Think of drastically different genres. Fuse some with others and add new elements. Borrow patterns, themes and impressions from the halls of movie history and blend them with postmodern philosophy, a wickedly self-deprecating sense of humor and a heavy dose of playful ironic detachment. The resulting mixture pays homage to directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski, Sam Raimi and Preston Sturges, and writers like  William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler. I’m referring to none other than the work of Joel and Ethan Coen, the modern American maestros of cinematic cross-breeding. 

As a writing-directing team, Peter and Bobby Farrelly have been consistently inconsistent. Their filmography ranges from the sublime comedy “There’s Something About Mary” to the less enticing “Hall Pass.” Still, their films are always worth consideration because when they’re good, they’re very good.  Sadly, the Farrellys’ Three Stooges homage is a failure, although it’s hard to hold them entirely at fault. 

It’s natural for people to feel an affinity for favorite movie characters, and it can be particularly interesting to follow them through major life changes. “American Reunion,” the latest addition to the “American Pie” franchise, exists for just that reason. The movie is set about a decade after 2003’s “American Wedding,” and it brings the old gang back together for a high school reunion.  

It’s not just a legend; these mysteriously mortiferous creatures really do exist, albeit in our book stores and movie theaters, but that is enough to spawn a billion-dollar-based industry. From Count Dracula to Edward Cullen, vampires have remained a mysterious source of intrigue amongst audiences.  But the real question on everyone’s mind is  why exactly the Twilight franchise is so popular?

No major theatrical releases are making their way to video this week, so it seems like the perfect time to suggest some movies that are sure to put an exclamation point on your July 4 holiday. All of the following, including the aptly named "Independence Day," "The Patriot," and "Born on the Fourth of July, are readily available on home video. 

Continuing the tradition of films that capture the magic and mystery of the Eternal City, the most famous of which are Federico Fellini’s“Roma” (1972), William Wyler’s “Roman Holiday” (1953) and Roberto Rossellini’s “Rome, Open City” (1945), Woody Allen’s new film, “To Rome with Love,” is his own portrait of of Rome. In an ode to the Italian capital as well as to Italian cinema, Allen adopts a structure more similar to that of Fellini in “Roma” with a series of loosely connected episodes. Through these stories, Allen pays homage to the city’s beauty, energy and its knack for absurd situations

As the U.S. economy struggles, it’s easy to see the appeal in leaving the technology-driven corporate world and settling into something more organic. But, as “Wanderlust” co-writer and director David Wain notes, dropping out comes with its own set of challenges.  The setup of the film is solid, and Rudd is an extremely talented comedian. Unfortunately “Wanderlust” doesn’t give him much good material, and Aniston has never proven herself to be more than a one-note actress. 

The  much-admired (and emulated) Martin Scorsese, for one, is an outstanding auteur and easily one of the best directors  working today, yet he cannot rightly be ranked alongside the titans of the golden years when cinema was emerging as a serious art form: Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Ingmar Bergman, Jean Renoir, and the list goes on.  These masters were, and remain, larger-than-life legends.

When director Guy Ritchie (“Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” “Snatch”) and actor Robert Downey Jr. updated the Sherlock Holmes mythos in 2009, they delivered an appealing blend of action, drama, mystery and suspense. Sadly, their return to the well is less appealing. That’s not to say “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” is a disaster. Downey Jr. is still outstanding in the title role, most notably because he gives the master detective a sense of brutishness that isn’t typically seen in the character. 

“John Carter” had a disappointing theatrical run in the U.S., but one has to wonder if that’s because it lacks an A-list cast. The film itself is first-rate and can stand proudly alongside 2012 blockbusters like “The Hunger Games” and “The Avengers.”  “John Carter” boasts an excellent blend of character development, special effects and action.