Film Genres

Action Films
Are expected to have tremendous impact, continuous high energy, lots of physical stunts and activity, possibly extended chase scenes, races, rescues, battles, martial arts, mountains & mountaineering, destructive disasters (floods, explosions, natural disasters etc), fights, escapes, non-stop motion, spectacular rhym and pacing, adventurous heroes, villians- all designed for audience escapism.
Examples of action films include: James Bond, Transformers, Batman, Spiderman etc.
Adventure Films
Are expected to have exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locals. Similar to the action genre in that they are designed to prvide an action filled, energetic experience for the film viewer. Film Examples include: Zorro, Robin Hood, Pirates of the Caribbean.
Commedy Films
Are films designed to make the audience laugh. Commedies are light hearteddramas, crafted to amuse, entertain and provoke enjoyment. This genre hugely exaggerates a situation, the language, action and characters. They usually have happy endings, although the humour may have a serious pessimistic side. Film examples: White Chicks, Meet the Fockers and Mean Girls.
Crime and Gangster Films
Are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters, particularly bank robbers, underworld figures or ruthless hudlums who operate outside the law, stealing and violently murdering their way through life. Film examples: Scarface, The Godfather.
Drama Films
Are serious presentations or stories with settings or life situations that portray realistic characters in conflict with either themselves, others or forces of nature. A dramatic film shows us humans at their best, worst and everything in between. Each of the types of subject matter- themes have various kinds of dramatic plots.
Epic Films
Often take a historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur aand spectacle and a sweeping musical score. Epics are historical films that recreate past events. Film examples: Titanic, Troy, Julias Caesar.
Horror Films
Are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worse fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears; our nightmares, vulnerability, alienation, revulsions, terror of the unknown, fear of death, dismemberment or loss of identity. Film examples: Dracular, Saw, Scream, Jeepers Creepers, Freddie Krouger, IT, Halloween etc.
Musicals (Dance Films)
Are cinematic forms that emphasize and showcase full-scale song and dance routines in a significant way. Or they are films centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography. In traditional musicals, cast members sing. Musicals highlight various musical artists or dancing stars, with lyrics that support the story line often with an alternative, escapist version of reality- a search for love, success, wealth and popularity. Film examples: Step Up, Mama Mia, Hairspray, Oliver, High School Musical.
Science Fiction
Usually scientific, visionary, comic-strip-like, imaginative, and usually visualizedthrough fanciful, imagineative settings, expert film production design, advanced technology gadgets (robots & spaceships), scientific developments or by fantastic special effects. They are complete with heroes, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark shadowy villians, futuristic technology and gizmos and unknown inexplicable forces. Film examples: Starwars, Terminator, X-men, E.T, Planet of the Apes.
War and anti-war films
Often achknowledged the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting or conflict provide the primary plot or background for the action film. Plots include; camp experiences and escapes, submarine welfare, espionage, personal heroism, brutalities, air fights, tough trench/infantary experiences, or male bonding buddy adventures during war-time. Film examples: Forest Gump, Stalag 17, Goodnight Mr Tom.
Westerns
Are the major defining genre of the american film industry. Westerns are often set on the american frontier. There is a theme of indians vs cowboys. Film examples: The Gunfighter, Zorro, High Noon.
Film sub-genres include.......
Biographical films, 'chick' flicks, detctive and mystery films, disadter films, fantasy films, film noir, melodramas, road films, romance films, sports films, supernatural films and thriller- suspense films.