Film cliches you want to fuck off

[Brundle-Fly]

When a dead actor rocks up in the film thanks to the magic of CGI.

I only know of the obvious recent Peter Cushing example. I'm intrigued, can you tell me some others?

I'm more fond of how art departments adopt various clever devices for living ageing big screen actors to look thirty years younger in the various flashbacks: ie:- Clint Eastwood in In The Line Of Fire (1997) Terrence Stamp in The Limey (1999), Tony Hopkins in Red Dragon (2002) Michael Douglas in Ant-Man (2015) and Kurt Russell Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 (2014) spring to mind.

[saltysnacks]

That's not a cliche though, it's a general dramatic tool.

Still hate it.

[AsparagusTrevor]

I would like to see someone in a film or TV show go down into a basement without something sinister happening. Maybe they just grab some tools or something.

[Icehaven]

I only know of the obvious recent Peter Cushing example. I'm intrigued, can you tell me some others?

Not exactly the same thing but weren't some of Oliver Reed's scenes in Gladiator patched together out of what had already been shot before he died?

[AsparagusTrevor]

Not exactly the same thing but weren't some of Oliver Reed's scenes in Gladiator patched together out of what had already been shot before he died?

Yeah this is right, and I didn't realise until seeing the film recently that the shots are fairly obvious.

Similarly, there was Brandon Lee in The Crow having his face pasted over a stunt-double's in a small number of shots, however I think these are more convincing than Gladiator's despite being an older, lower budget film.

[Noodle Lizard]

Loud screeching music, character in turmoil, they reach peak of said turmoil and smash a mirror.  Then they have a good stare at their disjointed reflection in the shattered glass, which is a metaphor for the mental state they're in, see?

Breaking Bad nicely avoided this by having him suddenly smash fuck out of a hand-dryer, with none of the traditional fanfare.

[bgmnts]

I only know of the obvious recent Peter Cushing example. I'm intrigued, can you tell me some others?

I'm more fond of how art departments adopt various clever devices for living ageing big screen actors to look thirty years younger in the various flashbacks: ie:- Clint Eastwood in In The Line Of Fire (1997) Terrence Stamp in The Limey (1999), Tony Hopkins in Red Dragon (2002) Michael Douglas in Ant-Man (2015) and Kurt Russell Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 (2014) spring to mind.

Carrie Fisher. That was genuinely abysmal.

[Brundle-Fly]

Not exactly the same thing but weren't some of Oliver Reed's scenes in Gladiator patched together out of what had already been shot before he died?

Much like John Candy's last movie, Wagon's East (2002)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F99n9SydtM

[St_Eddie]

Not exactly the same thing but weren't some of Oliver Reed's scenes in Gladiator patched together out of what had already been shot before he died?

Only partially.  They also used CGI to recreate him.  It's one of the earliest examples of the technique.

Carrie Fisher. That was genuinely abysmal.

When CGI Leia smiles, she looks like Alan Partridge.  Highlight of the movie for me.

[Shit Good Nose]

Much like John Candy's last movie, Wagon's East (2002)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F99n9SydtM

If only dear old John was around that long - Wagons East was 94.


It had never really occurred to me before until I was watching the also-ran late 60s thriller Nobody Runs Forever the other night, but there's a scene in which Rod Taylor gets a black cab, fishes money out of his pocket, counts it, waits for his change from the driver and only then does the cab drive off.  It has no relevance to anything that comes before or after but that short scene, with no accompanying soundtrack other than the cab's engine and other natural noise, made me realise how rarely you see that in films, the film cliche typically being character gets out without paying, cab speeds off.  I know it's not the only example, but it doesn't happen often.

[Sebastian Cobb]

you rarely see anyone lock their cars in films neither.

[rectorofstiffkey]

Loud screeching music, character in turmoil, they reach peak of said turmoil and smash a mirror.  Then they have a good stare at their disjointed reflection in the shattered glass, which is a metaphor for the mental state they're in, see?

And do we ever see them subsequently reach for the dustpan and brush and clear it up?  I think not! 

When I feel overcome by inner turmoil, I have a Kit-Kat.  It's not quite as dramatic, but you don't risk cutting your feet on broken glass either.

[Icehaven]

you rarely see anyone lock their cars in films neither.

It had never really occurred to me before until I was watching the also-ran late 60s thriller Nobody Runs Forever the other night, but there's a scene in which Rod Taylor gets a black cab, fishes money out of his pocket, counts it, waits for his change from the driver and only then does the cab drive off.  It has no relevance to anything that comes before or after but that short scene, with no accompanying soundtrack other than the cab's engine and other natural noise, made me realise how rarely you see that in films, the film cliche typically being character gets out without paying, cab speeds off.  I know it's not the only example, but it doesn't happen often.

It's probably already been mentioned in this thread but ending phonecalls without any valediction and just hanging up is another one of these.

