The Crossover Conundrum

I love mixing genres. Why merely read a mystery, when you can read a paranormal/fantasy/mystery? Why watch an action movie, when you can revel in a comedy/horror/action movie? Not only do I get more bang for my buck, but the blending of genres often produces a synergy that creates more than the sum of its parts. A more complete world. After all, don’t we find humor and disgust, benevolence and violence, banality and mystery all around us, all the time? So I find myself searching it out in media as well, and I present the start of a new blog thread, where I will highlight some of those gems that are sometimes overlooked, oft scorned, but such fun to those willing to look in a different direction.

Because I am mixing genres – obviously Fantasy and Steampunk – in my novel, I first turn my eyes to other entries in that same arena. So today’s entry is…

HELLBOY

There is Steampunk and Fantasy all through this film (technically, it’s more dieselpunk than steampunk, but that’s a discussion for another time), based on the gorgeous comics by Mike Mignola. A perfect example appears in the first ten minutes of the film. Pictured here is the electric-and-vacuumtubed glove that is donned by Rasputin to open a portal to the prison-dimension of the Ogdru Jahad.

And then there's Kroenen, clockwork assassin who is forever tinkering with himself. The final battle of the movie takes place in a vast underground complex riddled with gear and pendulum traps.

But in contrast, we have Hellboy himself, a creature of fantasy, who is equally at home with charms and talismans as he is with a steroidal sidearm.

The second movie, HELLBOY II THE GOLDEN ARMY, has even more of the mix, as Big Red squares off against an ancient race from the time of fantasy who commands a mechanical army. My verdict: underrated fun! More to come...