Although Will Smith plays an emotionally fragile superhero in Hancock, as a movie star he's practically invincible. By industry standards, the last genuine Smith dud was The Legend of Bagger Vance, but the actor's standing among many audiences has remained decidedly rocky. As a result, he occupies a unique corner of the Hollywood marketplace where quality and taste don't necessarily match up. Unlike, say, The Dark Knight, not many people eagerly await the latest Smith offering -- which currently has a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes -- but they'll see it anyway. Hancock is tracking well, thanks to a poster exclusively dominated by Smith's unshaven mug, and that pretty much seals its potent box office fate. Just as Smith's slapdash onscreen persona is bullet-proof, Smith himself is steadfastly critic-proof.

Which places movie in an interesting quagmire: After pulling in waves of cash, it will probably get relegated to the void of forgettable Smith fare, where spectacles offer passing amusement before scampering off forever. Hancock, however, deserves better than a fleeting moment in the limelight and a crash landing in the bargain bin. It's part of a genre that speaks directly to the modern state of blockbuster cinema: The superhero satire.

Last year I was all set to go up to Sundance and review all the nasty horror movies ... and I went home talking mostly about Waitress. I'm such a wuss. Oh sure, there was fine genre fare to be found (Teeth, Fido and The Signal, most notably) but I got a little misty-eyed with Kim during Waitress ... and I believe Rocchi and I actually wept a little during Grace is Gone.

But enough nostalgia, dammit! Next month there'll be me and Kim and James and (first-timer!) Erik up in Park City, all scurrying about like frozen little blogger-ants as we try to keep you abreast of all the Sundancings -- which brings us back to square one: Me. And horror movies. Let's get to it. As part of the Park City at Midnight slate we have...

The Broken -- "On a busy London street a woman sees herself driving by in her own car. Stunned, she trails the mystery woman as events take an eerie turn into a living nightmare." -- Starring the lovely Lena Headey and the awesome Richard Jenkins. Directed by Sean Ellis, who last helmed the pretty solid Cashback.

Diary of the Dead -- "When a group of film students making an indie horror film find themselves trapped in a world being consumed by flesh-eating zombies, they cleverly switch gears and use the camera to document the world crumbling around them." Directed by the master himself, Mr. George A. Romero. First Toronto, then Fantastic Fest, and now Sundance. I swear this movie is stalking me. (Full review here.)

Donkey Punch -- "After meeting at a nightclub in a Mediterranean resort, seven young adults decide to continue partying aboard a luxury yacht in the middle of the ocean. But when one of them dies in a freak accident the others argue about what to do, leading to a ruthless fight for survival." Hey, the Brits go good genre fare. I'm down.

Funny Games -- "A family settles into its vacation home, which happens to be the next stop for a pair of young, articulate, white-gloved serial killers on an excursion through the neighborhood." For my thoughts on Michael Haneke's remake (and a link to the new trailer), click right here.