Lazy cliches and plot contrivances

DazMarz · 23-08-2010 04:45PM

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

Or the fact they've just had sex, usually on the first night they've met, probably had sex numerous times, and are lying just barely covered by the bedclothes. But when the girl gets up, she has to take the entire sheet off the bed and wrap herself in it so as not to show any flesh apart from her shoulders and walk 6ft to get her skimpy clothes which show off more than the bedsheet anyway

OR!!!

The infamous lopsided bedsheet: man and woman lying in bed, quite possibly post-coital, both naked (well, topless anyway). By some miracle, the man can lie in bed, with the bedsheet only coming to his waist and his chest is bared for all to see. But the woman has the bed sheet right up to her neck, concealing her breasts... Hollywood bedsheets must come in an 'L' shape or something...

Average-Ro · 23-08-2010 05:54PM

Every shopping bag has a french baguette.

Extras love their french baguettes...

r3nu4l · 24-08-2010 09:18AM

Snipers are almost always foiled by their target dropping something and bending to retrieve it.

Sometimes the above mentioned paper shopping bag has burst just as the sniper is squeezing the trigger and the target bends to pick up his baguette and the orange* that is now rolling down the street.

*Maybe Americans really like slices of orange on their baguettes?

Killinator · 24-08-2010 03:48PM

Has it been said yet,

"we're gonna need a MONTAGE"

Penn · 24-08-2010 04:01PM

You know what, I think everything is going to be ok

For the first time in my life, I'm truly happy

Nothing can possibly go wrong

^^^ = death

L31mr0d · 24-08-2010 06:29PM

During a disaster, the worst place to stand is right next to a national monument, in any country.

Sir Gallagher · 25-08-2010 01:42AM

Reuniting a broken up couple by making them believe the other one has planned a meet up somewhere. Usually organised by scheming kids or best friend. Said couple figure out upon meeting back up that it was a dastardly trick and instead of getting angry about it they decide that they were just being silly and everybody lives happily ever after.

LittleBook · 25-08-2010 09:11AM

The Recliner wrote: »

In defence of Shaun of the Dead, at that point he had been on a 2 day bender and up playing "Electro" until 4 in the fcuking morning and left the fcuking door open. Again!

No surprise he was bleary eyed and didn't notice Pete the next morning

Oh I think he should have been well awake by the time he got to the bathroom, he'd already killed two zombies!

The Recliner wrote: »

Great movies though and as they are parody's they are bound to fall victim of cliches at times despite sending them up

Agreed, I die a little inside when I hear people complaining that Shaun and Fuzz are riddled with cliches ... that was the fricking point!! In fact I think they were well aware of what they were doing in the bathroom scene.

Kooli · 25-08-2010 09:30AM

If someone comes in their front door and begins shouting a conversation without having checked if anyone is there ("Hi honey, wow you won't believe what happened in work today, Jerry from accounts etc. etc.") then that means they are about to get a huge shock. Either the person they are talking to is dead, or they have left him, or someone else is dead, or something like that.
A shouting conversation initiated from the front door is never responded to.

Frisbee · 25-08-2010 10:42AM

The cocky person in the horror movie always dies. you know before they actually see the killer/monster and they go:

"I don't see any murderer, do you?"

Same goes for person at the end of their tether:

"If you're out there just come and get me, I'm right here!"

Instant death.

Penn · 25-08-2010 10:55AM

Frisbee wrote: »

The cocky person in the horror movie always dies. you know before they actually see the killer/monster and they go:

"I don't see any murderer, do you?"

Same goes for person at the end of their tether:

"If you're out there just come and get me, I'm right here!"

Instant death.

Or the person who, afraid after hearing some noises, positions themselves in the room where they will be most safe. No, not by the wall, or the centre of the room so they can make a quick exit from any direction. They'll stand right in front of a flimsy curtain or wardrobe doors.

Note to people in horror films: Put stuff in your wardrobe so no one can stand in it. If your shower curtain is closed over even though nobody is taking a shower, don't open it.

Frisbee · 25-08-2010 11:28AM

Also the cocky guy who seperates from the group, leaving them as bait while he tries to sneak off on his own or thinks he has a better chance on his own will invariably die very soon.

pixelburp · 26-08-2010 04:41PM

Watching the Bourne movies, I am reminded of a particular cliché that happens in globe-trotting thrillers / action movies:

If the CIA / FBI / Super-Secret-Covert-Group have to travel to another country to pursue their target, not only can they apparently march into another country without diplomatic problems, they can commandeer & overrule that country's local police force or army. Even if the target is causing havoc in this foreign country, the locals are kept out of it, are just cannon fodder, or else must play second fiddle to the US forces.

