Introduction

Notions of genre surround us constantly. From a critical tool of popular film critics to assist potential audiences to select films, to a means for distributors, producers, and filmmakers to market their projects, and onto a practical way for owners of video stores to divide up their collections, we could not communicate without it. Yet, that which is so freely used is not necessarily fully understood. Genres are both created and found, and they may reinforce or contest the expectations of spectators, and even academics. They may be trotted out or corralled at specific historical and critical moments. Understanding when and in what circumstances such preferential or reduced treatment can be observed is part of the intellectual task attempted here.