Underused tropes in fiction, TV & film

[SpookyFrank]

We know you're in a hurry, but there's no way you're leaving the car all wonkily herringboned in the vague direction of the kerb, with its arse hanging out into the road, and not even locked - not in that area at that time of the night. Might as well have a couple attempts at a parallel park and use the time for a bit of a think before you rush in. And don't forget to turn the radio down whilst you reverse.

Final scene of the Sopranos is mostly just Meadow trying to parallel park. It's ridiculously tense, just because it's something you never see on TV. They wouldn't just show someone painstakingly parking their car unless something was about to happen, right?

 

[T & P]

There should be more science fiction in which aliens arrive but they don't speak perfect American English and nobody can ever figure out what the fuck they're saying

Them landing on any of the other 250-odd nations on Earth for a change would also be a welcome twist.

 

[WouldBe]

There should be more science fiction in which aliens arrive but they don't speak perfect American English and nobody can ever figure out what the fuck they're saying

Close encounters of the third kind.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Final scene of the Sopranos is mostly just Meadow trying to parallel park. It's ridiculously tense, just because it's something you never see on TV. They wouldn't just show someone painstakingly parking their car unless something was about to happen, right?

Some of the worst parking committed to screen was in Columbo






It was basically a huge empty car park when those cars arrived and none of them managed to get even remotely close to inside the lines of the generously-girthed bays

 

[Sue]

Some of the worst parking committed to screen was in Columbo

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It was basically a huge empty car park when those cars arrived and none of them managed to get even remotely close to inside the lines of the generously-girthed bays

But it was Columbo so...

 

[T & P]

The police are not always completely fucking useless when processing murder scenes, and any assassins who don’t bother to wear gloves on a hit, and in addition willingly leave multiple DNA traces when choosing to drink from the victim’s fast food drink cup straw or taking a bite out of a cheeseburger, will soon be identified and caught. Yes, I’m looking at you, Pulp Fiction.

 

[belboid]

Characters go to a good party, take ecstasy, have a great time, go home and nothing bad happens.

young people go to a shit party, its kinda dull and no one cops off with anyone

 

[belboid]

Some of the worst parking committed to screen was in Columbo

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It was basically a huge empty car park when those cars arrived and none of them managed to get even remotely close to inside the lines of the generously-girthed bays

it was empty! no one cares.

Dont you dare criticise the man in the mac

 

[scifisam]

The police are relieved when the FBI demands to take over their case. They also often say no to "everyone's gonna have to work all night/weekend/any time I tell them to" type demands because they have childcare responsibilities, legal rights to time off and just don't want to work ten days in a row.

 

[T & P]

Characters go to a good party, take ecstasy, have a great time, go home and nothing bad happens.

Alternatively, American high school students have a house party and nobody calls the police simply because there might be underage teenagers drinking alcohol. Or even if some snitch neighbour does, the cops rightly decide they definitely have far bigger fish to fry of a Friday night than bust a bunch of kids for the grand crime of underage drinking.

 

[T & P]

One more before I hit the sack; whenever the protagonist is having a fight to the death with the main villain in the climax of a film, the police reinforcements actually arrive five minutes before one of them kills the other for a change, rather than five minutes after the fact.

The villain shouldn’t have left it so late in the first place if their ultimate plans included escaping as well as killing the protagonist anyway, as in most cases they would still be caught even if they prevail in the fight.

 

[Raheem]

There should be tropes about people needing a shit.

No-one ever seems to need a shit in books, films, TV etc. You'll never hear a flushing sound on a Beatles record. Even worse in video games.

 

[belboid]

There should be tropes about people needing a shit.

No-one ever seems to need a shit in books, films, TV etc. You'll never hear a flushing sound on a Beatles record. Even worse in video games.

Pulp Fiction notably contradicts you

 

[DaveCinzano]

There should be tropes about people needing a shit.

No-one ever seems to need a shit in books, films, TV etc. You'll never hear a flushing sound on a Beatles record. Even worse in video games.

This just isn't true these days. I have folders full of literally hundreds of screengrabs of people pissing and shitting in TV and films.

 

[mojo pixy]

People’s motives for doing whatever they do are unexamined and inexplicable, both to themselves and to others.

<dadaism intensifies>

 

[Raheem]

Pulp Fiction notably contradicts you

The excretion that proves the rule.

So, while it may not be unprecedented, it remains a trope to be.

 

[krtek a houby]

Needs to be a Tarantino film where the main characters discuss QTs use of the n-word as to whether it's appropriate. Uma Thurman walks into the scene dressed as Jerry Seinfeld and says "and what's the deal with feet, do we really need to see closeups of my feet in his film?"

Funky 90s bass outro.

 

[quimcunx]

Wives 15 years older than their husbands. Hell, wives the same age as their husbands.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Wives 15 years older than their husbands. Hell, wives the same age as their husbands.

The wife complains about the husband's behaviour and the husband stops and thinks for a second and says fuck me your right I was being a massive arsehole, what do you think we should do?

 

[krtek a houby]

Home owner is scolded by friend/neighbour/random for leaving front door key under the welcome mat/potted plant/brick.

They are in complete agreement and exclaim "what the actual hell was I thinking?!"

 

[QueenOfGoths]

On a slight tangent but after seeing the most recent Godzilla/Kong film(alright, a bit rubbish but fun) we had a long discussion about why and which historical monuments get destroyed in films ie the White House, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben are always popular destructees

I'd kind of like to see Stonehenge being blasted by aliens. Or Windsor Castle. Or Blackpool Tower. Just for a change.

 

[cyberfairy]

Someone just coughs because they have a bit of a cough and don't die.

 

[Yossarian]

The protagonists win a climactic battle at great cost to their own side, and spend the rest of the film dealing with overwhelming grief and PTSD

That one's inspired by my son, who was 5 or 6 when he saw the first Star Wars film and was very confused at how Luke etc. were so happy at the victory ceremony so soon after losing many comrades in the Death Star battle

 

[Ted Striker]

The protagonists win a climactic battle at great cost to their own side, and spend the rest of the film dealing with overwhelming grief and PTSD

That one's inspired by my son, who was 5 or 6 when he saw the first Star Wars film and was very confused at how Luke etc. were so happy at the victory ceremony so soon after losing many comrades in the Death Star battle

(Like Barnes Wallis, in Dambusters)

 

[cyberfairy]

People with poorly paid jobs don't live in massive spotless London houses worth upwards of a million pounds.

 

[Sue]

People with poorly paid jobs don't live in massive spotless London houses worth upwards of a million pounds.

See also NY appartments.

 

[planetgeli]

I'd kind of like to see Stonehenge being blasted by aliens. Or Windsor Castle. Or Blackpool Tower. Just for a change.

You still believe in Blackpool tower? We debunked that one months ago.

 

[cyberfairy]

See also NY appartments.

Friends was a classic for that.

 

[cyberfairy]

The female in a book does not have wild uncontrollable hair that is also beautiful.. Nor does she 'pad' around.

 

[Orang Utan]

People with poorly paid jobs don't live in massive spotless London houses worth upwards of a million pounds.

The last place I lived in London was like that. Shame I had to move back to Leeds, cos I can never go back now.