Movie Poster Madness: Stepping Outside The Genre Edition

When directors of thrillers step outside of their comfort zone, it can (sometimes) be a rewarding experience for both the director and the audience.  Submitted for you approval a glance at some films made by several men more known for scaring us than anything:

When James Whale, the director of 1931's Frankenstein set out to make a musical, well, he made a classic; Show Boat, was a technicolor, over-the-top film that gave the world Paul Robeson singing, Old Man River, among other cinematic thrills.

William Castle, the man who brought us The Tingler,  House on Haunted Hill, Srait-Jacket and dozens of other b-movie horror flicks, also directed this curio - a  murder mystery set in Hollywood that featured several silent film stars.  I saw this film only once at a William Castle retrospective, and loved it. 

And here's what happens when Mario Brava gives us an explotaion/sex comedy...actually not much at all.  A pretty dull movie.  Also known as
Quante volte. . . quella notte

David Cronenberg left the world of virus horror behind for a bit back in 1993 and filmed this beautiful piece concerning a diplomat who falls hopelessly in love with an Asian opera singer - the only problem, she's a he!  Hilarity ensues (not really).  This is a gorgeous adaption of the play of the same name.

When Wes Craven left Elm Street and Screams behind, for a bit, manged to do a very servicable job directing this family friendly film about  Roberta Guaspari (Meryl Streep), a woman who brings classical music and hope to inner-city kids.  Apparently this is Craven's only non horror film that he directed, as well as his only film to ever get an Oscar nomination (Streep for her performance).  Word was that Madonna was supposed to play the lead, but left the film citing those dreaded, "creative differences"...frankly, considering that Madge was replaced with Meryl; Craven (and audiences) really lucked out!

 Starman - who knew that John Carpenter could give us such a touching, heartfelt love story (pretending to be a science fiction flick)?  I mean, I am a fan of Carpenter's work, but I never thought he was the type who could also do sentimentality.

and while we are talking about Mr. Carpenter, lest we forget his 1979 TV bio pic of Elvis, starring Kurt Russell and Shelly fucking Winters!!