Posted a while back about disaster movie cliches, so I thought I'd revisit that with a tighter focus. We've been on a tornado movie kick lately, with the following recent viewings:
TWISTER
INTO THE STORM
F6: TWISTER (aka CHRISTMAS TWISTER)
DEVIL WINDS
We'll add some others soon, too.
Between these and some other recent viewings, such as DAY AFTER TOMORROW, we are seeing the trends in 'weather disaster movie cliches.' Thought it was a joke at first, but really, it now strikes me as some sort of "rule."
"If you want to write a weather related disaster movie, the following must be at least mentioned or included:"
- The Jet Stream
- Global Warming / Climate Change
- Hook Echo on radar (at least if a tornado movie)
- Super storm, or some similar superlative descriptor
- Past or present marital problem(s) for the 'hero'
- Storm chaser(s) / meteorologist(s) must have uncanny ability to 'sense' storms / tornadoes
- Corporate greed elements must be present
- Golf ball (or bigger) sized hail
- "They had no warning!"
- A dog (usual, but not required)
- Early 20's, teen or even pre-teen does something heroic; maybe more than one (usual but not always)
- At least one main or secondary character gets trapped / pinned
- At least one automobile must get airborn
- At least one main character is 'driven' by past event wherein a family member was lost in tornado/storm
- At least one scene where main characters hide from tornado under a bridge or in a small tunnel
Any I missed?
There you go. Wanna write a tornado movie? That's the formula...or at least a big chunk of it.