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; also refers to a movie,
director, distributor, or producer whose groundbreaking subject
matter is designed for sophisticated audiences and is not necessarily
produced with commercial success as the goal
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 an characters of an earlier film
Prequel the opposite of a sequel, depicts action that happened before the
original film
Slasher or
splatter film
a graphic horror film which depicts physical violence and bloody gore
Space opera 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 great tension, danger, adventure,
suspense, or high drama, often climaxing at the end of a film, where
the fate of the protagonist is left unresolved, increasing interest for a
sequel
Bio-pic a biographical film of the life of a famous personality or historical
figure
Turkey a film that flops in 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 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 sometimes linked together by some
theme or by a 'wrap-around' tale; often the stories are directed by
different directors or scripted by various screenwriters, and are in the
horror film genre; also known as an episode film or omnibus film;
this term may also refer to a full-length, compilation-documentary
film of excerpted segments or clips from other films
Film noir
a French phrase literally meaning "black film"; a genre of mostly
black-and-white films that blossomed in post-war American cinema,
with a somber, downbeat tone: the plot is often a quest, low-key
lighting features night scenes, camera angles are often canted or
high, the setting and symbols feature the gloomy underworld of
crime and corruption, and voice-overs and flashbacks combine to
present a dark atmosphere of pessimism, or cynicism; characters
frequently include the private detectives and the treacherous femme
fatale
Sleeper
a movie that is released with little publicity, often directed by and
starring relatively unknown people, that by positive word-of-mouth
eventually becomes popular or financially successful beyond
expectations
Cinema verité
a French word that literally means "true cinema"; a method or style
of documentary movie-making with long takes, no narration,
impromptu interview techniques, a hand-held camera, and little or no
editing of the finished product; usually made without actors and with
a minimal crew
Alan Smithee film
the pseudonym used by directors who refuse to put their name on a
film and want to disassociate themselves, usually when they believe
their control or vision has been co-opted by the studio (i.e., the film
could have been recut, mutilated and altered against their wishes);
aka Alan Smithee Jr., Allan Smithee, or Allen Smithee