--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're talking horror or sci-fi…" description: "\"When you're talking horror or sci-fi, you're working in a genre that has loosely certain thematic elements, or, you could even call them rules. But rul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/roger-corman-16514_broken_when-you-re-talking-horror-or-sci-fi-you_1539050.jpg" --- # When you're talking horror or sci-fi, you're working in a… ![“When you're talking horror or sci-fi, you're working in a genre that has loosely certain thematic elements, or, you could even call them rules. But rules are there to be broken. I think that young filmmakers should go all the way back to the history of horror, from silent films like "Nosferatu"…” quote by Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/roger-corman-16514_broken_when-you-re-talking-horror-or-sci-fi-you_1539050.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/roger-corman-16514_broken_when-you-re-talking-horror-or-sci-fi-you_1539050.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/roger-corman-16514_broken_when-you-re-talking-horror-or-sci-fi-you_1539050.jpg) > “When you're talking horror or sci-fi, you're working in a genre that has loosely certain thematic elements, or, you could even call them rules. But rules are there to be broken. I think that young filmmakers should go all the way back to the history of horror, from silent films like "Nosferatu", and through to today's horror films, so they understand the history of horror films and what has been done. Understand that, and then add something new or original.” [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Studying horror’s evolution—from silent classics to modern films—reveals genre “rules” that can be broken to innovate, encouraging filmmakers to blend tradition with originality. **In simple terms:** Learn horror history, then break its conventions to create fresh work. Key Takeaway Blend classic techniques with new ideas for original horror. Themes film studies genre theory creative innovation history of horror Mood enthusiastic analytical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - film school - scriptwriting - directing workshops - genre festivals Key Concepts narrative structure visual symbolism audience expectation Questions to Reflect On - Which classic horror element can you reinvent? - How does breaking a rule affect audience reaction? A Different Perspective Strict adherence to tradition can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Films Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-understand-478934/) [Genre Loosely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre-loosely-5727590/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-film/) [Horror films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-films/) [Horror Sci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-sci-2682038/) [Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent/) [Something new](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something-new/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Young Filmmakers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-filmmakers-263342/) ## Related quotes > [Horror films have been with us forever, so you can't say I originated that in any way, but it sort of brought back a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/horror-films-have-been-with-us-forever-so-you-can-t-say-i-originated/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [I love horror and sci-fi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-love-horror-and-sci-fi/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I love horror, sci-fi and action, or I wouldn't make these kinds of movies, but those designations are Trojan horses to make these personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-love-horror-sci-fi-and-action-or-i-wouldn-t-make-these-kinds-of/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I like horror and sci-fi almost equally, but I watch more sci-fi than horror. Does that mean I like sci-fi more than horror? Maybe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rooker/i-like-horror-and-sci-fi-almost-equally-but-i-watch-more-sci-fi-than/) [Michael Rooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rooker/) > [It's great that we have commercial filmmakers who make family films and understand the aesthetics well, taking this route. They know how to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiara-advani/it-s-great-that-we-have-commercial-filmmakers-who-make-family-films/) [Kiara Advani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiara-advani/) > [In the end, with all of my films, I want to understand the continuity between these films and understand what they're trying to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-haigh/in-the-end-with-all-of-my-films-i-want-to-understand-the-continuity/) [Andrew Haigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-haigh/) > [I think sometimes there are films where I understand what they are about, but there are also some mysterious areas in the film where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucile-hadzihalilovic/i-think-sometimes-there-are-films-where-i-understand-what-they-are/) [Lucile Hadzihalilovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucile-hadzihalilovic/) > [People like my films. They understand me through my films; it's like a connection that has been established between all my work and myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/people-like-my-films-they-understand-me-through-my-films-it-s-like-a/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [The characters I portray are an extension of what I've seen, heard, or read, and so what you see in my films are how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fahadh-faasil/the-characters-i-portray-are-an-extension-of-what-i-ve-seen-heard-or/) [Fahadh Faasil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fahadh-faasil/) > ['Hereditary' is unabashedly a horror film. In a lot of ways, it's in dialogue with other horror films. But I do know that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-aster/hereditary-is-unabashedly-a-horror-film-in-a-lot-of-ways-it-s-in/) [Ari Aster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-aster/) > [I think there's been a gigantic shift in the way we talk to each other, and the way that we communicate with each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-swanberg/i-think-there-s-been-a-gigantic-shift-in-the-way-we-talk-to-each/) [Joe Swanberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-swanberg/) > [Audiences are very sophisticated and they know the nuts and bolts of the genre - certainly with horror more than others I think. