Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Never buy butcher block knife-holders! HIDE those knives in drawers! Otherwise, everyone (Michael Myers, etc.) will have a handy dandy weapon to pin you to the wall with.
THERE'S SOMEBODY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! I've been trying to find out how far back this goes. Even Asian films have it! It can be a real person, a ghost, a deer, whatever, but it will show up in the middle of the road day or night.
When the bulb burns out in the basement, forget about going there!
The above sort of goes with the impulse to check out noises. Also, people come home to an obviously broken-into apartment or house, and they go inside to look around! If they hear a noise, THEN they try to escape! Police always caution people that, if the door is open or something looks awry, get in your car (checking that backseat if you were stupid enough to leave the door unlocked) and drive somewhere safe!
BTW: People criticize people fumbling with keys and dropping them. If a bad person/monster was after me, I definitely would be a fumbler/dropper! Also, I'd be a stumbler/faller if I was being pursued, no matter how slow the pursuer (ex. Jason) is! When you're frightened, your body wants to shake and your legs get wobbly. So, I get it when they fumble and stumble.
As for the squawling cats: Cats wouldn't make that sound unless somebody yanked tails! Cats might just jump out at you soundlessly, but they do not *MWORRRR*! The "jump sound" actually is called a "bus" after Val Lewton's "Cat People". The heroine in danger is walking along the sidewalk at night when she hears rustling branches and looks up, fearing the jealous leopard-lady is attacking. Just as the tension hits a high note, a bus pulls into the picture, the driver hitting the brakes, obviously making the audience jump. Since then, that sudden, startling sound has been referred to as a bus or the bus. Occasionally, they'll throw in lunging, barking, growling dog. One good moment is in "The Howling", when they're exploring the serial killer's room in the city. Good one=}
Whenever people need to make a trip in a hurry, no matter what their finances, they have the money to hop aboard a plane. I found this very confusing as far back as the TV movie "Eric". The family was in financial difficulties, but they could head to the airport to go wherever was necessary. Now, everyone does not have a credit card with the available funds to do this! Also, everyone can take off from work and not worry about having a job when s/he gets back.
People say what they are typing/writing. I notice this especially with computers, whether in "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (to name one) or TV series. Now, I've argued with a stubborn computer, and that's OK and believable. But, I've never spoken aloud the words I'm typing. Sometimes, they say one thing and type something else.
When I was a waitress and someone threw money on the table and ran out, I'm sure we would send someone after them or at least yell at them! Yet, I constantly see people throw down cash, even when they haven't received a ticket yet.
It's amazing how often people order drinks and/or food then never bother even tasting it. Someone sips the liquor then leaves a nearly full glass to hurry away. Do people really do that? I don't eat out much, but I did have to waitress, and I never saw anyone get up and leave a meal untouched. I suppose if there is an emergency... Yet, in movies/TV, it's often because they're upset. It just seems odd. Now, Humphrey Bogart interrupted by the cop in "Dark Passage" is believable; he's obviously too nervous even to drink coffee without nearly spilling it and finally agrees to go fetch the required ID (a fakeout move).
Do people REALLY have passionate sex on stairs?! My mom and I always laugh about this, as it is shown far too often. It goes with "We're so passionate and lustful, we can't even make it to the bedroom!"
A family of two or three people live in a large, two-story house and obviously never worry about taxes or upkeep. Whether it's a Lifetime movie, theatrical film or TV series, seemingly average people, especially widowed mothers/grandmothers, live in a gigantic house with many stairs but no hired help. It's as crazy as people having those amazing apartments in the city, which was mentioned previously.
Pets have a short lifespan in horror and thriller movies.
Why do people have to perform so many bodily functions on-camera and sometime ON the camera?! This is a fairly recent trend though Jane Fonda did use the bathroom while the camera was on her in "Fun with Dick and Jane" (1977) and we sort of see Treat Williams' hippie relieve himself in "Hair". It used to be that we might hear "upchucking". Now, you have to SEE it! Once, I switched channels after the leading lady had vomited several times, only to be in time to see someone else do it, with the camera aimed up from the bottom of the toilet bowl! SHEESH!
As the hero or villain, mainly the former, walks away, there is a gigantic, billowing explosion. The h/v is not knocked off his/her feet and is not hit by shards from the explosion. Generally, the walk-away is in slow motion, with hands in fists, and a brooding expression. Hearing also doesn't seem to be affected. This seems to be a product of CGI because, in older films relying on pyrotechnics, the effects of even an arranged explosion do seem to have a physical effect; most of the time, they "hit the dirt".
Yes, I've always loved the run-out-of-bullets-throw-the-gun bit. Another we notice is the toss-away-the-dry-canteen. Hey! You might find water later!
As sure as explorers find an ancient temple or other structure, they'll flee later as the centuries-old site crumbles into picturesque ruin. Islands sink, volcanos erupt, etc., as in "Son of Kong", "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1959), "The Lost World" (1925 & 1960), "Mackenna's Gold", "Congo", the Indiana Jones films, the Lara Croft movies, and more. Generally, someone will get away with diamonds, gold, dinosaurs, whatever.
Anyone fleeing from some horror who reaches the safety of their car will discover that it will not start right away, but will start at precisely the point where the horror has caught up with the refugees.
People standing by a car have a nice chat, then one walks away as the other gets in the car, closes the door, turns the key and *BLAM* CAR BOMB! This is incredibly predictable. Sometimes, I wait for it to happen even in movies in which it seems unlikely~and it DOES happen! I know of only one TV movie in which the bomb wasn't massively destructive, and that story was based on real-life events. Otherwise, it occurs with predictable regularity.
Is every other person in the country in the Witness Protection Program?! There seem to be more dramas than comedies, but it's so common that, each time a person seems evasive, I wait for the WPP to be mentioned.
Girl wakes up in guy's bed after one night stand, and effortlessly removes sheet to wrap around her like a toga....while ripping it out from being tucked and between other blankets, comforters, etc.
Girl wakes up in guy's bed after one night stand, and effortlessly removes sheet to wrap around her like a toga....while ripping it out from being tucked and between other blankets, comforters, etc.
Puleeez!
I do find it humorous that a couple has supposedly just had sex, and suddenly the woman can't bear to have her skin exposed.
Girl wakes up in guy's bed after one night stand, and effortlessly removes sheet to wrap around her like a toga....while ripping it out from being tucked and between other blankets, comforters, etc.
Puleeez!
Hehe I saw this the other day and the sheet was conveniently beach towel sized and slid right out
^^^^ That's always a good one! ...Or a car door being blown off by a shotgun.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
