THE FOUR TYPES OF PICTURES.

— A little gripe I have with any “best picture” awards is that, at the least, there are four types of movies or series that really should not be cross-compared. One type has the intention to be more intimate, another to be spectacle. One type wants to get a little crazy, another to play it more or less straight. As such, any “best of” awards should feature more of a Mount Rushmore, rather than a single picture at the top of the mountain. Here’s a quick explainer on the four types:

Stock Drama.

May include: Drama, Horror, Romance, Thriller. This is your movie that’s mostly played like real life. Even if it has a fantastical element, like a demon or creature in horror, if the action and fantasy is still relatively low, it’s a stock drama.

Stunt Drama.

May include: Action, Epic, War/Western, Sci-Fi. These projects hold elevated set pieces, all the way up to full, fantasy worlds. What binds them is that they’re played more straight or earnestly, along with whatever larger hooks or stunts they hold.

Stock Farce.

May include: Comedy, Family, Satire, Musical. “Farce” is the key word here, as opposed to “comedy.” Farce defines more as absurd. It can certainly be funny, but also, not-so-funny. Whatever the case, it’s played in a more “ridiculous” way.

Stunt Farce.

May include: Adventure, Caper, Comic, Fable. In its purest form, it’s a super silly, big action or fantasy vehicle. You could also put projects here in which the characters and the action may be more “real” but are still played more tongue-in-cheek.

* As always, certain projects will have arguments to be included in different categories. For the Top 40, we’ll just make an educated choice on which type they are the most.