I found this awesome and often hilarious glossary on
www.rogerebert.com.
It's a glossary that contains over 500 entries and is a must read for any film buff.
GO HERE to read through them all.
It will only display so many entries per page so it may take you awhile to go through them.
You won't mind though...it's that good!
Some favorites of mine are:
Always Use the Valet ParkersAnyone who walks through a parking garage will be physically assaulted.
Auto Death KnellIf a character dies in a car crash, he will do so in a way that causes the horn to blare continuously.
Bad Guy Credentials DemoIn any movie where the villain is a really, really bad guy, whose dysfunction and malice transcend that of the ordinary evildoer, he establishes that fact early in the film by coldly killing one of his own men. (See Darth Vader, many Bond villains, Russian Mafia leader in "The Jackal," etc.)
Because It's Called Sound Effects RuleIn real life, when someone hangs up the phone on you, you hear a click and then silence (about 30 seconds of dead air before an obnoxious reorder tone). In the movies, when someone hangs up at the other end, you get a new dial tone immediately.
Leaky Specimen Tank PhenomenonIn all films dealing with science, whenever a big glass tube is displayed, there is a small column of bubbles rising to the surface. These bubbles, which might indicate to a scientist that there was a small hole in the bottom of the tube, are employed to prove to the audience that the container holds fluid, and to add atmosphere.
Crazy Collage Syndrome Psychotic stalkers sublimate their destructive impulses by creating a collage of newspaper clippings, candid photos and charcoal sketches of their victims. This collage is glued to the wall of the stalker's one-room apartment, to be found by police officers bursting in just after the stalker has fled.
Female Voice Of Destruction If the auto-destruction feature is activated at a secret base or spaceship, the countdown is always announced by a female voice. See "Aliens,""Sphere," James Bond movies, etc...
Gauntlet Chalk TalkThe protagonists need to break into an Impregnable Fortress, for a heist or a rescue. Before embarking on their quest, one of the characters will describe all of the hazards on the way to their goal in a voice-over while the camera swoops through the gauntlet of sensors, traps, and guards they must somehow bypass.
Dapper Demon RuleSatan is always impeccably dressed in the movies, with suits, silk ties, expensive shoes. He never wears jeans and T-shirts. Sandals, shorts and a tank top would better fit the heat of the underworld.
and my all time favorite....
Harrison Ford Situational Reassessment Doubletake Scene where Harrison Ford chases a small number of bad guys. He then stops suddenly, his expression changes to one of shock, and he runs back the way he came, as we see that the bad guys have been joined by a large number of reinforcements. (See "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.)
Great stuff!
What do you think of this glossary?
What are a few of your favorite entries in it?
Post Edited (09-17-04 06:04)