Drama
Rod Lott
It's fun to view Back from Eternity as an early, lower-wattage version of the Airport disaster franchise that ruled the 1970s. Actually, I take that back: It’s not fun at all. It’s a dour, depressing, overwrought melodrama as only old-school Hollywood could do.

Horror
Rod Lott
Found-footage movies are no longer novel, but they're cheap to make, so expect to see many, many more shoot out Hollywood's pipeline. As long as concepts are tweaked, however, surprises like Chronicle can occur.

Action
Rod Lott
Compared to its 2000 big-budget remake, H.B. Halicki's Gone in 60 Seconds is deficient in slickness, star power, performances, plotting and humor. Yet the 1974 indie original decimates the Hollywood version as an all-around entertainment. Why? Two simple reasons, boiled down to numbers: some 500 vehicles wrecked and a 40-minute chase scene.

Documentary
Rod Lott
Granted only a limited theatrical release this summer, Nitro Circus: The Movie is like Jackass with more athleticism, more engineering know-how, more maturity, more corporate sponsors, and much less testicular trauma.