September 8Sep 8 (Spinoff from another thread) Jaws: the summer blockbuster Animal House: crude comedy 2001 Space Odyssey: science fiction for wide appeal What you got?
September 8Sep 8 Breakfast Club. Coming of age. The Godfather. Family/ crime epic. Edited September 8Sep 8 by Iceman
September 8Sep 8 Pulp Fiction: Hollywood's Indie New Wave of the 1990s Die Hard: action thriller set in a specific location (future action movies were "Die Hard on a _____") Edited September 8Sep 8 by mdmost
September 8Sep 8 14 minutes ago, Parliament said: 2001 Space Odyssey: science fiction for wide appeal 2001 is not for "wide appeal". 2001 is a very weird fucking movie that takes some dedication to sit through - as brilliant and influential as it is. Star Wars and Alien were more directly instrumental in bringing sci-fi to mainstream audiences imo. And - conveniently - I clicked on this thread with the intention of mentioning Alien.
September 8Sep 8 When Harry Met Sally- Romantic Comedy Airplane- Spoof I wanted to give an answer to the live action CGI genre (to the extent it is a genre), but it's too hard. Tron, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2?
September 8Sep 8 4 minutes ago, South Austin said: Deep Throat I would counter that with Behind the Green Door
September 8Sep 8 42 minutes ago, ztejas said: 2001 is not for "wide appeal". 2001 is a very weird fucking movie that takes some dedication to sit through - as brilliant and influential as it is. Star Wars and Alien were more directly instrumental in bringing sci-fi to mainstream audiences imo. And - conveniently - I clicked on this thread with the intention of mentioning Alien. While Star Wars obviously had a much wider audience than 2001, I doubt it would have been made without 2001 breaking ground by showing that big-budget Sci-Fi movies could be made and be profitable. By big budget, I mean as compared to the previous low-budget sci-fi films. Both 2001 and Star Wars had very comparable budgets, that while not considered big, were at least comparable to mainstream films of the time. Edited September 8Sep 8 by Ghost of NMAS
September 8Sep 8 50 minutes ago, ztejas said: 2001 is not for "wide appeal". 2001 is a very weird fucking movie that takes some dedication to sit through - as brilliant and influential as it is. He's not talking about today. When it was released it was 1000% true.
September 8Sep 8 2001 was the 2nd highest grossing movie of 1968, the year it was released. That's pretty wide appeal. Alien and Star Wars aren't greenlit without 2001.
September 8Sep 8 8 minutes ago, mdmost said: 2001 was the 2nd highest grossing movie of 1968, the year it was released. That's pretty wide appeal. Alien and Star Wars aren't greenlit without 2001. That's only because all of the revenue from subsequent releases of the movie is included. However, 2001 did break even with its initial release and did become profitable within a couple of years.
September 8Sep 8 1 hour ago, Brian Fantana said: He's not talking about today. When it was released it was 1000% true. Both Lucas and Spielberg were very influenced by it
September 8Sep 8 There is going to be recency bias on this but I will go for Psycho - psycho thriller Public Enemy - Gangster Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Horror/Gore Slasher Halloween is a weird one - serial killer slasher? but is it same genre as Psycho? maybe it is Indie Slasher genre defining?
September 8Sep 8 2 hours ago, TexasHooch said: When Harry Met Sally- Romantic Comedy Airplane- Spoof I wanted to give an answer to the live action CGI genre (to the extent it is a genre), but it's too hard. Tron, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2? yeah, Jurassic Park is really about the technical aspects. It was a huge leap that shocked audiences but I'm not sure it is a genre.
September 8Sep 8 20 minutes ago, dcar00 said: There is going to be recency bias on this but I will go for Psycho - psycho thriller Public Enemy - Gangster Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Horror/Gore Slasher Halloween is a weird one - serial killer slasher? but is it same genre as Psycho? maybe it is Indie Slasher genre defining? but nobody watched public enemy. lion king is for high concept animation, imo.
September 8Sep 8 The first Superman movie is still the gold standard, and it was the first one out of the box. Not sure it's "genre-defining" but that's pretty crazy for a movie made in 1978 about a guy who can fly.
September 8Sep 8 Toy Story would be a good one for animated films. Though, interestingly enough, it's not the first film to feature a fully CGI main character. You'd probably never guess which one was.
