Worn Out Movie Scenes

[Bloodstone Pres]

So I was watching Minority Report recently. It was pretty good, BTW. However, there was a scene in it that made me roll my eyes. It also reminded me of a scene in Troy, which I haven't even seen. I have read the first half of the script for Troy and I know there is a scene in the beginning of that movie that makes my eyes roll, too.

So what are they?
1. In minority report (and dozens of other action movies, most notably in my mind is the Dirty Harry movies) there is a running fight/chase sequence where the "high action" of the chase is interspersed with SILLY situational comedy. The chase often takes the main characters across roof tops until the fall/jump through a skylight/window and interrupt some random people doing something silly. From here the chase usually runs next door, or downstairs to another equally random and silly group of people who do NOT react to the situation in the way real people would.
For example, when the cops chasing Tom Cruise fly into the apartment the woman can be heard saying "get out! what are you doing? are you crazy?" Stuff like that.
Now if cops, chasing a criminal, suddenly burst through your living room window right now and started grappling on the floor, what would you say and do?

2. In Troy there is a scene where Brad is sleeping. He's supposed to be with the army. But he's stayed behind and slept in. So they send a messenger to get him. The messenger sneaks into his tent, but Brad... er... Achilles... is such a great and keen warrior that he is already awake and feigning sleep. He is already aware of the intruder, and suddenly, without warning, his hand strikes out and catches the intruder in his vice like grip!! (cue dramatic music)

Yawn..

How many movies have I seen that scene in? God, save me from lame, hackneyed movie scenes.

Anyway, are there any hackneyed movie scenes that you've seen way too many times in way too many movies?

I'm not really trying to be negative here, just trying to find out what people are tired of seeing. Minority Report was a great movie, even with the lame chase scene.

 

[Solaar]

Hey, the sneaking up on the hero thing is nothing new, agreed.

But my favourite is High Plains Drifter, when one of the locals is sliding up behind golld ol' Clint.

Old gravel voice says without turning;

"You're gonna look awfully silly with that knife sticking outta ya ass."

Solaar
not turning round

 

[Archren]

In stupid weepy dramas, there is always the one scene where two characters have ONE conversation that somehow resolves all the issues that there ever were between them. They cry & then they're OK.

This especially bugs me because my sister seems to think that that is the way the world should work, and keeps trying to have that one, single, climactic conversation with various family members. Bah! The world is never, ever that simple.

 

[Monty Mike]

2. In Troy there is a scene where Brad is sleeping. He's supposed to be with the army. But he's stayed behind and slept in. So they send a messenger to get him. The messenger sneaks into his tent, but Brad... er... Achilles... is such a great and keen warrior that he is already awake and feigning sleep. He is already aware of the intruder, and suddenly, without warning, his hand strikes out and catches the intruder in his vice like grip!! (cue dramatic music)

That may have been a cliche scene, but I still loved the film

As for worn out scenes, hhmmmmm..... how about when a murderer (or bad guy) escapes, and is followed into an old warehouse/factory by the 'good guy'. Inside, it's all dark and spooky, yet the 'bad guy' decides to speak and there is a huge or small piece of dialogue (tends to be one of the extremes) that goes something like...

BG: "How commited you are detective"
GG: "I'm not here to play your games, (names character)"
BG: "Oh, what a shame.... then I guess I'll have to kill you.... (evil laugh)"
GG: "You'll never get away with this!"

Bad guy jumps out, shots are fired, and after a epic fight (yeah right), the bad guy is arrested. Then some cheesy twist is added, like it wasn't in fact him, but his mother..... (I don't know)

Anyway, you get the gist of it

 

[Shehzad]

A recent trend, popularized by Braveheart, shows the main character in front of the army giving an inspirational speech trying to rouse the army (repeated in Gladiator, Troy, Alexander, even in LotR). All too often, unfortunately, the speeches sound the same...

 

[MrBF1V3]

You mean all generals don't make those speeches before epic battles?

Have you ever noticed that in a movie, if somone goes to the grocery store, they always always have a french bread sticking up out of their bag?

Have you ever seen any of these characters eating this bread?

The one that really bugs me is the villian who won't die. You know after we're supposed to think he's dead, that he will be back for one more encore. I wonder if we're still supposed to jump?
B5

 

[Quagmire]

26 things movies have taught us

Dug this up from my inbox...

1) Large, loft-style apartments in New York City are well within the price range of most people--whether they are employed or not.

