Twelve years ago, the western and the musical, two genres that were incredibly successful during Hollywood’s heyday, had been considered long dead with no hopes of a revival on the horizon. After all, why would either of these genres make a comeback? The western is a remnant of a sense of American cultural imperialism and pre-Howard Zinn history-writing long past, and the film musical requires such an astounding degree of suspension of disbelief that audiences who seek special effects that blur distinctions between the fabricated and the real simply aren’t willing to engage it. But lo and behold, on December 25th, 2012 (always a day for big movies), a western (Django Unchained) and a musical (Les Miserables) will be launched into wide release on the heels of outstanding buzz (sure, Tarantino’s film is a revisionist western, but since revisionist westerns have been around for nearly fifty years, let’s just refer to them as the current standard western, shall we?). It’s difficult to say how this particular revival of these Hollywood genres has taken place. Of course, the unexpected success of previous films of these genres that took a risk with audiences (3:10 to Yuma and True Grit, Moulin Rouge and Chicago) certainly helps create the terrain for more such films, but this doesn’t necessarily explain why updated versions of classical Hollywood genres come back into style. Arguably, there are a multitude of genres we could use today, but unfortunately have no contemporary examples of. For instance, the ’30s and ’40s-style

Why Watch? This is unbridled awesome. BenDavid Grabinksi‘s sharp short film features Brandon Routh (semi-extending his Scott Pilgrim swagger) and Bret Harrison as two security guards who work for a mysterious corporation that has…more dangerous emergencies than the average OmniCorp MegaGlobal. It’s the kind of movie that demands a standing ovation and should satisfy fans of genre work and dry humor alike.Watch Cost of Living right now, and then watch it ten more times. Then try to help me figure out how to apply for a job at FO Industries. What will it cost? Only 8 minutes. Skip Work. You’ve Got Time For More Short Films.

Fans of Fantastic Fest (which should include all human beings and several species of extra-terrestrials) always look forward to the wanton violence and downright weird imagery on display during the festival. On the eve of Comic-Con, in a truly wise marketing move, the freaky folks at Fantastic Fest released their first fireball toward the castle of our minds. That fireball consists of 13 films that look like a collective 24 hours of awesome. Cannes favorite Rubber and martial arts follow-up Ip Man 2 are just the tip of the iceberg.

When your title cards suck its our first hint that your whole movie blows.

With reviews of Watchmen seemingly divided between on-line reviewers and print journalists, Robert “Rage” Fure sets his sights on reviews with an agenda and those who would deceive their audience.