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-shearsmith/audiences-are-very-sophisticated-and-they-know-the-nuts-and-bolts-of/) [Reece Shearsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-shearsmith/) > [I've always loved... actually I didn't always love horror films. I started out and I only liked comedies and dramas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-raimi/i-ve-always-loved-actually-i-didn-t-always-love-horror-films-i/) [Sam Raimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-raimi/) > [Some of my fondest and most impressionable movie memories are from those early sci-fi and horror films. I've always been a Dracula/vampire aficionado, being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-wise/some-of-my-fondest-and-most-impressionable-movie-memories-are-from/) [Ray Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-wise/) > [What I love about watching classic horror films is that they take you on a ride and they obviously make you scared because you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-holmes/what-i-love-about-watching-classic-horror-films-is-that-they-take-you/) [Katie Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-holmes/) ## More by Roger Corman > [When I started I had no knowledge of films whatsoever. I was an engineering major at Stanford. And I found out as a senior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/when-i-started-i-had-no-knowledge-of-films-whatsoever-i-was-an/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [I'm not going to shoot seven days a week. I think it's counterproductive. I think you're going to have people stumbling around after a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/i-m-not-going-to-shoot-seven-days-a-week-i-think-it-s/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [I was young, so I was part of youth culture. The years went by, I became older and no longer part of youth culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/i-was-young-so-i-was-part-of-youth-culture-the-years-went-by-i-became/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [I think anybody who's working in a creative medium is working partially with their conscious mind, partially with their unconscious mind. So, my unconscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/i-think-anybody-who-s-working-in-a-creative-medium-is-working/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [There was a fairly big difference between Detroit and Beverly Hills. I remember this. Detroit actually was a prosperous bustling city when we moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/there-was-a-fairly-big-difference-between-detroit-and-beverly-hills-i/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [I do believe motion pictures are the significant art form of our time. And I think the main reason is, they're an art form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/i-do-believe-motion-pictures-are-the-significant-art-form-of-our-time/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [Jim Cameron is proof that if you are good, you'll get promoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/jim-cameron-is-proof-that-if-you-are-good-you-ll-get-promoted/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [You can make a movie about anything, as long as it has a hook to hang the advertising on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/you-can-make-a-movie-about-anything-as-long-as-it-has-a-hook-to-hang/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [As a producer, I probably am a little stronger than most, since I was a director originally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/as-a-producer-i-probably-am-a-little-stronger-than-most-since-i-was-a/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [Other writers, producers, and directors of low-budget films would often put down the film they were making, saying it was just something to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/other-writers-producers-and-directors-of-low-budget-films-would-often/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [I remember the first film I reviewed for the Daily was a John Ford Western. I think it was My Darling Clementine, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/i-remember-the-first-film-i-reviewed-for-the-daily-was-a-john-ford/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [There's always something that draws you away from the original script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/there-s-always-something-that-draws-you-away-from-the-original-script/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [Somebody who moved up very fast was Jim Cameron, who was a young guy out of - I think he came from Arizona, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/somebody-who-moved-up-very-fast-was-jim-cameron-who-was-a-young-guy/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [People gravitate occasionally to the brilliantly made art low budget films, which is maybe one out of every five hundred low budget films made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/people-gravitate-occasionally-to-the-brilliantly-made-art-low-budget/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [When I started in the late 1950s, every film I made - no matter how low the budget - got a theatrical release. Today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/when-i-started-in-the-late-1950s-every-film-i-made-no-matter-how-low/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) [Explore all 39 Roger Corman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) ## More Broken quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [You don't want to fix things that aren't broken, so that kind of stops you from make changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-weidman/you-don-t-want-to-fix-things-that-aren-t-broken-so-that-kind-of-stops/) [Chris Weidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-weidman/) > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [My life was incoherent to me. I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/) [Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [Its funny how someone breaks your heart but you still love them with all those broken pieces..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-someone-breaks-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/) [Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/) [Browse all 5,851 Broken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're talking horror or sci-fi, you're working in a genre that has loosely certain thematic elements, or, you could even call them rules. 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