Why (ACTION) Matters by Matt House of Chuck Norris Ate My Baby

In general, the action genre is placed in a very specific bubble when mentioned as an individual genre. What likely comes to mind when most people think of action cinema are visions of Jean-Claude Van Damme doing one of his famous helicopter kicks, Arnold spewing out a ridiculously entertaining one-liner as he tosses a knife into someone’s chest cavity, or Bruce Willis dying harder and harder with each passing film. On the other hand, however, more recent franchises such as Transformers, The Fast and the Furious, and the onslaught of Marvel movies might flood the thoughts of those who take a moment to ponder action cinema.

Why (HITCHCOCK) Matters by Christine Makepeace of Paracinema Magazine

Hitchcock is one of those names. It gets tossed around in film discussion and carries with it the same kind of reverence as a Kubrick or a Fuller or a Kurosawa. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential auteurs ever placed behind a camera. His name is spoken as fact. And, even if your firsthand knowledge of his catalogue does not extend past that part of The Birds you saw while flipping channels on a drizzly afternoon, you know the man’s style. It’s pervasive. It’s iconic. And, it’s my assertion, that mark and influence is just as important as the works themselves. The reason why Hitchcock is important? Well, he’s important because he’s entered our collective culture. He has permeated our media. He has influenced our filmic language.

Why (WESTERNS) Matter by Todd Cauley of The Gentlemen's Blog to Midnite Cinema

First off, I would like to wish a very happy fifth anniversary to the LBL, and raise a glass to Master Kelley for his dedication, his talent, and his exquisite taste in choosing guest writers (tee hee hee).  Salute!

Great cinema is a dialogue between the viewer and the viewed (indeed, this relationship exists in all creative media).  Genre cinema uses its specific trappings as a sort of shorthand in this dialogue (think of it like the difference between having to drive somewhere on the highway and having to drive somewhere but knowing a shortcut).  If this dialogue is about life, and love, and death, as great storytelling typically is, then a Genre must have malleability.  This is why we get what we offhandedly refer to as “generic” trappings.  Thus, we have the Final Girl of the Horror genre, the Dystopian Future of the Science Fiction genre, and the Big Duel of the Western genre.  The trappings are (mostly) genre-specific, and it’s their aesthetic appeal to a particular audience that makes them effective.  They are already amenable to thinking about bigger ideas, because they have been (or are being) entertained.

So, then, why the Western?

Why (COMEDY) Matters by Brian Saur of Rupert Pupkin Speaks

"Why Comedy Matters?". The words ring out in my head as I begin to picture myself sitting in the library at Shermer High School whilst I try to sort out my essay. No help from Brian Johnson on this one. He's not much of a movie guy I don't think. He's too busy taking down the Physics Club minutes to be home watching CADDYSHACK for the 25th time. So why indeed does comedy matter? 

Well, first of all, it is probably the most accessible of all film genres as far as its appeal. Sure, superhero make scads of cash, but comedies do too. Lots of folks, hardcore movie fans or not, enjoy a good laugh now and again. I've told my son many times about how different people think about movies in different ways. Some(like myself) are completely absorbed and obsessed with films while others merely treat them as an occasional escapist entertainment opportunity. Comedies are the uniting factor for all of us though. Comedy can not only bridge the gap between people, but it can even bridge the gap between generations. 

Why (HORROR) Matters by Christine Hadden of Fascination With Fear

Horror Matters.

If you were to ask any random horror fan why horror matters, it would most likely be an intensely elaborated upon discussion you would have the pleasure of being a part of.  But to your average movie buff whose eyes don't glaze over with elation at the mere mention of a new John Carpenter film, horror is the dirty little secret hid away in the closet.

But even the non-horror fan has to concede that there are some truly fantastic films out there in the history of the horror genre. There's no denying the merits of such films as Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, and The Exorcist.  But a great majority of filmgoers find fault with horror, saying it is just a bunch of slutty girls getting axed or the comic fat-boy getting a pitchfork in the gut—that they have no serious worth or integrity. So how then can we horror fans explain our love for the genre, or that it actually DOES matter?

Why (ITALIAN GENRE FILM) Matters by Nigel Maskell of Italian Film Review

Italian genre film matters. For Italian audiences it mattered because it responds to the challenging  political and social  climate in postwar Italy and it did so with an authentic Italian voice.  When the voice of history is supposed to be that of its victors it is especially important that it is the voice of the liberated is not drowned out, no matter how unintentionally, by the voice of the liberator.  How, after all, could Hollywood have possibly helped Italians to understand the corrupting influence of the Mafia, the assassination of Aldo Moro, the Bologna massacre or the idiocy and ineptitude at the heart of the post-war political establishment?