If anyone in said local police force gets a speaking part in the movie, they will nearly always be portrayed as an obstructionist, bureaucratic busy-body, who just gets in the way of our heroes. If they're European or French there's a good chance they'll be a vaguely anti-American belligerent. Sometimes this all results in the Americans having to just do their own thing & damn the locals. Destruction ensues.

BopNiblets · 26-08-2010 07:50PM

The suspense building delay ("Don't fire yet wait til they are 1 metre closer!") or countdown I find an annoying cliché.

nosco · 27-08-2010 12:45AM

Really clever the way people post spoilers without mentioning beforehand what movie they are referring to!! Makes no sense

27-08-2010 10:43AM

nosco wrote: »

Really clever the way people post spoilers without mentioning beforehand what movie they are referring to!! Makes no sense

But you'd only be spoiling it for people who have already seen the movie! It'd be about the same as me talking about the movie where it turned out the guy was dead all along. Only the people who have seen/heard the spoiler already would know what movie I was on about, so nothing has been spoiled.

nosco · 27-08-2010 06:23PM

Deleted User wrote: »

But you'd only be spoiling it for people who have already seen the movie! It'd be about the same as me talking about the movie where it turned out the guy was dead all along. Only the people who have seen/heard the spoiler already would know what movie I was on about, so nothing has been spoiled.

No, I'm talking about people like the OP in the very first page who mentions Christopher Nolan in Inception. How is one to know that the spoiler is about inception before uncovering it??!! What if you haven't seen it. its idiotic.

mikhail · 27-08-2010 06:30PM

nosco wrote: »

No, I'm talking about people like the OP in the very first page who mentions Christopher Nolan in Inception. How is one to know that the spoiler is about inception before uncovering it??!! What if you haven't seen it. its idiotic.

Why did you select the spoiler text after the "e.g."? In case he was talking about a movie you had seen? And it's his fault you read a spoiler?

nosco · 27-08-2010 06:40PM

mikhail wrote: »

Why did you select the spoiler text after the "e.g."? In case he was talking about a movie you had seen? And it's his fault you read a spoiler?

Why would anyone select it then? What's the point in writing the sentence?

mikhail · 27-08-2010 08:00PM

nosco wrote: »

Why would anyone select it then? What's the point in writing the sentence?

Either he wasn't thinking very clearly, or it was an IQ test.

johnny_ultimate · 27-08-2010 08:57PM

nosco wrote: »

Why would anyone select it then? What's the point in writing the sentence?

I think it's extremely inappropriate to spoil films on people. If we weren't spoilering film names, than there's the possibility someone who wanted to talk about the topic would have a film they haven't seen spoiled on them. Yes, spoiler tagging film names is a crude way about it, but at least that way it is the person who is reading the post who has spoiled something on themselves: read at your own risk. I'm sure many are comfortable talking about major plot developments without spoiler tags, but personally I'd be irritated if there was a plot point (cliched or not) given away for a film I wanted to see. Like if someone said 'film X has a bit where the main character pretends to be dead, but then comes back!', well then I'd be watching film X waiting for that to happen: hence, spoiled. At least with spoiler tags, there can be a general discussion, and if you want examples you can read the spoiler if you wish. As I said, crude solution but allows the discussion to take place while only spoiling films on those who choose to be spoiled. Plus, incidentally, I spoilered one part of the OP after someone requested it, so there are certainly people sensitive to it, myself included!

nosco · 27-08-2010 09:05PM

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I think it's extremely inappropriate to spoil films on people. If we weren't spoilering film names, than there's the possibility someone who wanted to talk about the topic would have a film they haven't seen spoiled on them. Yes, spoiler tagging film names is a crude way about it, but at least that way it is the person who is reading the post who has spoiled something on themselves: read at your own risk. I'm sure many are comfortable talking about major plot developments without spoiler tags, but personally I'd be irritated if there was a plot point (cliched or not) given away for a film I wanted to see. Like if someone said 'film X has a bit where the main character pretends to be dead, but then comes back!', well then I'd be watching film X waiting for that to happen: hence, spoiled. At least with spoiler tags, there can be a general discussion, and if you want examples you can read the spoiler if you wish. As I said, crude solution but allows the discussion to take place while only spoiling films on those who choose to be spoiled. Plus, incidentally, I spoilered one part of the OP after someone requested it, so there are certainly people sensitive to it, myself included!

