Movie Styles

[djweevil]

I am new to these boards and would like to get to know everyone, What do you all classify as a b movie to be honest before reading your posts i thought the term b was just referring to cheezy horror films It did not occur on me that sci fi etc were also called "b" movies.  I'll start my main faves are 80s horror movies i love slashers gore and zombie stuff . The bad ass " rock horror " movies are also up there for me " Black Roses " " rock and roll nightmare " "shock em dead " etc etc. The list goes on and on i am also obsessed with ninja movies. Cheers all i look foirward to reading your posts and hope being here will help broden my interests in all branches and styles of movies.

[ulthar]

Horror definitely consitutes the largest and most well known "genre" of B-Movie, but I think here you will find the definition much more fluid.  Additional genre's that get hit on this site as B-Movies include Westerns, Sci-Fi, Martial Arts, General Action, Sports and even Break Dancin'.  It seems more about budget, direction, acting, dialog and production values than genre specifically.

Welcome aboard, by the way.   

[zombiedudeman]

I always thought b-movies were just anything with one or more of the following:

- b-list stars as opposed to a-list stars (although there are exceptions)
- unintentionally funny or inept filmmaking
- goofy special f/x
- low brow appeal (gore, sex, mutants, violence) although something like Cemetery Man and Delicatessen are artsy

yeah Black Roses and Rock N Roll Nightmare would be perfect examples of b-movies

[Menard]

To me, a B-Movie is something which is primarily aimed at fulfilling a basic audience niche, whether that be horror, western, sleaze, or what have you.

A hungry man will eat a steak dinner, which requires preparation to make if you want it done right. The same man will readily accept a bologna sandwich when he is hungry. The B-Movie appeals to that basic craving without going into any intense preparation; it is basically the bologna sandwich of the movie world.

Low budget does not mean B-Movie, though the two are more often connected than not. Several low budget films have been made with the care a chef would put into their trademark meal. There are, however, several big budget movies with A-List stars which are nothing more than a B-Movie battered and rolled in crumbs, then served with garnishing for the purpose of presentation.

One such big budget B-Movie which comes to mind is Independence Day. The movie consists entirely of scenes which are intended to do nothing more than garner an audience reaction. The plot is basic with nothing more than a pastiche of scenes pasted together in a linear storyline with amazing plot holes and a complete absence of logic (if you described the movie to someone and they were not familiar with it in the first place, they would swear you were describing a B-Movie). It does, however, have the one ingredient that is most important to a B-Movie; it is fun, for its runtime, and therefore satisfies the basic craving of the audience.

To me, a B-Movie is not defined by budget or stars, but more by its basic intent to satisfy an audience's most banal needs and whether it succeeded at that intent.