Critical Viewing Cinema Vocabulary

B movie

A low-budget production, originally screened to support a more important film in a double feature.

Chop socky

An early slang term for a martial arts film.

Independent or 'indie' film

Small, low-budget companies producing and distributing films made outside of the major Hollywood studio system.

Cult or underground film

Underfinanced and often experimental films produced on a director’s whim, sometimes resulting in a non-mainstream 'cult classic'.

Formula Film

A blockbuster production with a predictable, overused scheme or plot.

Horse opera

An old Hollywood term for a western film.

Sequel

A film which continues the action and characters of an earlier film.

Prequel

The opposite of a sequel, depicting action that happened before the original film.

Slasher or splatter film

A graphic horror film which depicts physical violence and bloody gore.

Space opera

A pulp era term for a science fiction film.

Sword and sandal

A gladiator, biblical, or Greco-Roman mythology film.

Cliffhanger

A film characterized by scenes of suspense and tension, often climaxing with an unresolved fate for the protagonist.

Bio-pic

A biographical film of the life of a famous personality or historical figure.

Turkey

A film that flops at the box office.

Animation

Drawings or other graphic images placed in a sequence to portray movement.

Character study

A film portrayal of a highly individualized character.

Didactic film

A film that aims to teach or provide moral instruction.

Anthology film

A multi-part or multi-segmented film with a collection or series of various tales or short stories.

Film noir

A genre of mostly black-and-white films with a somber tone, often featuring crime and corruption.

Sleeper

A movie that is released with little publicity but becomes popular or financially successful beyond expectations.

Cinema verité

A style of documentary filmmaking characterized by long takes and a hand-held camera without narration.

Alan Smithee film

The pseudonym used by directors who refuse to put their name on a film, often when their vision has been altered.