RIP IT UP MOVIE CLUB: Top 10 Succesful Genre Mash-Ups

Tuesday , 16 Aug 2011

With Cowboys & Aliens being released this past week it’s made me wonder...what exactly do you need for a successful genre mash-up? I mean some go together like salt and pepper, like the romantic comedy which has even had its own genre (the “rom-com”) dubbed after it. Whilst others have more of a, let’s say marmite and pumpkin, feel about it (I don’t see any directors putting their hands up for a musical Adam Sandler movie anytime soon?).

With Jon Favreau’s latest offering showing us that there is a place in cinema for a sci-fi western, I thought I’d count down my Top 10 Genre Mash-Ups.

10. Paranormal Activity (Documentary/Horror)

Tapping into that universal fear of what goes on while you’re asleep, this 2007 release capitalised on the recent surge of “found footage” films and terrified audiences with a “real” account of a couple who are terrorised by a spectre.

Further viewing: The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield

9. Back to the Future III (Sci Fi/Western/Comedy)

Sorry Jon Favreau, but the sci-fi/western combo has already been done and done superbly at that. Already one of the most enterprising films to emerge from the 1980’s the Back to the Future series took a further twist when it threw heroes Marty McFly and Doc into the 19th century wild west. Possibly the only film to ever feature a DeLorean outrun a horde of Native Americans, the final act of Robert Zemickis’ brilliant trilogy can lay claim to being the best sci-fi western of all time.

Further viewing: Back to the Future I & II, Tremors

8. Predator (Action/Sci Fi)
The Terminator, Apollo Creed and Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura make their way through the South American jungle and blow stuff up. With bullets and bodies piling up, this Schwarzenegger vehicle sure fits the bill of your typical Arnie action movie. Enter one of the nastiest aliens in cinema history. If you consider yourself an action or sci-fi aficionado, then this classic is a must see.

Further viewing: Predators, The Terminator

7. Hot Fuzz (Cop/Action/Comedy)

The second part of the Cornetto trilogy, Hot Fuzz sees director Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs the World) once again team up with the dynamic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as they turn their attention to a much loved genre of yesteryear – the buddy cop movie. Not missing a beat from their first collaboration (also included on this list), this high-octane action-comedy is a fitting tribute to the movies it satirises. When it comes to the Cornetto trilogy, it isn’t which one you’d prefer, it’s which one you should watch first. SWAN!!!

Further viewing: Paul, The Other Guys

6. Shaolin Soccer (Comedy/Kung Fu/Sports)

Preceding mainstream hit Kung Fu Hustle, Chinese star Stephen Chow wrote/directed/starred in this immensely under-rated flick, featuring a team of Shaolin kung fu experts who use their skills to compete in a soccer tournament. Of course, those familiar with Chow’s style of work will have come to expect that the film will not take itself too seriously and it doesn’t disappoint. With a superb balance of slapstick humour, drama and some great action sequences, the film will keep you teetering between crying out in laughter, sadness or excitement.

Further viewing: Kung Fu Hustle, IP Man

5. Ghostbusters (Comedy/Sci Fi/Horror)
Ivan Reitman’s (No Strings Attached) comedy smash from 1984 has to be one of the most successful genre-mashing franchises of all time. You couldn’t go anywhere in the 80’s without seeing Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), Dan Akroyd (50 First Dates), Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day) firing their proton guns at the slimy green ghost, Slimer. Posters, toys, lunchboxes, books and even their own animated television series...Ghostbusters was one of the most popular films of the 1980’s... and it’s not hard to see why. Filled with enough ghosts and ghouls to fill a haunted house attraction and combined with the comedic genius of Murray and Akroyd, 25+ years after its release, Ghostbusters are still the ones to call when you’re looking for a movie to entertain the adults and kids alike.

Further viewing: Ghostbusters 2, Beetlejuice

4. Evil Dead II (Horror/Comedy)
Before he gave us the Spiderman trilogy, director Sam Raimi made his name with the cult classic Evil Dead series. Featuring some of the nastiest fiends on the screen and incredibly dark humour, the original Evil Dead made people take notice of the aspiring young director. His follow-up, Evil Dead II well and truly put Raimi on the Hollywood map. Continuing on with the horror from the first film, Raimi turned the comedy up a notch, assisted by the superb slapstick approach by rising star Bruce Campbell (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). The film is perhaps best exemplified when Ash (Campbell) must amputate his own hand, after it is possessed, only for it to turn around and attack him (including the classic scene where it flips him the bird). Despite the original being a cult favourite, Evil Dead II achieved that rare status of being a sequel that surpassed its predecessor.

Further viewing: Army of Darkness, BrainDead (Dead Alive)

3. Zombieland (Horror/Comedy)
With the influx of zombies in today’s popular culture, it was only time before someone capitalised on the rise of the living dead (I couldn’t help myself). 2004’s Shaun of the Dead (see below) set the bench mark with the first ever zombie-romantic-comedy. Sadly, poor imitations followed (Dance of the Dead, Flight of the Living Dead) and it wasn’t until 2009 when Ruben Fleischer gave us Zombieland (in what was shockingly his first feature film) that the zombie genre finally had some life breathed into it once more. Jessie Eisenberg (The Social Network), Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers), Emma Stone (Easy A) and Abigail Breslin (My Sister’s Keeper) feature in one of the funniest, if not the bloodiest zombie movies you’ll ever see. If you’re a fan of the zombie genre, don’t let this one lurch past you.

Further viewing: The Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead (2004)

2. Shaun of the Dead (Horror/Romance/Comedy)
As mentioned above, Shaun of the Dead set the benchmark for zombie comedy. The first instalment of Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy sees Simon Pegg as the titled Shaun, who is trying to woo his ex-girlfriend back... the trouble is the dead have begun to walk the Earth. Joined by oafish mate Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun unintentionally becomes the leader of a group of survivors including Ed, his ex girlfriend and her two best friends (one of which is in love with her), his mum and his step dad. This is the movie that launched the careers of Wright, Pegg and Frost.

Further viewing: Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs the World

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (Family/Musical/Christmas/Horror)
From the magnificent mind of Tim Burton, this clay-mation feature is a unique twist on your typical family holiday movie. Chris Sarandon (The Princess Bride) voices Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween town, who has become bored of celebrating Halloween. When he stumbles upon Christmas Town, he is so taken by the new holiday that he tries to convert his own town. Of course, the ghouls and creatures that inhabit Jack’s hometown can’t quite get it right resulting in some truly magical results (including the birth of Santa Claws). The Nightmare Before Christmas is a true delight for anyone who has become tired with your typical holiday movies.

Further viewing: Coraline, The Corpse Bride