Every Cinematrix Category, Defined

Remember how in the Jewel song “Hands,” she starts off by singing, “If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be ‘We’re all okay’”? Well, if we folks on the Cinematrix team could tell the world just one thing it would be, “Click on the category headers, we swear to God they will help!” If you’re wondering whether a certain type of published writing counts as a book in the Based on a Book category? Click that header. Thinking about trying There Will Be Blood for the “Title Begins with ‘The’” category? Click that header.

Or, now, you can just bookmark this Cinematrix glossary, which contains the most up-to-date category definitions. What constitutes an official release date? Do hyphenated words count as one word or two? What kind of box-office numbers do we accept? All those answers and many more lie below.

Actor

Any film in which the indicated person appears as an actor, or in their capacity as an actor (such as being interviewed for a documentary). Archival footage of a performance from a previous film or TV show will not count. (For example: Michael Fassbender’s character watching Lawrence of Arabia in Prometheus.) Voice work, including narration, will count.

Actor: Anyone Who Played Batman

Any film, live-action or animated, with an acting credit for someone who has played Batman in a movie. This includes (and is limited to): Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Will Arnett, and Kevin Conroy.

Actor: Anyone Who Played Catwoman

Any film, live-action or animated, with an acting credit for someone who has played Catwoman in a movie. This includes (and is limited to): Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Zoe Kravitz, Eliza Dushku.

Actor: Anyone Who Played Joker

Any film, live-action or animated, with an acting credit for someone who has played Joker. This includes, but is not limited to: Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, Barry Keoghan, Vera Drew, Mark Hamill, Zach Galifianakis, etc.

Actor: First or Last Name ‘Ryan’

Any film with a credited actor who has the first or last name “Ryan.”

‘And’ or ’&’ in Title

Any film whose title contains the word “and” or the symbol “&.” The word “and” must appear on its own, not as part of a longer word such as Zoolander.

Animated Movie

Any film in which the world and characters are not intended to resemble live action, and/or that contain animated places or characters that are acknowledged as being different than the live-action world. To be explicit: Live-action movies built on extensive CGI such as Avatar or the Disney remakes do not count. All films classified as animation by IMDb, TMDb, or Wikipedia will count.

A24 Movie

Any film that was either produced or distributed by the A24 movie studio.

Based on a Book

Any film based on material that first appeared in published form as a book. Comic books and graphic novels count. Magazine articles and plays do not.

Based on a True Story

Any film that depicts real people and actual historical events, even if some secondary names or elements were changed. It does not include historical fiction (e.g., Shakespeare’s histories or films about Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter) or works of fiction that include real-life characters (e.g., Bill Clinton appearing in Contact).

Character Name in Title

Any film with a title that includes the first and/or last name of any character (human or otherwise) from the film. Characters who are unnamed but go by a moniker in the film’s credits (i.e., Michael Fassbender in The Counselor) will count. Superheroes or characters who go by aliases will count for either their human name (Bruce Wayne) or superhero name (Batman, the Dark Knight). However, a simple descriptor of a character (The Woman in the Window) or a collective (The Bad News Bears) will not count. Relationship titles (mom; dad; uncle; girlfriend/boyfriend; wife) will not count unless they are credited as such.

Chess Piece in Title

Any film with a title containing any of the following names for chess pieces: king, queen, rook (or castle), bishop, knight, pawn.

City or State in Title

Any film with the name of a city or state in its title. The state must be from the U.S. The city can be from anywhere in the world. The title must be referring to an actual city, either in the plot or as a theme. The existence of Madison, Wisconsin, doesn’t make Billy Madison a correct answer. Fictional cities — like Ebbing, Missouri, or Metropolis — count.

Co-starring Their Father

When paired with an actor, the film selected must include an acting credit for both the actor and the actor’s father. Don’t overthink it: Name a movie in which they both had a role.

Directed by Oscar Winner

Any film directed by an Academy Award winner in any competitive category. Winners of honorary Academy Awards do not count.

Director

Any film directed by the indicated person. Co-directors and directors who contributed individual scenes (e.g., Quentin Tarantino in Sin City) will count.

