Continuity and Change: Comments on Genre Films

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that she was excited about an upcoming movie, just to find out that it was by the director of one of the Twilight films. The ensuing discussion pointed out that some directors are uneven (specifically Joel Schumacher, who is still disliked for his Batman films, but praised for The Lost Boys), and that Hollywood cannot (or, perhaps, does not) do anything original. While these are a good point, I think there are other, equally valid directions to consider.

First, there’s simple economics. When Hollywood does try something original, especially in a genre film, it's often ignored or panned. Think of it this way: if Twilight is an original spin on vampires and audiences complain, why should filmmakers try for originality with the next vampire film? Why not return to the tried and true to get butts in seats? [Aside: I have never read Twilight, but I don't like what I've heard. However, that's another post altogether.] Conversely, there are folks who are devotees of vampires, and they stayed away from Twilight for a host of reasons, many because they feel vampires should be frightening, not romantic.

From another angle, there's genre theory. That is, people expect certain stock situations and characters in their genre entertainment, and they enjoy seeing the modifications from that form. When the modifications work, it's a hit; when they fail, it's seen as "just another genre film" (and probably not a good one, since it’s gone too far from expectations. Think about a long-running series: is James Bond original? Friday the 13th? Star Trek? Not really. But damn, I'd say the latest Star Trek was a successful film not because it was original, but because it played with audience expectations -- of the series, of the characters, and of the genre.

Now, will "Red Riding Hood" be good? Can't say. Haven't seen a trailer for it. But I don't think it's fair to cry for originality and then decry any film for not being true to genre expectations.