[crabapple]

Fortunato is correct...It's not so much "genre blending," really, as just taking a piece in the horror genre and giving it depth and resonance and roots in aspects of culture other than this "universal fear of death" which being basic to everyone's consciousness is an "easy out" for a horror filmmaker and an excuse to make something that's basic, simple and boring.

Take a movie like "The Howling," that's a really interesting flick and a lot of fun to watch. Not only is it rather funny but there are strong elements of pop psychology and marital infidelity in the story--not to mention some strong dashes of post-traumatic stress disorder in the main character--

...and all of this detail is taking place within a story that also delivers on the solid meat-and-potatoes horror goods like monsters, violence and suspense. It gives you the elements of a basic genre product but also much, much more, and arguably it is a very good film. I think it's good because it gives your brain much to think about; you are not merely "feeling the fear."

The price of such a movie? Well, it takes time and effort to write something like that. I would love to see more people delivering not just the bare minimum but a bigger and tastier enchilada. One gets the impression that many in the audience have never tasted a really tasty enchilada, and don't know what they're missing!