[BeardFaceMan]

As a smoker, it pisses me off to see someone light up a fag, take a few puffs and then throw three quarters of the thing away. Wouldn't happen mate, fuck right off with that shit.

[EOLAN]

you rarely see anyone lock their cars in films neither.

Reminds me watching very old films (pre-WW2). Back then were people just able to hop into any car and start it off without any of their own keys? A getaway robbers paradise.

[Brundle-Fly]

If only dear old John was around that long - Wagons East was 94.

You're right! It came up as 2002 when I first Googled it. I thought he'd died in the mid nineties and maybe it was only until 2002 they released it.

[olliebean]

As a smoker, it pisses me off to see someone light up a fag, take a few puffs and then throw three quarters of the thing away. Wouldn't happen mate, fuck right off with that shit.

Have we done throwing guns away when they run out of bullets yet?

[bgmnts]

Have we done throwing guns away when they run out of bullets yet?

No that is really fucking cool.

[FredNurke]

Police Squad! did it best.

[Steven]

As a smoker, it pisses me off to see someone light up a fag, take a few puffs and then throw three quarters of the thing away. Wouldn't happen mate, fuck right off with that shit.

Have we done throwing guns away when they run out of bullets yet?

Solved.

[Dr Syntax Head]

In my experience if I use a torch (flashlight for our American cousins) in a dark room it tends to light up the entire room quite adequately. In films however you get a tiny little point of light with deep blackness everywhere else. This vexes me enough to ruin whole scenes for me.

[Sebastian Cobb]

In my experience if I use a torch (flashlight for our American cousins) in a dark room it tends to light up the entire room quite adequately. In films however you get a tiny little point of light with deep blackness everywhere else. This vexes me enough to ruin whole scenes for me.

That is what would happen if you took a photo of the room though. Of course they could use fill light, but still.

Do you get annoyed that film binoculars tend to look like this?

[Brundle-Fly]

The line, "You've got a nerve showing up here"

and this exchange:

"You're needed here".

"I'm coming with you, like it or not."

This happens in The Walking Dead almost every episode.

As does this.

Whenever the hero points a gun at a villain, count to ten and then you'll hear the sound of a gun being cocked out of shot as an armed henchperson steps out from the shadows/ from behind a car.

[thecuriousorange]

The Handmaid's Tale trotted out the old trope of two characters playing chess while having a battle-of-wits conversation.

[JesusAndYourBush]

Have we done throwing guns away when they run out of bullets yet?

Not just throwing the gun away, but throwing the gun at the person they were shooting at.  The bullets all missed him but maybe I can hit him with the gun itself!

[Dr Rock]

Tony Soprano says his dad used to say 'there's nothing more useless than an unloaded gun.' This is rubbish. You could hit someone with the hard metal gun instead of hurting your fists, or in a different situation you could bluff the gun was loaded for plenty of advantages.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

The character-often an older one-smiling in a benign, friendly way when watching some idyllic family scene at a distance.  I recall Chevy Chase sent this one up in one of his films, starting with him just looking on in the usual beatific way, until some very muscular character comes along and starts showing off his body, whereupon he rolls his eyes and looks disgusted; then a pretty girl in a bikini come along, and he stares with his eyes bulging out of his head.

[Kane Jones]

I recall Chevy Chase sent this one up in one of his films, starting with him just looking on in the usual beatific way, until some very muscular character comes along and starts showing off his body, whereupon he rolls his eyes and looks disgusted; then a pretty girl in a bikini come along, and he stares with his eyes bulging out of his head.

Close. It sounds like you're referring to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, where Chevy is staring out of the window and daydreaming about having a swimming pool. Suddenly Randy Quaid's character turns up in his daydream and spoils it for him, then the pretty girl who served him in the shop earlier is there wearing a red swimsuit. His reactions are as you described above.

[jobotic]

As a smoker, it pisses me off to see someone light up a fag, take a few puffs and then throw three quarters of the thing away. Wouldn't happen mate, fuck right off with that shit.

Except in Mr Jolly Lives Next Door. It's great in that.

[Icehaven]

The hero is either in a room with assailants fast approaching, or is being pursued and reaches an apparent dead end which is out of sight of the chasers but they're not far behind. Sometimes he's on the phone to an ally who's observing from elsewhere and warning ''They're nearly there, you need to get out now!!'', so he's looking around desperately trying to find a way out or hiding place. Then perspective switches to the chasers who have just arrived on the scene, and follows them as they burst in shouting ''Freeze!!/gotcha!!...'' but he's nowhere to be seen. Then the camera pans to him trying to breath hard quietly in his hiding place (air vent, window ledge, behind tree, up by the ceiling with arms and legs jammed against the walls) or to his unlikely escape route (massive hole in the wall, open window, over a cliff).