September 8Sep 8 Monty Python and The Holy Grail - not sure which genre as there was nothing quite like it. I suspect spoof/parody. It beat Airplane for a spoof movie by five years, but Blazing Saddles was released a year prior.
September 8Sep 8 While Pulp Fiction is itself intentionally derivative, I feel like there were a ton of copy cat zany, ultra violent, ensemble cast movies that came out right after and have been going ever since.... Most starring Christopher Walken - Things to Do in Denver When Your Dead, 2 Days in the Valley, Suicide Kings, Smoking Aces, all of Guy Ritchie's british gangster movies. Even movies like Go and The Way of the Gun.
September 8Sep 8 Bringing up Baby - screwball comedy The Wild Bunch - would probably fall into a modern western category as genre defining. there is definitely a Before Wild Bunch/After Wild Bunch as it relates to actual screen violence in a Western.
September 8Sep 8 1 hour ago, dcar00 said: There is going to be recency bias on this but I will go for Psycho - psycho thriller (qu'est-ce que c'est?) Public Enemy - Gangster Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Horror/Gore Slasher Halloween is a weird one - serial killer slasher? but is it same genre as Psycho? maybe it is Indie Slasher genre defining? FIFY Edited September 8Sep 8 by 83Horn
September 8Sep 8 1 hour ago, dcar00 said: There is going to be recency bias on this but I will go for Psycho - psycho thriller Public Enemy - Gangster Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Horror/Gore Slasher Halloween is a weird one - serial killer slasher? but is it same genre as Psycho? maybe it is Indie Slasher genre defining? There is almost zero gore in TCM.
September 8Sep 8 14 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said: Monty Python and The Holy Grail - not sure which genre as there was nothing quite like it. I suspect spoof/parody. It beat Airplane for a spoof movie by five years, but Blazing Saddles was released a year prior. It's not worth splitting hairs too much, but I consider The Holy Grail to be a parody, and Blazing Saddles satire. Movies like Airplane, Naked Gun, and Scary Movie, and Top Secret are very distinct (know it when you see it) spoofs of entire genres of movies (disaster, police, horror, and spy respectively).
September 8Sep 8 1 hour ago, TexasHooch said: It's not worth splitting hairs too much, but I consider The Holy Grail to be a parody, and Blazing Saddles satire. Movies like Airplane, Naked Gun, and Scary Movie, and Top Secret are very distinct (know it when you see it) spoofs of entire genres of movies (disaster, police, horror, and spy respectively). speaking of disaster movie genre - Airport 1970(although Poseidon Adventure to me is overall better)
September 8Sep 8 Serious movies Rocky - 70's underdog, come from the gutter to glory sports movies for which there are dozens now Schindlers List - 90's harrowing doc on the camps, etc. Nothing like it before or after on that scale. Saving Private Ryan - late 90's film with brutal reality. Spawning BoB and the Pacific and the Flags of our Fathers movies. Pixar Toy Story kind of started it all Marvel/Superhero Blade - the first bad ass production movie that was a box office success. Blade was the OG, spawning a whole host of subsequent Marvel movies that made gazillions
September 8Sep 8 Author Did the fighting and filming style of Jason Bourne change the action movie genre. John Wick sure did. The SW prequels changed the sci-fi genre by making green screen ubiquitous. And not in a good way.
September 8Sep 8 1 hour ago, BabaYaga said: Schindlers List - 90's harrowing doc on the camps Not a documentary
September 8Sep 8 3 minutes ago, Parliament said: Did the fighting and filming style of Jason Bourne change the action movie genre. John Wick sure did. The SW prequels changed the sci-fi genre by making green screen ubiquitous. And not in a good way. That's WAY down the waterfall. The Hong Kong action movies decades earlier set this is motion. Specifically all the John Woo movies. Remember the phrase "Gun Fu"? Or gun play married with Kung Fu. That's a direct line down to Wick. This leads to one I can't believe I forgot. Enter the Muther Frickin Dragon. Bruce Lee. THE martial arts movie. Still holds up today.
September 8Sep 8 3 minutes ago, Deej said: Not a documentary Obviously, but it was based on a real person that illustrated the horrendous conditions with modern cinema and a big budget to back it.
September 8Sep 8 2 hours ago, Bushwood said: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - A live action movie with animated characters. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah . . .
