Movie cliches that need to die

Obligatory car won't start when killer is 20 feet away

Terrible aim with guns in action movies

What else is there? Name some, guys.

The star of the movie always winning and getting his way, yawn.

Black person being the first to die.

Does that still happen a lot?

And are you referring to lame deaths or are you also including those scenes where the badass black dude stays behind fighting/holding off impossible odds, letting everyone escape (thus saving them all) and then not being able to escape himself? Because I think those are kinda cool. I see them as "black dude saves them all" rather than "black dude dies first".

Agreed.

Also, I'd like to see everyone and everything perish in disaster movies. I hate when the disaster is stopped near the end of the movie. Let it take everything out, damn it!

The Russians,Chinese,Muslims being the scum of the earth in the action ones.

The the hero kissing the squeeze at the end of the movie, in the dramatic/romantic ones.

I really liked a writing advice I got a few years back. The discussion was about conflict and the guy (professional writer said) "The main thing you need to remember is that your character set out to accomplish a certain goal--AND HE DOESN'T GET IT. I don't even call it setback, I like to call it disaster."

I was already laughing at this point but then he said that when you write a setback (or disaster =P) you have 4 options on whether the character achieve his goals.

1) Yes - the "boring, NEVER use it" option

2) Yes...but... - It's the "kind of...end result was ok, but something went wrong"

3) NO - So much for that plan...

4) (And his personal favourite) NO! And furthermore... - Not only did the plan went wrong but the character actually managed to make things worse for everyone else.

Most of my writing consists of 3 and 4 (it's so bloody fun to write) with an occasional 2 when I think the character got whipped enough. Don't think I ever finished a book with 1, sometimes 2, and a sometimes deliciously perverse 4 (although I think you need to be careful not to bum your readers out...it only works in some types of book) XD

My apologies if I bored anyone with the writing rant =)

These in addition to unrealistic and dumb car chase scenes and obligatory massive explosions that the protagonist always seems to miraculously survive.

God movies have become so fucking stagnant and predictable.

Also, it would be such a refreshing change of pace for the villain to win every once in a while. It would reintroduce the element of surprise and suspense to movies.

American Heroes becoming Hero in Asian movies while asian guys all evil and asian girls ready to have sex with Americans ( The Wolverine , The Last Samurai, 47 Ronin ETC ) =P

1. Obligatory 'merica hero. Because. Just.

2. Obligatory black sidekick friend "yo dawg, dawmmmm this shit is wack!" "oh hells yea's, I gots ta gets me one of these".

3. 20 something chizzled chin baby face hero.

I think a good example of this is probably Pacific Rim. Idris Elba. Aside from being black and British, he was also older. His back story and link to the female lead, as well as his climax was a million times more interesting than (whatever his face is). He's also just a plain better screen presence. Why couldn't that movie just be that? Instead of white American hansom man who's name I can't remember.

the whole love conquers all crap for it srsly makes me puke.

This topic is legendary. I hereby declare my assent to everything that has been said so far. And yes this love conquers all folly makes me sick to my stomach.

1.Black dude gets threesome action (Black,white,asian) , beats bad white guys as US prez. - Black Dynamite

2.Black guy fvcking kills each and every bad white guy ( Including bad white women ) - Django Unchained

3.Black guy fvcking kills each and every vampire and saves the world - Blade

Times've changed , no more a black dude is just a bad guy or needs to die first.They should make more movies with black guys as protagonist ... imo :)

@indzman: I remember watching Blade and thinking "We definitely need more Wesley Snipes Hero Goodness in movies" =P

I hope we won't get dissapointed with The Expendables 3. After a long time this bad mofo is back with a bang lol.

@indzman: Haven't seen either of the Expendables movies. Seems to me like just throwing in way too many "big names" (most of which I don't care for) and hope for the best. But if Snipes is going to be there I'll give it a try.

Nice , you like snipes ? Me too, he got a kickass attitude as Vin Diesel. You might try checking out both Expendables , got some really funny quotes ( Specially Chuck Norris Intro ) lol. Kinda time pass action movies series , if not great Heh.

@indzman: Will do, thanks =)

Anti-heroes almost always being badass, alcoholic recluses that during the course of a film turn into a good citizen. Make a real anti hero, a real **** of a man that just does something for his own good.

Well he was in jail.....not going to making movies while there. The Expendable franchise isn't really good though.

I don't have much problem with most cliches. If the scenes are well done and the characters are like able, then I don't mind an old cliche here or there.

The problem is that a true anti-hero is very hard to relate to, so most films have them become softer and close to a hero otherwise more often than not you don't really give a crap what happens to him/her (I'm guilty of the same thing).

@BluRayHiDef: It didnt happen in elysium. and thar brotha wasnt even an important character. I tell ya. That Neil Blomkamp knows what he's doing.

Don't expect much but some bad acting by Stallone and explosions.

@LJS9502_basic: Sadly, bad acting and explosions is what I came to expect from any action movies nowadays...On the bright side, sometimes that leaves me pleasantly surprised after a movie, but not often...

That the bulk of the general public judges a film based on the modern take on film--especially acting.

...Modern film "reviews" are the absolute worst thing in the industry.

1. Enemies saying a little monologue before finishing someone off with their weapon. (Because YOU KNOW he's not going to get that last shot off. That 5 seconds of telling someone why he did whatever heinous act up to this moment is enough to allow someone else to interrupt and take him out instead.)

2. Cars exploding in flames after every accident. (In all of my time watching news in real life, never have I ever seen a car explode on impact.)

3. Guys getting the living shit kicked out of them and walk away with only a bloody eyebrow to show for it. No swelling, no broken jaw, no concussion, just a little cut above the eye. (Wow, must've been some fight!)

