--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I make unpopular versions of popular…" description: "\"I make unpopular versions of popular things. I make a horror film and it's not a horror film. None of my genre movies function as genre movies.\" — Mary..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/mary-harron-15320_cinema_i-make-unpopular-versions-of-popular-thi_87965.jpg" --- # I make unpopular versions of popular things. I make a… ![“I make unpopular versions of popular things. I make a horror film and it's not a horror film. None of my genre movies function as genre movies.” quote by Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/mary-harron-15320_cinema_i-make-unpopular-versions-of-popular-thi_87965.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/mary-harron-15320_cinema_i-make-unpopular-versions-of-popular-thi_87965.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/mary-harron-15320_cinema_i-make-unpopular-versions-of-popular-thi_87965.jpg) > “I make unpopular versions of popular things. I make a horror film and it's not a horror film. None of my genre movies function as genre movies.” [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deliberately subverting genre expectations creates unconventional works that challenge audience preconceptions, though they may resist easy classification. **In simple terms:** I twist popular genres into something new. Key Takeaway Genre subversion yields fresh perspectives. Themes creativity genre innovation audience Mood playful defiant Type artistic industry When to use this quote - film making - writing - marketing - critical review Key Concepts media studies aesthetics Practical Applications - experiment with narrative structure - market to niche audiences Questions to Reflect On - When does subversion become self‑indulgent? - How can creators balance originality with audience expectations? A Different Perspective Breaking genre norms can limit commercial appeal and alienate core fans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-film/) ## Related quotes > [If one horror film hits, everyone says, 'Let's go make a horror film.' It's the genre that never dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/if-one-horror-film-hits-everyone-says-let-s-go-make-a-horror-film-it/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [Look, none of the artists who I admire or respect have ever shied away from a role because it might make them unpopular with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/look-none-of-the-artists-who-i-admire-or-respect-have-ever-shied-away/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [Sometimes in this world you make unpopular decisions because you think they're right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/sometimes-in-this-world-you-make-unpopular-decisions-because-you/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The thing to remember about Obama is he doesn't care if you like him or I like him or somebody else does. He literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/the-thing-to-remember-about-obama-is-he-doesn-t-care-if-you-like-him/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [Sometimes, in order to follow our moral compass and/or our hearts, we have to make unpopular decisions or stand up for what we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/sometimes-in-order-to-follow-our-moral-compass-and-or-our-hearts-we-2/) [Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/) > [First make yourself unpopular, then you will be taken seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-adenauer/first-make-yourself-unpopular-then-you-will-be-taken-seriously/) [Konrad Adenauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-adenauer/) > [Truth will only make you unpopular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-borchert/truth-will-only-make-you-unpopular/) [Wolfgang Borchert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-borchert/) > [Liquor - you can make it illegal but you can't make it unpopular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-baer/liquor-you-can-make-it-illegal-but-you-can-t-make-it-unpopular/) [Arthur Baer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-baer/) > [A man who is influenced by the polls or is afraid to make decisions which make him unpopular is not a man to represent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/a-man-who-is-influenced-by-the-polls-or-is-afraid-to-make-decisions/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [I learned some big lessons on my first film, a horror film which was never released in the U.S., even though we sold it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-learned-some-big-lessons-on-my-first-film-a-horror-film-which-was/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [When horror turns into gore, when you show the monster, the killings, and the blood, it loses its suggestive powers. It loses part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-garcia/when-horror-turns-into-gore-when-you-show-the-monster-the-killings/) [Raul Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-garcia/) > [Silence Of The Lambs is a fantastic film. It's a horror film, and it's an incredibly well-told film that is about point of view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/silence-of-the-lambs-is-a-fantastic-film-it-s-a-horror-film-and-it-s/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) > [So I was asked to do horror film after horror film, a series of about five, after that, and some of those were a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-wray/so-i-was-asked-to-do-horror-film-after-horror-film-a-series-of-about/) [Fay Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-wray/) > [I like 'Brawl in Cell Block 99.' I think Vince Vaughn is incredible and I've never seen Don Johnson like that. It is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/i-like-brawl-in-cell-block-99-i-think-vince-vaughn-is-incredible-and/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [The action movie, the thriller and the drama all have safety nets under them. But not the horror film. The horror film can sink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-dunstan/the-action-movie-the-thriller-and-the-drama-all-have-safety-nets/) Marcus Dunstan ## More by Mary Harron > [My films have elements of genre in them, which prevents them from being purely art films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/my-films-have-elements-of-genre-in-them-which-prevents-them-from/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [Some actors can draw from their own darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/some-actors-can-draw-from-their-own-darkness/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [I see that women still have self-doubt, and at the same time I feel like I see all these fantastic young women, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/i-see-that-women-still-have-self-doubt-and-at-the-same-time-i-feel/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [I remember being really interested in the sad parts of Los Angeles, of which there are many, and knowing we weren't up in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/i-remember-being-really-interested-in-the-sad-parts-of-los-angeles-of/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [I realized you can always make money; you just do a lot of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/i-realized-you-can-always-make-money-you-just-do-a-lot-of-things/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [I grew up interested in the underside of Hollywood, which I think David Lynch does really well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/i-grew-up-interested-in-the-underside-of-hollywood-which-i-think/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [I'm not trying to make the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/i-m-not-trying-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [The really important people in TV are not the directors; they're the writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/the-really-important-people-in-tv-are-not-the-directors-they-re-the/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [They say that depression is anger you turn on yourself, and I think women do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/they-say-that-depression-is-anger-you-turn-on-yourself-and-i-think/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [At any age you can start over. You have to drop the idea of where you should be in your career. And you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/at-any-age-you-can-start-over-you-have-to-drop-the-idea-of-where-you/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [Movies are a commitment. They take years of your life and they have big consequences. That's one of the bad things about movies -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/movies-are-a-commitment-they-take-years-of-your-life-and-they-have/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [There's no need to be tragic or destroy yourself or jump off a cliff. That's no longer the paradigm I wish to follow, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/there-s-no-need-to-be-tragic-or-destroy-yourself-or-jump-off-a-cliff/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [In my early thirties I was working in television as a researcher. I was really stuck for a period of five years. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/in-my-early-thirties-i-was-working-in-television-as-a-researcher-i/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [Bettie Page was the first person to do bondage as fashion, because for her it really was all about dressing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/bettie-page-was-the-first-person-to-do-bondage-as-fashion-because-for/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) > [It never occurred to me to be a film director, partly because I hadn't seen a single film by a female director, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-harron/it-never-occurred-to-me-to-be-a-film-director-partly-because-i-hadn-t/) [Mary Harron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) [Explore all 43 Mary Harron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-harron/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I make unpopular versions of popular things. 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