I couldn't agree more. Of course spoiler tags are necessary when discussing a movie's plot points to ensure it isn't ruined for people. My point is simply that they become irrelevant when they actually act as the cause of spoiling a movie when somebody has no idea what could be behind the tag!!!

johnny_ultimate · 27-08-2010 09:14PM

nosco wrote: »

I couldn't agree more. Of course spoiler tags are necessary when discussing a movie's plot points to ensure it isn't ruined for people. My point is simply that they become irrelevant when they actually act as the cause of spoiling a movie when somebody has no idea what could be behind the tag!!!

I agree it's a tricky solution, but it's the only practical one in a general thread like this. As said, it's up to you whether to read the tags or not - for me, it's a way of just giving examples that don't disrupt the flow of the thread by spoiling stuff, while the main discussion takes place outside the spoilers. Not perfect by any stretch, I'll readily admit.

fluke · 28-08-2010 12:46PM

Movies where dogs effin die. Ye can be pretty sure if the dog is central to the movie the dog is gonna die*, but what the hell the dog is dead/dying and it's brought everybody closer together!!! :rolleyes:

*This cliche is flipped in Roland Emmerich movies, because ye can be sure in his movies most of the supporting cast are killed off but the token dog lives and millions die but after all a dog lives and isn't that all that matters...the supporting cast where only there to help the hero get all the credit for saving the day/dog/remaining survivors/some bullshit. Besides it all brought everybody closer together!

28-08-2010 11:25PM

Some that came to me earlier:

You don't speak English and I know this, but I'm going to repeat the exact same thing I said, but slower and louder.

A group of people start walking in the daytime, but by the time they reach their destination it's nighttime - so either they have been walking a long time, or night came really quickly.

indough · 28-08-2010 11:33PM

Deleted User wrote: »

You don't speak English and I know this, but I'm going to repeat the exact same thing I said, but slower and louder.

this is actually realistic, you notice english speaking tourists doing it abroad all the time

or at the tills in mcdonalds, not even joking

Paparazzo · 29-08-2010 11:47PM

The more the male and female character hate each other, the better chance they have of falling in love.
If someone is intelligent they'll be wearing glasses.
If a woman resists when you go to kiss her, just force her. She actually wants you and she'll eventually submit.

krudler · 30-08-2010 12:00AM

fluke wrote: »

Movies where dogs effin die. Ye can be pretty sure if the dog is central to the movie the dog is gonna die*, but what the hell the dog is dead/dying and it's brought everybody closer together!!! :rolleyes:

*This cliche is flipped in Roland Emmerich movies, because ye can be sure in his movies most of the supporting cast are killed off but the token dog lives and millions die but after all a dog lives and isn't that all that matters...the supporting cast where only there to help the hero get all the credit for saving the day/dog/remaining survivors/some bullshit. Besides it all brought everybody closer together!

I love this, half the world has been obliterated and we're supposed to cheer the fact a dog made it past that explosion by the skin of its arse. I love how Steven Spielberg is the only director who will kill kids and animals in movies, Jaws, child eaten, dog dissapears, most likely eaten. The Lost World, backyard pooch gets devoured by T-Rex, dog house dangling out of its mouth shown as evidence.

bnt · 30-08-2010 01:38PM

I get annoyed by the "token minority friend" cliché. Female heroines will have a gay male friend, since gay = non-threatening, apparently.

IIRC, when My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) was test-screened before release, the test audience had lots of complaints, but responded warmly to George's (Rupert Everett) platonic friendship with Julianne (Julia Roberts). His role was expanded significantly with pick-up shoots, including the final scene at the wedding, where he pops up to "rescue" Julianne. Cue: Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Must Love Dogs, etc. (Do male heroes get a lesbian best friend? Only in Sweden.)

jaykhunter · 30-08-2010 01:53PM

You know what cliche annoys me recently?

The final shot of the film (before the credits roll), someone or something jumps at/into the screen. Fcukin' hell, it's been used a lot in horror (eg

Paranormal Activity, Day of the Dead (2008))

, but happens outside the genre too

(Back to the Future)

At least

[REC]

had the decency to do the opposite, lol.

Lazy cliches and plot contrivances

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