Many genres that Hollywood used to rely on for lots of hits have long since fallen by the wayside.
Hollywood has evolved into something more sophisticated and streamlined.
But with so much change in such a fast paced industry, have some genres fallen behind?
Or is it the case that these too have simply evolved into something more sophisticated and subtle?
Musical
The musical is arguably the most uplifting and escapist genre to come out of the film factory.
Its also the cheesiest, too.
Audiences flocked to see the films.
The musical was a genre popular during times of trouble.
Songs began contributing to the plot in a new rom-com formula, usually ending happily ever after.
One example isThe Rocky Horror Picture Show, released in 1975.
But has the musical genre fallen behind?
Has Hollywood left it for dead?
Between them, theyve shed the muscials unfashionable, dated stereotype.
It might just be, longer term, that the current trend for dance movies is the immediate future.
It was to mark the birth of a new cutting edge genre called film noir.
Film noirs were generally stylish, downbeat, crime dramas, again with roots in German Expressionism.
They questioned morality, and toed the line of sexuality and motivation in cinema.
They were daring films made on high-end, B-movie budgets, with little known stars and little funding.
This allowed creative freedom, which resulted in the genres distinctive style.
Film noir was popularised in Britain in the 1940s.
Largely black and white, the classic noirs featured gangsters, private eyes, victims, and femme fatales.
The latter were women that were doomed from the moment the opening credits began.
Actors such as Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth, and Barbara Stanwyck all rose to fame.
These have been made by directors such as Martin Scorsese and more recently Quentin Tarantino.
But is film noir extinct?
Thankfully, as a style, the genre has lived on, and will continue to do so.
Thats a solid tip of the hat to a genre that had seemingly long since died.
Even if the films themselves have moved on, though, weve been left with the stylistic ramifications.
And thats no bad thing.
Expressionism
During the early days of film, there was a lot of experimentation.
Film was a brand new technology, with no set rule book at the time.
This new style was like nothing seen before, with highly stylised, wildly non-realistic geometric sets.
Instead of using lighting, designers painted sets to represent light and dark areas, shadows and even props.
Classic examples of the period includeThe Cabinet Of Dr Cagliari, TheGolem, and the infamousNosferatu.
Sadly, the genre only lasted a matter of years.
By the early 1930s, the genre and its creators all headed into different directions.
Its creators, with their newfound fame, headed to Hollywood, where their creative talents flourished.
The genre and visual style itself was integrated into mainstream film.
Universal Studios led the way, with its expressionist-style horror films, such asThe Phantom Of The Opera.
It also produced a whole new genre, the aforementioned film noir.
The style is evident in every one of Hitchcocks films.
And theyre lifted straight from the genre.
Perhaps expressionism was ahead of its time in the 1920s.
War
In the 1940s, war movies were dominating the silver screen.
During World War II, the genre experienced a boom in popularity.
The new POWs proved popular in Britain, with hits such asThe Great EscapeandThe Wooden Horse.
Since then, war has repeatedly been used as a backdrop for dramas and real-life events, includingAtonementandInglourious Basterds.
So, has the war genre got a future in Hollywood?
As a consistent presence in cinema, more than likely not.
At least, not unless theres a high profile war to tell stories about.
Thats not to say that war movies wont still be made.
Just that their days as a mainstream Hollywood genre appear to have moved on.
Western
The western sparks off memories of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and evenBack To The Future Part III.
It then hit the big time, with John FordsStage Coach, starring John Wayne.
This era would become known as the golden age of the western.
By the 1960s, a new style of western began to take over, the spaghetti western.
Established in Italy, these westerns had more action and violence than traditional genre pieces produced by Hollywood.
The protagonists became more selfish, motivated more by money and revenge, as opposed to honour.
The films made actors such as Clint Eastwood and James Coburn household names.
However, by the 1980s, westerns had all but fallen out of favour with audiences.
They were considered unfashionable and predictable.
But the glory days were gone.
Since then, the genre has evolved.
The protagonist has to gain the respect and honour of the town and prove his worth.
Yet, on the other, its adopted a new animated style to appeal to a younger audience.
Theres an argument that youll find western themes inThe Guard, the Irish comedy-drama starring Brendon Gleeson.
And blockbuster mash-upCowboys & Aliensshows that theres still some enthusiasm for the genre.
As a mainstream genre, though, the western is long gone.
It wasnt until the 1960s that the genre reached the silver screen, starting withDavid Holzmans Diaryreleased in 1967.
The genre enjoyed much attention in the 1980s, with Christopher Guest very much at the heart of it.
All of these were critical successes, although not box office hits.
It wasnt just Christopher Guest at work in the genre, though.
(Its a film thats effectively a forerunner to Forrest Gump.)
The film was critically acclaimed, and won a few awards, too.
Sadly, though, it looks as though the mockumentary has fallen by the wayside in terms of Hollywood.
That said, Hollywoods loss is televisions gain…
