Top 11 Coolest Cliches

[InformationGeek]

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/24318-top-11-coolest-cliches

The critic guy made an interesting top 11 here.  While I cannot agree with all his choices, he still had a couple of good ones in there.  I just got to agree with the explosion one, that is one of my favorites, and he is right about standing in a line.  That always seems to look cool.

[ulthar]

Care post the LIST so I don't have watch the stupid flash?

[InformationGeek]

Care post the LIST so I don't have watch the stupid flash?

Fine, but you don't get the reason why they are picked.

11. Holding the gun sideways.
10. Crying with only shedding one tear.
9. The dark, hidden past of a character
8. Dramatic choir to make a scene more epic.
7. One on one with the final enemy, running towards each other from a distance.
6. Capes and clothing blowing in the wind.
5. Walking near an explosion without being harmed by it.
4. Shouting "NO!"
3. Evil laughter.
2. Walking or standing in a straight line.
1. Slow motion scenes.

[Chainsawmidget]

#11 almost always looks stupid and #9 is far over done. 

[ChaosTheory]

Hmmmmm, #7 is the only one I can honestly say I never get tired of.  The rest, well, it depends on how it's done.

This maybe doesn't count as a cliche but a device I usually enjoy is the end-credit gag reel.

[Flick James]

One they didn't mention is the "Odd couple" cliche. You see it all the time, frequently in cop movies, where two "oil and water" characters are forced together. It sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, never really gets old because it's a common plot device, but it's definately a cliche.

[claws]

Military drums whenever the Army is about to attack.

No wait, that belongs to "Annoying Cliches".

My personal fave is #1. Lucy Liu and the Crazy 88's slow-mo walk in Kill Bill ranks with the best.

[Conf]

Worst Annoying Clichè: waking up from a nightmare screamin'. Even more annoying when the nightmare itself was a scene involving a grisly death of the character.

[Trevor]

#11 almost always looks stupid

And dangerous too: my Dad once told me that if you fire a pistol or revolver like that you will most likely hurt or damage your hand. 

[Chainsawmidget]

Yeah, there's a decent chance the kick of the gun being held at that angle could break your wrist.  Plus the expended shell casing is is more likley to get caught or hit you when ejecting. 

And on top of all of that, you can't really aim it.  They put the sights on top for a reason.

[WingedSerpent]

#11 is really dumb. and its the one I really wish would go away.   Holding a gun like that doesn't make you look tough.  It makes you look like you are trying to look tough (and failing).  I forget the movie, but it has a hit man in it talking about how he advanced in crime because  he would hold a gun properly.  His competion would hold it sideways and would end up hiting everything and everyone except their target.  You want me to be sacred or intimedated?  Show me a person who really knows how to use a weapon.

#8.  I like this one.  I"m a sucker for a good dramatic choir like in the LOTR or other epic movies.  "Battle of the Fates" might be the one real saving grace of the Phantom Menace.

#7.  I've actually seen something like this in fencing matches.  Particular saber bouts.

and that's all I really have to say.

[The Gravekeeper]

11, 4, and 1 are all pretty annoying to me. Okay, he did show some clips where 4 worked out okay, but in most cases it's extremely narmy and sucks all the dramatic tension out of the moment.

11 just looks stupid and says to me that the character wants to look tough and doesn't know how to handle a gun properly.

1 just...ugh. It works when it's used sparingly at best throughout a movie for emphasis. When it's abused (eg - every few seconds in a fight) it can be very annoying and it takes away from things occuring in a scene that actually are important (a guy's cell phone getting knocked out of his hand generally isn't as important as the guy getting shot in the face).

[Jim H]

I've never thought #11 looked cool.  In fact, it looks stupid to me and always has. 

Not a bad list otherwise though.  Except for #1, which isn't a cliche.  Well, I guess you could argue it is - but then, so are zooms, ending credits, and stationary shots of people talking.  It's a film technique used for emphasis in various ways.  It's a tool, basically. 

Now, saying that the ramping used in 300 has become cliche - that I might agree with.  But that's a very specific technique.  Slow motion is too broadly used in too many different ways to be what I'd consider a cliche. 

[voltron]

The shot of a full moon in the opening credits.

[Skull]

#11 almost always looks stupid

And dangerous too: my Dad once told me that if you fire a pistol or revolver like that you will most likely hurt or damage your hand. 

Or miss the target and end up shooting some 10 year old kid across the street.

11. Holding the gun sideways.

Looks cute until the shooter breaks his/her wrist (which never happens in the movies) or shoots an innocent (which may happen in a drama gangbanger film)

10. Crying with only shedding one tear.

Typical and sometimes cool, depending on the story.

9. The dark, hidden past of a character

So typical I'm tired of it...

8. Dramatic choir to make a scene more epic.

Depends on the story... Often times it seems funny.

7. One on one with the final enemy, running towards each other from a distance.

Sometimes cool sometimes boring...

6. Capes and clothing blowing in the wind.

Agree very cool, it often looks really cool when the characters hair is blowing in the wind and they have a gun or sword in their hands... :)

5. Walking near an explosion without being harmed by it.

so 90's...

4. Shouting "NO!"

Not really, its only cool when the evil character pauses from their actions.

3. Evil laughter.

Yep, cool

2. Walking or standing in a straight line.

Cool if Bee Gees is singing in the background... Otherwise not.

1. Slow motion scenes.

I guess the movie guy has never seen... Prey (1978) there was nothing cool with the slow motion drowning scene... Often slow motions dont look cool.



Ok... My 11 cool cliches...


11... Hero b***hslaps the bad guy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87FnTqYqnO4

10... Wearing mirror sunglasses

9... randomly sing or dance (and the story isnt a musical)

8... saying the only F bomb (very rear find today)

7... caps, shirts and hair flapping in the wind

6... Evil laughter

5... Secret Agent dressed in a tux (besides James Bond)

4... Mexican Standoff (this is how Tarantino made his first millions and it still works even today)

3... Police hero that drives an nonstandard issue police car...



(from Cobra)

2... Lots of shooting (almost more then the gun can hold - Typical John Woo film)

1... The last words the hero tells the bad guy before the bad guy dies...