Annoying Trends and Clichés

    Since Hollywood became the center of the movie production industry at the beginning of the twentieth century, several distinct formulas for making a successful movie have developed. Within these formulas are countless clichés that have proven to be successful in building suspense, making viewers laugh, or drawing attention. Writers, directors, and producers have shown that they have no qualms when it comes to shamelessly repeating these overused trends. I've created a list below of 17 trends that I think viewers have had enough of.

1. Cell phones dying at the least opportune of moments, or having no signal, ever (most commonly found in thrillers and horror movies)

2. People walking away from massive explosions without flinching or suffering any injury

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 3. Movies based on boardgames or toys: Battleship, Transformers, G.I. Joe (soon we'll be seeing previews for Chutes and Ladders: The Movie)

4. "Home footage" movies that use a constantly-shaking camera

5. All conflict being solved as soon as the lead villain is killed, or the mothership is destroyed, etc.

6. Having every villain be intimidating/ugly/deformed/anything other than a normal-looking human

7. These villains explaining their master plan to the hero before attempting to kill them

8. Every movie being released in 3D

9. Vampire movies (We're embarrassing ourselves; what will future generations say about our vampire obsession?)

10. The hero having perfect aim while the villain and his henchmen are all terrible shots, using up thousands of bullets

11. Characters trying to escape a killer or some other danger and dropping their keys or finding that
their vehicle won't start (again, most common in horror films)

12. Turning cartoons into realistic movies (Scooby-Doo, Garfield, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Smurfs)

13. The hero saving the villain at the end, apparently forgetting that he has been trying to kill him for the majority of the story

14. "Let's split up, even though there's a killer after us and our chances of survival are much better as a group," or "Let's check out that creepy house/abandoned asylum."

15. Johnny Depp wearing white makeup (there's no way it's a coincidence)

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16. Injured characters refusing medical attention at the end of the movie, despite gunshot wounds or worse

17. Characters dying just before they are able to share important information: "The code to stop the bomb is.. is..."

 

     

     Unfortunately for audiences, these clichés are not likley to fade from movies, as today's writers and directors frequently rip off entire plots, let alone small trends. It appears that we will have to suffer through this period of unoriginality, but Hollywood, would it kill you to end just these few?