September 8Sep 8 9 hours ago, mdmost said: Pulp Fiction: Hollywood's Indie New Wave of the 1990s Die Hard: action thriller set in a specific location (future action movies were "Die Hard on a _____") What made Die Hard distinct was that Willis' character wasn't a superhero. He wasn't a ninja, not special forces, not some guy with secret training or special abilities. He was a cop, alone, shoeless and hurt, and somehow survived and kept his wits about him. THAT'S the formula Die Hard started. 5 hours ago, Red Five said: The first Superman movie is still the gold standard, and it was the first one out of the box. Not sure it's "genre-defining" but that's pretty crazy for a movie made in 1978 about a guy who can fly. Yep. The first GOOD superhero movie. 2 hours ago, Bushwood said: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - A live action movie with animated characters. Mary Poppins beat it by a quarter century. 3 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah . . . that too, but we don't talk about that film any more How about Clerks? Basically launched the 90s indie film craze. Edited September 8Sep 8 by Rimbo
September 8Sep 8 9 hours ago, mdmost said: Pulp Fiction: Hollywood's Indie New Wave of the 1990s Die Hard: action thriller set in a specific location (future action movies were "Die Hard on a _____") was gonna say Pulp Fiction, but not describe the genre as well as you did.
September 8Sep 8 Blade Runner - Dark take adult sci-fi on AI and humanity (I think this is part B to 2001 Space Odyssey) Road Warrior - post-apocalyptic and car chase altering Big Lewbowski - Comedy changing who and what we find amusing (Raising Arizona needs a nod here as the prequel) No Country for Old Men - Altering the western genre into modern day action/drama Usual Suspect - action/thriller/mystery
September 8Sep 8 9 minutes ago, Iceman said: was gonna say Pulp Fiction, but not describe the genre as well as you did. I love me some Pulp Fiction, but it was more of an homage to earlier movies than a genre defining movie in it's own right. Pulp Mags, crime stuff, and cheesy 70's movies. Same with the Kill Bill line and of course One Upon a Time in Hollywood. It was the dialogue that made it so great (IMHO).
September 8Sep 8 1 hour ago, BabaYaga said: That's WAY down the waterfall. The Hong Kong action movies decades earlier set this is motion. Specifically all the John Woo movies. Remember the phrase "Gun Fu"? Or gun play married with Kung Fu. That's a direct line down to Wick. This leads to one I can't believe I forgot. Enter the Muther Frickin Dragon. Bruce Lee. THE martial arts movie. Still holds up today. Bruce Lee and John Woo both! Great call. Hard Boiled... ho-lee shit! If you like the Wick films and haven't seen Woo's Hard Boiled and The Killer, make time for both.
September 8Sep 8 On 9/8/2025 at 2:28 PM, Bushwood said: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - A live action movie with animated characters. I watched this for the first time, the first time I ever took LSD in high school. Take a moment and just let that sink in. Edited September 9Sep 9 by BurntEyes
September 8Sep 8 If we're talking genre inspiring shit, and I'm going to pivot a little to directors, but John Hughes! 16 candles, then Breakfast Club, then Weird Science, to Ferris! THAT was my childhood. Then the whole Lampoons series (Christmas was the best. Don't even fucking argue)
September 8Sep 8 3 hours ago, BabaYaga said: Marvel/Superhero Blade - the first bad ass production movie that was a box office success. Blade was the OG, spawning a whole host of subsequent Marvel movies that made gazillions Is Blade really thought of this way? I've never even seen it.
September 8Sep 8 1 minute ago, BurntEyes said: I watched the for the first time the first time I ever took LSD in high school. Take a moment and just let that sink in.
September 8Sep 8 1 minute ago, BabaYaga said: If we're talking genre inspiring shit, and I'm going to pivot a little to directors, but John Hughes! 16 candles, then Breakfast Club, then Weird Science, to Ferris! THAT was my childhood. Then the whole Lampoons series (Christmas was the best. Don't even fucking argue) Well, if we are throwing out genre changing directors, Mel mother fucking Brooks. Is there a bigger one in comedy? I don't think so. Blazing Saddles (no further comments needed)
September 8Sep 8 Just now, Red Five said: Is Blade really thought of this way? I've never even seen it. Dude. Dewd. Dood......Blade is the OG. Started it all. It was the first bad ass, action packed hero Marvel movie that made enough money to spawn a trilogy. Further, it wasn't a kids movie. It was dark and gritty and proved the concept that there was a massive audience for this type of film. First one is awesome (special effects are a little dated). Second one was equally awesome. Skip the 3rd one. Warmed over kitten shit.
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