2) At least one of a pair of identical twins is born evil.

3) Should you decide to defuse a bomb, don't worry which wire to cut. You will always choose the right one.

4) Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communications system of any invading alien society.

5) It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts: your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

6) When you turn out the light to go to bed, everything in your bedroom will still be clearly visible, just slightly bluish.

7) If you are blonde and pretty, it is possible to become a world expert on nuclear fission at the age of 22.

8) Honest and hard-working policemen are traditionally gunned down three days before their retirement.

9) Rather than wasting bullets, megalomaniacs prefer to kill their arch enemies using complicated machinery involving fuses, pulley systems, deadly gasses, lasers and man-eating sharks, which will allow their captives at least 20 minutes to escape.

10) All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets that reach the armpit level on a woman, but only to waist level on the man lying beside her.

11) All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.

12) It's easy for anyone to land a plane, providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down.

13) Once applied, lipstick will never rub off--even while scuba diving.

14) You're very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you the make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

15) Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German or Russian officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language. A German or Russian accent will do.

16) The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

17) A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating, but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.

18) If a large pane of glass is visible, someone will be thrown through it before long.

19) If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises in their most revealing underwear.

20) Word processors never display a cursor on screen but will always say: "Enter Password Now."

21) Even when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the steering wheel vigorously from left to right every few moments.

22) All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they're going to go off.

23) A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

24) If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you meet will know all the steps.

25) Police departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned a partner who is their total opposite.

26) When they are alone, all foreign military officers prefer to speak to each other in English.

 

[MrBF1V3]

I was looking for that, I guess I erased mine. Thanks for finding a copy Quagmire.

You can add to #3, . . . unless you are the bad guy, then it is automatically explode, usually after to realize you cut the wrong wire and cry like a baby.

Also, I hate to even mention the movies where the kids are smart and level headed, and the adults are idiots.

This thread could last forever.
B5

 

[Monty Mike]

I've got to agree, this is a great thread

 

[Solaar]

Quagmire... you've done a bad thing. Ok everyone - match a film with the Quag's quotes!!!!

(1) Large, loft-style apartments in New York City are well within the price range of most people--whether they are employed or not.

Friends, or the Ring.

2) At least one of a pair of identical twins is born evil.

The Simpsons!

3) Should you decide to defuse a bomb, don't worry which wire to cut. You will always choose the right one.

The Abyss.

4) Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communications system of any invading alien society.

Uh..........

5) It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts: your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li... Bond!

6) When you turn out the light to go to bed, everything in your bedroom will still be clearly visible, just slightly bluish.

They.

7) If you are blonde and pretty, it is possible to become a world expert on nuclear fission at the age of 22.

Bond.

8) Honest and hard-working policemen are traditionally gunned down three days before their retirement.

Crap.

9) Rather than wasting bullets, megalomaniacs prefer to kill their arch enemies using complicated machinery involving fuses, pulley systems, deadly gasses, lasers and man-eating sharks, which will allow their captives at least 20 minutes to escape.

Bond, Bond and Bond. Oh, and Bond.

10) All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets that reach the armpit level on a woman, but only to waist level on the man lying beside her.

In the films I watch there are no sheets...

11) All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.

Something About Mary?

12) It's easy for anyone to land a plane, providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down.

Some suspect, bad disaster film.

13) Once applied, lipstick will never rub off--even while scuba diving.

*ahem* see question 10.

14) You're very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you the make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

Aliens V Predator.

15) Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German or Russian officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language. A German or Russian accent will do.

Great Escape.

16) The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

American Werewolf in Paris.

17) A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating, but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.

Bond? There's a whole lot of Bond around here...

18) If a large pane of glass is visible, someone will be thrown through it before long.

Ooooo... that's a Friday night down my high street. Or any Stallone film.

19) If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises in their most revealing underwear.

Scary Movie, which this list is pretty much a parody of. Or is that the other way round? Oh, and Playmate of the Apes.

20) Word processors never display a cursor on screen but will always say: "Enter Password Now."

Bond?

21) Even when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the steering wheel vigorously from left to right every few moments.

BOND!! BOND!! BOND!!

22) All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they're going to go off.

Mr Bond, I presume?

23) A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

Lethal Weapon. Oh, and License to Kill!

24) If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you meet will know all the steps.

Fame and California Man.

25) Police departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned a partner who is their total opposite.

