Genre

Genre is a French word that means type or kind.

Genre allows media products to fall into categories according to similarities in order for producers and directors can challenge these conventions. Some examples of fixed genres are – Horror, action, Comedy, sci-fi, these are all conventional genres.

Another definition of genre is - A style or category of art, music, or literature

Genre is broadly split into two ways – fixed definitions and flexible definitions.

The Shining is a typical Horror film with a conventional horror narrative. The Shining is a typical horror film that keeps you on the edge of your seat and uses typical conventions and themes to engage the audience

Warm Bodies is a romantic comedy zombie film, and is very different from the Shining. The fact it uses themes from all the other genres makes it a hybrid genre, because there is a romantic relationship, but the man is a zombie.

THE SHINING WARM BODIES

Rigid definitions of genre

Rigid definitions – traditionally for mainstream commercial audiences.

Genre was first found in Greece by Aristotle who used it as a way of ‘quality control’ over Greek plays, which had fixed conventions.

There was also an American linguist called Charles Sanders Pierce, he looked at fixed iconography and with that he concluded Genre should follow strict codes and conventions so the audiences know what they are going to watch.

Both these films are mainstream Hollywood films. They are mainstream because they follow generic film conventions and want to appeal to a general worldwide audience. As opposed to postmodern films that only appeal to certain audiences and do not follow conventions, and make the audience think about the film they are watching.

Flexible Definitions of Genre

Flexible definitions – often used or presented for more independent or niche audiences.

Flexible definitions assume genre must evolve for example hybrid genres.

Alien is a hybrid genre film because it crosses horror with Sci-Fi, so that means it has conventions from both Sci-Fi and horror.

Adorno and Horkheimer criticized Hollywood films for being repetitive with standardization of conventions dominated by one ideology.

AdornoHorkheimer

Nick Lacey suggested that there is now more of a negotiation in genre between producers and audiences. This means that the audiences today are more demanding about the films they watch and want to think about the film they’re watching.

Additionally postmodernism allows producers to challenge conventions which therefor creates hybrid and sub genres. That today’s mainstream audiences want to watch.

Both these films are good examples of sub genres, because they are disaster thrillers. They are not your typical thriller films, and that is what makes it appealing to audiences. These films play with the idea of a mass world disaster, which is a genuine fear amongst people so these films make people think what if it did happen etc.

How Tarantino creates hybrid genres

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill is a fantastic example of post modern hybrid genre genre.

In Kill Bill Tarantino used this yellow jumpsuit which is the same one that was worn by Bruce Lee, to show the Kung Fu in the movie. It also pays Homage to Bruce Lee. This is also intertextuality because Taratino is taking pieces from other films.

Anime is also used in Kill Bill and again it shows Tarantino does not stick to one genre, he mixes them and takes pieces from other genres to create his films, that is why it is a hybrid genre film. Intertextuality is also an element with this because Tarantino is paying Homage to Anime. It also shows hyperreality because it switches from real people to anime.

More Examples in Kill Bill of Why it is a Postmodern Film

This is the start of the teaser for Kill Bill 2 and pays homage to Noir, using the green screen backdrop. Additionally the main actress talks to the camera which breaks the 4th wall and shows Hyppereality.

All these different components make Kill Bill a hybrid film and make the audience active when they are watching the film. This is because they have to think more when watching the film for example the yellow jumpsuit that the main character is wearing is the one Bruce Lee wears.