Genre switching sequels?

[Christopher]

Tiberius wrote:

---

Kill Bill.

While they are both action movies, the second one builds up the plot a lot more and has a very different feel to it. Not that I don't like it, they're both good movies. But they have very different feels.

But isn't that one story in two parts? They are called "Part 1" and "Part 2," right?

[Starkers]

They are completely different though, the first plays as a kung fu film, the second as a western (and for the record I really like the first and really don't like the second!)

[Christopher]

Sure, but my point is that I'm not sure you can really call something a "sequel" if it's just the second half of a single 2-volume story.

[The Mirrorball Man]

Among the many ideas for a Raiders of the Lost Ark sequel, one was a haunted house story.

[Starkers]

Christopher wrote:

---

Sure, but my point is that I'm not sure you can really call something a "sequel" if it's just the second half of a single 2-volume story.

Thats true I guess.

[Greg Cox]

Another textbook example: "Cat People" is a moody supernatural horror movie. The sequel, "Curse of the Cat People" is a poetic fantasy about a child's vivid imagination. The movies share a few cast members and supporting characters, but there aren't even any cat people in "Curse," which isn't remotely a horror movie!

As I understand it, the studio demanded a sequel to "Cat People," which had been a big commercial success, but the producer, Val Lewton, wasn't interested in repeating himself, so he made this delicate, somewhat arty movie instead--under the studio-mandated title, "Curse of the Cat People."

(Both films are very good, btw, but completely different in tone and subject matter.)

Oh, a bit of trivia: "Curse" was, I believe, the directorial debut of Robert Wise, who went on to direct "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "The Haunting," "The Andromeda Strain," "The Sound of Music," "West Side Story," and, of course, the first "Star Trek" movie.

[jayceee]

(Not a movie, but a tv show).

I thought the first four seasons of Fringe resembled an X-Files style procedural with some elements of Sliders and Altered States.

The fifth season seemed to be a completely different tv show, resembling a scavenger hunt in a post-apocalyptic setting.

[Alidar Jarok]

OdoWanKenobi wrote:

---

The Evil Dead series. The first installment was a straight up horror movie. The second was a horror comedy. Third was a fantasy comedy.

Beat me to it. That's probably the clearest example. The second movie is virtually a remake of the first except that it's a comedy. The third is completely different that it really isn't even horror.

Tiberius wrote:

---

Kill Bill.

While they are both action movies, the second one builds up the plot a lot more and has a very different feel to it. Not that I don't like it, they're both good movies. But they have very different feels.

I really like the difference in tone between the two movies. It's part of the reason I'm glad it was split up rather than stayed as one movie. It works well as two parts. That being said, while the tone changes dramatically, I'm not sure I would say it switches genres (especially since there are many subgenres sprinkled throughout anyway).

[gblews]

iguana_tonante wrote:

---

Arguably, the "Alien" series.

Alien was a horror story with the trappings of science fiction, while Aliens was more a war movie in a science fiction setting.

Alien 3, of course, was just crap.

Alien was Sci-Fi horror, so was Aliens. Or you might call both Sci Fi monster movies.

Kelthaz wrote:

---

Terminator. Of course, you have to ignore the last two films for this to work, but everyone already does that anyway.

Terminator 1 was a horror movie
Terminator 2 was an action flick

T1 was a Sci Fi monster movie. T2 was also a Sci Fi monster movie (without the killing).

Christopher wrote:

---

Oh, how about the Lou Grant character being spun off from the half-hour sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show to the hourlong drama Lou Grant?

Perfect example of what the OP was talking about.

[Christopher]

^No, they're definitely right about the Alien and Terminator franchises. I've seen those examples suggested on every other thread I've come across in searching for other suggestions. Yes, in both cases the original and its sequel were both science fiction, but they were in very different subgenres and styles.


I'm so frustrated -- I've got another example that I'm pretty sure happened, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was or figure out the right search terms to track it down. Now I'm thinking there was a TV show, probably in the '60s give or take a decade, that turned into a spy show after a season where it was in a different genre, like detective or lawyer or something. I wish I could remember!

[DalekJim]

Why am I the first person to mention Star Trek?

First movie is a cerebral sci-fi film, second and third are action/adventure space opera films, fourth is a lowest common denominator fish-out-of-water comedy.

[gblews]

Christopher wrote:

---

^No, they're definitely right about the Alien and Terminator franchises. I've seen those examples suggested on every other thread I've come across in searching for other suggestions. Yes, in both cases the original and its sequel were both science fiction, but they were in very different subgenres and styles.

You might have a small argument with Alien and Aliens but T1 and T2 are virtually the same movies minus the killing. In both, scary cyborg comes from the future to kill humans in the past.

Both Alien and Aliens are about battling monsters from outer space (in outer space) which makes them both Sci Fi -- monster movies.

[stoneroses]

Predator 2 is quite a different movie from the first as opposed to the military mission of the first movie Stephen '24' Hopkins's movie is like a cop drama. Trek movies differ from each other too.

[Silvercrest]

Christopher wrote:

---

I'm thinking there was a TV show, probably in the '60s give or take a decade, that turned into a spy show after a season where it was in a different genre, like detective or lawyer or something. I wish I could remember!

This is not quite the same thing, but The Man from U.N.C.L.E. devolved from serious spy drama into camp.

[Greg Cox]

DalekJim wrote:

---

Why am I the first person to mention Star Trek?

First movie is a cerebral sci-fi film, second and third are action/adventure space opera films, fourth is a lowest common denominator fish-out-of-water comedy.

Sixth is a Cold War thriller . . . in space!

(Who the hell knew what the fifth one was supposed to be?)