannot always be clearly defined. In addition, my list is very small -- given the unlimited number of possibilities.

The two meta-genres are simply comedy and drama. All other genres can be fused with these two, to produce what are usually considered to be individual genres, rather than fusions, such as romantic comedy. Typically, drama is assumed unless a work is designated as comedy.

• Western
  Common sub-categories: traditional western ("The Searchers," "High Noon"), western comedy ("Blazing Saddles," "Cat Ballou"), spaghetti western ("A Fistful of Dollars," "Hang 'Em High").
• Romance
  Common sub-categories: romantic comedy ("Four Weddings & a Funeral"), romantic tragedy ("Romeo & Juliet," "Love Story"), romantic adventure ("African Queen," "Romancing the Stone").
• Detective/Noir
  Common sub-categories: hard-boiled ("LA Confidential," "The Big Sleep"), gangland ("White Heat," "The Untouchables"), psychological ("D.O.A.," "Vertigo"), neo-noir ("The Last Seduction," "Body Heat").
• Science Fiction
  Common sub-categories: sci-fi action ("Demolition Man", "Total Recall"), sci-fi adventure ("Star Wars" and "Star Trek" films), sci-fi horror ("Alien," "The Thing").
• Horror
  Common sub-categories: slasher flick ("Halloween," "Friday the 13th "series), gothic horror ("Frankenstein," "The Shining"), monster movie ("Godzilla," "The Blob").
• Thriller/Suspense
  Common sub-categories: legal thriller ("Suspect," "Presumed Innocent") political/conspiracy thriller ("3 Days of the Condor," "Conspiracy Theory"), technothriller ("Crimson Tide," "Air Force One").
• Action
  Common sub-categories: action/adventure ("Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Captain Blood"), martial arts ("Enter the Dragon," Zatoichi"), disaster film ("Earthquake," "Armageddon"), testosterone poisoning ("Commando," "Cobra").

In order to really revitalize a genre and make it your own, it is important that you really understand its conventions and forms inside and out. Then you can convert these forms to your own purposes, instead of merely regurgitating them and letting them dictate your story to you.

Related Links:

Ebert's Bigger Little Movie Glossary
"A Greatly Expanded and Much Improved Compendium of Movie Cliches, Stereotypes, Obligatory Scenes, Hackneyed Formulas, Shopworn Conventions, and Outdated Archetypes." This book pretty much covers every element that has been done to death in film. Funny and instructional.