Tango and Cash, Lethal Weapon. Cop and a Kid?

26) When they are alone, all foreign military officers prefer to speak to each other in English.

Bond.

Solaar
shaken, not stirred

 

[Quagmire]

4) Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communications system of any invading alien society.

This one refers to "Independence Day" I think.

3) Should you decide to defuse a bomb, don't worry which wire to cut. You will always choose the right one.
12) It's easy for anyone to land a plane, providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down.

Executive Decision

5) It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts: your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

Best example for me was "The Transporter." It's funny how the guy kicked the crap out of like 14 guys with guns in a fight yet can't do anything against an old man with a small pistol.
"He was a bastard. But he was still my father."

 

[Shehzad]

4) Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communications system of any invading alien society.

Only if they run Windows 98. XP won't work, the aliens haven't decided to upgrade yet.

 

[Eurytus]

Its not so much that the Laptops are powerful enough to do it.
Its the fact that they have compatible operating systems and a cable that can connect to the Alien computer.

Is USB a true galaxy wide standard?

 

[MrBF1V3]

You know, when Bruce Lee (fill in character of your choice) is surrounded by guys, politely dancing around waiting their turn, and the first guy jumps in, get beat, the second guy, same. What kind of moron is that third guy? Does he really think he can do any better? He needs to pull an Indiana Jones and pull out a gun. Are these not bad guys?

You can almost excuse this same fight scene in the Warriors, with the Baseball Furies because you really don't want to be fighting in close quarters with another guy who is also swinging a baseball bat. That can really be painful.

Whole new subject:
Where the bad guy cut the wrong wire on the bomb, which by the way, did have a wonderful large readout so we could see when the thing would go off, was Soldier.

B5

 

[kahnovitch]

Here's a typical scenario;

One person in a close group of friends (generally late teens) is trying desperately to explain to the rest of his buddies that he saw:

a) alien being/ ufo landing
b) freaky mutated monster that was the result of a secret govt experiment.
c) a murder commited by a long dead serial killer/ boogeyman returned from the grave.
d) vampire/werewolf/demon.

Having known this guy since he was a fetis, none of his closest, dearest, friends believe a word he says.
Despite the fact he

a) is covered in sweat and blood.
b) is wearing tatters for clothes
c) has recent fleshwounds
d) is completely terrifed and quite likely done number 1's and possibly 2's in his pants in the last 5 minutes.

 

[saintjon]

Nick Cage makes some stupid ridiculous gesture some impulse told him would look cool. (Gone in 60 Seconds had a beautiful example of this)

They haven't trotted this one out in a while but: hero runs into foreground while world explodes behind him.

Confronted by a brandished gun in the hands of some loser, hero recklessly screams "Go ahead and shoot me!" followed by pulling himself tight to gun or something like that.

Poorly written dialogue expects us to believe things that just aren't true. See remark about Vin Diesel's character in Fast and the Furious that he is "complicated"

Ugly people are all screwed up or mental in some way. Or Evil.

If there is a master, he must die at some point.

If some character gets wounded and the narrative abandons him he will return at some point to severely mess with the bad guy's sh!t.

Big McClintok with John Wayne was like on terrible, poorly thought out scene after another.

Teen Movies. they just suck so bad.

Skinny women. What the hell is with all the skinny women? I loved old School, but come on Elisha Cuthbert was the only woman with an ounce of meat on her, and she's pretty slight herself!

 

[kahnovitch]

Skinny women. What the hell is with all the skinny women?

Without going into too much detail I'll just say "Tough Chicks" . I hate 'em.

Specially the pouty ones with the collagen lips or the ex-models who can't act, or the.....

must stop now.
Berserker rage rising.

 

[saintjon]

I"m pretty sure the Caber Toss was invented for venting such rages (not to mention the wonderful sport of Lacrosse)

 

[Eurytus]

The idea that Martial Arts star plus Hip Hop star equals box office gold.

Additionally the idea tha fight scenes require house music or similar to work.

 

[kahnovitch]

I"m pretty sure the Caber Toss was invented for venting such rages (not to mention the wonderful sport of Lacrosse)

Yes indeed!
Now we have cinemas full of "venting" teenage boys! LOL!

Edited to add that I hate comedy side-kicks for real "hardman" characters.

Judge Dredd and "Fergie" . The only Fergie in Dredd was a simpleton, man mountain with a baseball bat.

Conan had that annoying little weasel-faced dude in "The Destroyer"