In his book, The American Cinema, Andrew Sarris discusses the problems of appreciating certain filmmakers who are associated with specific genres. The western isn't just pantheon directors John Ford or Howard Hawks, but also John Sturges, Anthony Mann, Henry Hathaway and even William Whitney. The MGM musical is not just Vincente Minnelli and Stanley Donen, but also Charles Walters, George Sidney and Don Weis. The Italian western is not just Sergio Leone, nor is Dario Argento the only giallo filmmaker worth investigating. Additionally, one would expect there to be acknowledgment of the country of origin and if needed, some discussion on how that impacts a film. What genuine film scholarship has shown over the years is that the importance of a film does not always relate to the genre or even to the critical reception the film may have initially been accorded. Keep in mind that four time Oscar winner John Ford never was awarded for a western.

The Malaysian, The Maid, for example, may owe much of its style and subject matter to the ghost stories of its Asian neighbors. The film also serves as a critique of the treatment of Filipinas, as well as the influence of Chinese culture in Malaysia. Being a film fan without discrimination is just the flip side of being a film critic who doesn't bother looking beyond the surface of the genre or country of origin.

For myself, it was viewing genre films that has helped fuel my interest in the works of films and filmmakers who might fall outside the description of "extreme". While I would have preferred a US DVD release of The Unseeable or Alone, hopefully The Victim may stir interest in not only Thai ghost stories, but Thai cinema in general. While I did not care for Phone, this is a film with some very enthusiastic defenders. Not every film in the Tartan Asia Extreme library was in the class of Oldboy. Still, considering the spotty availability of any Asian films for US film fans and scholars, Tartan should still be appreciated for what they did right.