Author: Steve Schweighofer
Genre Blast: On a Grand Scale – The Epic
Let’s start with the brash statement that cinema, as we know it exists because of this genre. It’s the genre that draws crowds (or used…
Genre Blast: Dear Old Dad – Fathers on Film
Fathers’ Day calls for recognition of fatherhood as it is portrayed in the cinema, and that is as varied as the number of film writers…
Genre Blast: A Murder, a Mystery & the “Who-Done-It” Game
What is it about murder mysteries that captures our imaginations, not just in cinema, but books, television – even the evening news? Is it the…
Genre Blast: Adventure – "We’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat!"
It will probably happen one of two ways at some point in your life: you will search out adventure on your own, or, in some…
Genre Blast: The Complications of Friendship – the Buddy Film
Let’s start this installment with a question: who is more forgiving than a spouse, knows you more intimately than a sibling, is more protective than…
Genre Blast: Man, Nature & Wonder in the Wild
Most of us take our survival – even our mere presence on the planet we share – for granted, rarely considering it. We have programmed…
Genre Blast: Oh, Mother! Or, the Mommy Genre
Since it’s Mother’s Day I thought I would search out some memorable film mothers. You know, the sort of characters that warm our hearts and…
Genre Blast: Genre of the Philosophical; aka: Mindf**k Cinema
I’m not prefacing this batch with “not my preferred genre”, that’s for certain. It is my “go-to” genre when I have an appetite for pure,…
Genre Blast: Bursting into Song – The Musical
Yes, they can be cloying, unrealistic and just plain tacky, but if they are handled with some inventiveness and originality, musicals can be transporting. No…
Genre Blast: Satire, or: Sticking It to the Man
This genre is comedy with a poisonous bite. Delivered with a lethal wink or a prominent middle finger, it’s the genre of storytelling that says, “I’m…
Genre Blast: All For Love – Romance on Film
We all love to be in love. It can make the world go ’round or bring life’s routines to a screeching halt. We hunger during the chase,…
Genre Blast : Coming-of-Age Films
It’s that bridge you cross when you leave innocence behind and learn to face the harsh and confusing realities of adulthood. It can be a…
Genre Blast: Make 'em Laugh
Genre Blast: Make ‘em Laugh Comedy comes in all colours, but what I’m considering here is not dry humor, tongue-in-cheek, or satire. I’m talking gut-busting,…
Genre Blast: War is Hell
Sometimes the genre is used as patriotic propaganda, sometimes to the opposite effect. Conflict drives all drama and nothing compares to the giant canvas provided…