Disney/Pixar Animated Movie

Any animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios or Pixar.

Double Letters in Title

Any film title with a word that contains a letter followed by the same letter, consecutively, undivided by a space or punctuation.

Football Movie

Any film whose main characters are football players, coaches, or figures and in which the main narrative of the movie focuses on their participation in the sport. Grown Ups 2 and I Can Only Imagine are not football movies even though there are football scenes.

Genre: Action

Any film whose story is told through typically violent spectacle, including fights, chases, explosions, shootouts, and other stunt work. Movies that are classified as Action, Adventure, War, Crime, and/or Western by IMDb, TMDb, or Wikipedia will count.

Genre: Comedy

Any film that is primarily humorous in tone and/or structure. All films classified as comedy by IMDb, TMDb, or Wikipedia will count. Movies designated as “black comedies” or “dark comedies” will count. Comic relief or levity in primarily dramatic, action-adventure, or fantasy movies doesn’t count. Iron Man making a joke in The Avengers doesn’t make that movie a comedy.

Genre: Horror

Any film whose primary objective is to spook, scare, or disturb its audience. All films classified as horror by IMDb, TMDb, or Wikipedia will count.

Genre: Musical

Any film where the narrative is told entirely or partially through song. All films classified by IMDb, TMDB, or Wikipedia as musicals will count.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Any film that is primarily humorous in tone and/or structure, while also concerning itself with a romance that is central to the film’s plot. All films classified as both romance and comedy by IMDb, TMDb, or Wikipedia will count. Rom-com trappings without an actual romantic story line, like Legally Blonde 2, will not count.

Genre: Sci-Fi

Any film that is primarily based on an imagined future featuring scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, including space travel, time travel, and life on other planets. Space history (Apollo 13) and events that could happen with current technology (Gravity) do not count. Superhero films (even if they include elements of sci-fi) and fantasy films (fiction reliant on magic or supernatural elements in imagined worlds) also do not count. All films classified as science fiction by IMDb, TMDb, or Wikipedia will count.

Genre: Western

Any film set in the American West that focuses on the struggles and conflicts associated with the frontier (though these themes can also be presented in modern contexts, i.e., “neo-westerns”). All films classified as westerns by IMDb, TMDb, or Wikipedia will count.

Golden Globe-Nominated Film

Any film that was nominated for a Golden Globe in any category.

Golden Globe-Winning Film

Any film that won a Golden Globe in any category. Winners of honorary Golden Globes do not count.

High-School Movie

Any film whose main characters are high-school classmates and that takes place in and around the school or school-related events. Summer-camp movies, road-trip movies, and college movies will not count.

James Bond Movie

Any one of the 25 official James Bond movies.

MCU Movie

Any film that was produced by Marvel Studios from 2008 onward and that relates to the multi-phase universe of interconnected stories.

Movie About Musician(s)

Any film where the main character(s) is/are some kind of professional or aspirational musician, including playing instruments, singing, conducting, or producing.

Nominated for a Teen Choice Award

Any film that was nominated for a Teen Choice Award in any category.

Number in Title

Any film with a title that includes a number (whether as digits — including Roman numerals — or written out). Ordinals (e.g., “first,” “2nd,” “hundredth”) will count, but words like “once” and “twice” will not. Numerical groupings (e.g., “dozen,” “few,” “grand”) will not count, nor will mathematical concepts like “infinity.”

One-Word Title

Any film with a title containing just one word. Hyphenated phrases are counted as one word. Phrases divided by a “/” are counted as two (or more) words. Articles such as “A” or “The,” acronyms, contractions, and stand-alone numerals and symbols are counted as one word.

Two-Word Title

Any film with a title containing two words. Hyphenated phrases are counted as one word. Phrases divided by a “/” are counted as two (or more) words. Articles such as “A” or “The,” acronyms, contractions, and stand-alone numerals and symbols are counted as one word.

Three-Word Title

Any film with a title containing three words. Hyphenated phrases are counted as one word. Phrases divided by a “/” are counted as two (or more) words. Articles such as “A” or “The,” acronyms, contractions, and stand-alone numerals and symbols are counted as one word.