When someone trips they fall to the ground and rather then getting back up straight away they decide to crawl instead.

Women going to bed with full makeup on and hair done like they just came from a wedding reception....and waking up looking exactly the same way.

Also, men and women waking up in bed together in the morning with no fear of having "morning breath". (Like, yeah just talk right in her face and then proceed to make out with that perfect breath of yours)

I thought the protagonist would get rescued in Spellbinder. The ending surprised me when I first watched it.

I don't think that's what this thread is about. Anyway the general public tends to follow what they are told to follow...ie critics rave and everyone goes to see the movie. People need to be led. That is why entertainment is so poor be it movies, music, hell even games.

Everyone knows Expendables franchise is not good , but its good time pass for action fans.Personally i like it :)

I never really paid much attention to Stallone and Schwarzenegger but these films def showed me they suck at action.

@jasean79: Haha, damn man, you just gave me the lol of the week :DDD

I think that it is, because its what a lot of bad movie cliches stem from.

I think they stem from a lack of creativity....

Well they do, but when so much money is involved and one flick may do something right, others are bound to copycat. I agree though, there's an enormous lack of creativity on all film fronts--even the indie scene, if we can still call it that.

just like real life :P

on topic: in any alien invasion movie when an obviously stupendously more technologically advanced civilization is defeated by some guy who happens to figure out they actually have a ridiculous weakness that can wipe them all out.

Jumping through a window without getting a scratch.

In action/thriller/horror films, a person isn't truly dead unless explicitly shown dying on-screen. If the scene is cut before the supposed demise, we know he/she escaped death.

The villain has a chance to kill the hero, but can't keep himself from trying to say something witty or planning an elaborate death trap, giving the hero a chance to counter-attack or escape.

In superhero films, law enforcement and the military are useless and incompetent.

An animal (usually a dog) is shown to make a miraculous escape in a disaster.

Anything involving a national flag being shown gratuitously.

Henchmen with bad aim (aka Stormtrooper effect)

watever ... lol ...

ALL SALVADORIANS IN MOVIES ARE HOUSE CLEANERS

>:-(

-People always fumbling with the keys to open the car door while being chased by someone intending to impose harm on them (Umm...it's modern technology. Most cars come equipped with a remote key entry. Use it while you're running to your car, so when you get there - BAM! The car door is open)

-Guys will get the living shit kicked out of them and not bat an eye...BUT wince when someone puts alcohol on their wounds to clean them.

-Anytime a change of wardrobe is required the outfits will always be a perfect fit.

Probably the cliche of the hero kicking butt up to this point only to be wounded or some how handicapped right before facing the final antagonist..

Horror movies, all of them. The typical "lets split up so we can cover more ground which gives the killer a way to kill us one by one" is a common one.

-Character slowly walks away from an explosion with a neutral look on his face, trying to look cool, totally oblivous to the damage the noise must make to his ears and totally oblivious to the shrapnel that could tear him to shreds. I mean you would at least look at the explosion or you would take cover, for God's sake.

-People with grevious wounds always have something important or heartfelt to say right before they buy the farm.

-After a brutal beating characters will have no facial wounds/bruises and show no pain. Take this scene in Desperado. Guy takes about 20 punches and kicks to the face and nothing. It's such a bizarre lack of attention to detail.

1. "Good" vampires - can't they just be evil without all the angst or sparkles?

2. The guy with the most reason to live (pregnant wife/getting married/buying a house or whatever) always dies first.

3. No matter HOW ugly/chunky the guy is - eventually he gets the gorgeous girl of his dreams because she realizes how great a guy he is. Yeah, like THAT really happen!

-The cops always show up AFTER they're needed. (Like, well, you just missed a bloody massacre - thanks for showing up when you did, otherwise you might've been able to intervene and save lives. Glad our taxes are paying for your awesome response time!)

-Everything about the movie "The Marine"

Shit I'm perfectly fine with wish fulfillment as we're all going to kick the bucket with a high unlikeliness of getting to experience the glorious victories of hero protagonist. Im just sick of western films making it look so goddamn easy!

1. supposely 'trained' armed henchmen or cops that cant check a fucking corner to save their lives. ( only in detective shows and horror flicks during the 'clarice starling' suspense moments' )

seriously. Dexter Morgan could just camp and go on a cuthroat and stabbing spree with little effort in these urban cat & mouse scenes.

2. fightin protagonists that make it look too easy. and its mostly western films guilty of this. I see more eastern martial arts flicks where the protag wins and looks like they got the everlovin shit kicked outta them. Im not sayin the dudes cant have their fun but balance out the punishment hollywood eh?!

3. destiny used as a cop out in hero tales.

The fictional battlefield is a meritocracy. Or should at least try to look like one. Brains struggle and strife are important to show too. Thats why that whole damn justice leagues afraid of Batman. Self made, no powers and he knows how to kill ALL of them.

@jasean79: Don't know if you were ever in a fight where you actually felt like you were in danger. At those times you're practically swimming with pain blockers. Hell, even if you're not in danger...where we were kids me and a friend would sharpen some sticks and "fight" (yeah, bad idea). One time he stabbed me on the belly with it like 7cm deep and I felt nothing until 3 hours later because we were so euphoric.

As for the cringing later on when you're getting your wounds clean, I personally don't; martial arts gave me a high pain threshold, but I know a lot of people who do, especially if it takes a while for them to get around to cleaning the wound, and they didn't complain when they hurt themselves. (You get a cut on a finger, say "damn it" and move on, you let it infect and then bang it somewhere and tell me it's not more painful XD)

Oh, and none of my cars ever had a remote key XD