X+ Words in Title

Any film with a title that contains at least the indicated number of words. Hyphenated phrases are counted as one word. Phrases divided by a “/” are counted as two (or more) words. Articles such as “A” or “The,” acronyms, contractions, and stand-alone numerals and symbols are counted as one word.

Oscar-Nominated Film

Any film that was nominated for an Academy Award in any category.

Oscar-Nominated: Best Actress

Any film featuring a performer who was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.

Oscar-Nominated: Best Picture

Any film that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Oscar-Nominated: Cinematography

Any film that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

Oscar-Winning Film

Any film that won an Academy Award in any category. Winners of honorary Academy Awards do not count.

Release Date

Any film released in the U.S. between the given year ranges. Screenings at festivals do not count as an official release date.

‘Rotten’ on Rotten Tomatoes

Any film that is rated below 60 percent on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. In other words, movies that generally received mixed or poor reviews from critics.

Set in Space

Any film that is set either entirely or with significant scenes in outer space or on non-Earth planets/moons.

Songs by Pasek and Paul

Any film that includes a song by Pasek and Paul.

Sports Movie

Any film whose main characters are athletes, coaches, or figures otherwise directly involved with a sport, and in which the main narrative of the movie focuses on their participation in that sport. Uncut Gems, for example, is not a sports movie despite having Kevin Garnett and sports betting. Along Came Polly is not a sports movie despite its pick-up basketball scene. And the Hunger Games are not a sport, you sickos.

Superhero Movie

Any film where the lead character(s) are costumed crime-fighters or possessing superhuman abilities that aid them in their heroic efforts. Can also include anti-heroes with the same qualities. We will count anything defined by IMDb, TMDb, or Wikipedia as a “superhero movie” while also exercising our best judgment.

Title Begins With a Vowel

Any film with a title that begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, or u). “A” and “an” count as words that begin with a vowel. Numerals that begin with a vowel when spelled out (e.g., 101 Dalmatians) will not count.

Title Begins With ‘The’

Any film whose title begins with the article “the.” Movies that begin with words that contain the letters “The” (There Will Be Blood; Them) will not count.

Title Begins With X

Any film whose title begins with the indicated letter.

Title Begins With X or Y

Any film whose title begins with the indicated letter(s).

Title Contains an X

Any film with the indicated letter anywhere in the title.

Title Contains an Animal

Any film with a title that contains the name of a specific kind of animal. Mythical and fictional animals count; humans and humanoid creatures (e.g., The Hobbit, Angels & Demons) will not. Proper names of animals will not count (e.g., Secretariat, Scooby-Doo). Animal names in a compound word will count (e.g. “underdog” or “horseman”), but those spellings in words without an animal meaning will not (e.g. Dogma, A Fantastic Woman).

Title Contains ‘The’

Any film whose title contains the stand-alone article “the.” Movies in which “the” appears in a longer word will not count (e.g., There Will Be Blood). Only English-language usage of “the” will count (e.g., La Chimera, Les Misérables will not count).

Writer

Any film written by the indicated person. “Written by,” “Story by,” and “Screenplay by” credits will all count. A writer whose source material was adapted into a film will not count, unless they are also a credited writer on the movie.

Zero Oscar Nominations

Any film that wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award in any category.

2+ Hours

Any film with a run time of 120 minutes or longer.

80%+ Rotten Tomatoes Score

Any film that received a score of 80 percent or higher on Rotten Tomatoes. Think: Did critics love this?

$50M+ U.S. Box Office

Any film that made more than $50 million at the U.S. box office (not adjusted for inflation).

$100M+ Worldwide Box Office

Any film that made more than $100 million at the worldwide box office (not adjusted for inflation).

$500M+ Worldwide Box Office

Any film that made more than $500 million at the worldwide box office (not adjusted for inflation).

Cinematrix, Explained

• Cinematrix Clarifications & Corrections, Vol. 1
• Cinematrix Clarifications & Corrections, Vol. 2