Never again

[J.R.]

If you had the power to stop any type of movie plots or lame cliches from being used again, what would they be? Mine-

Any story involving an artist, musician, aristocrat or anyone else coping with the oppression of WWII-era Europe. It was an oppressive time, we get it.

A boy and his dog. 400 versions is enough.

Little British girls in horror movies saying "ominous" things that come out sounding plain silly. "You're all going to die down here," and "Let me show you something,", PUKE!

Space movies where everyone but the main heroes is British. Seems funny since I don't think England actually has a space program.

Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jean Claude Van Damme movies where they're supposed to be American and no one asks them what's up with the accents.

[Deej]

The Cook/Cabdriver/Fireman/CPA who, when faced with psycho baddies/terrorists/door-to-door salesman suddenly knows how to handle every weapon available, fights like a martial arts expert, and is also a demolitions expert.

young dissafected genius, has no direction, is befriended/arrested/or taught by old cranky guy who says wise, witty things for an hour and a half straight until said boy-genius learns the meaning/beauty of life and learns to appreciate poetry/literature/a free spirit. hooooaahhh.oh captain,my captain

[Pete B6K]

How about war movies where the entire allied army is made up of Aamericans, there are no British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian etc forces.

And 'ironic' slasher films that try to seem intelligent but are actually dumber than anything they make reference too. I really liked 'Scream', but as soon as those credits rolled, the genre was finished for ever.

Oh yeah, and Police Academy. Never again. I know it's unlikely they'll ever make another, but we really should create some laws to make sure. Then I'll sleep soundly at night.

Pete

PS. Arnold Schwarzenegger IS American, has been since 1983. And I think JCVD is too. It's not your accent that makes you American.

[chris]

Movies where every religious person is the most-closed minded jerk on the planet, or secretly a pervert (usually priests).
Government, military, and Republicans always portrayed as bad guys.
Movies that ask us to regard cheating on you husband/wife as a romance.
Movies that don't clearly explain how a hero escaped an unescapable sitution. (the car seat in Minority Report comes to mind, how on earth did he get out of that and then drive away with a full tank of gas through an open door?)
And the big one, Teenagers in every friggin horror fim.  It's like they turned the horror genre into Muppet Babies.

[Scottie]

Old 50's sci-fi flicks, where the characters try to make sense of a crappy movie by throwing in some philosophical garbage. ex. In Robot Monster, the old scientist tries to separate himself from Ro-man by saying "Maybe it is choice that makes us different from the Ro-man" Uggh. Who hasn't heard that enough?

-Scottie-

[Drezzy]

Every person from Massachusetts talking like they're from Cape Cod or Boston. You know, we might not always pronounce our "r"s (f**k, we rarely do unless it's the first letter of the word), but we don't talk like this:
"I'm gonna get a BEE-AH and then CHEE-AH FUH NO-MAH!"

[spike]

Any movies where the minority getd killed or the ending is forced and obvious

[J.R.]

<>

I meant that they're meant to be American, born and raised. Same thing with Stallone, he was born in America, but come on, no one ever says, "Man, you talk weird," or "What the hell did you just say?".

[yaddo42]

Young kids added as characters only to be placed in danger and rescued by the heroes. Spielberg is very guilty of this, e.g. the "Jurassic Park" flicks. At least the kids in the first one actually had a purpose, getting the computers back on line.

The villain fakes his death to try for on last lunge at the hero, especially when he isn't looking. Just once I want to see the villain fall dead after a brutal fight, and the hero is so angry and worked up he empty a gun into the corpse and blurts out, "Making sure!" Ditto the multi-stage death, e.g. Cyrus the Virus in "ConAir".

The calm, cool (but not cocky) expert with experience dealing with whatever the threat in the movie is, but isn't the main character, who must die suddenly (and usually stupidly or carelessly) so our hero can rise to the challenge on his own.

Gun battles (especially in military films) where no one takes cover when it is available. Much hero fodder ensues. I'm not talking about scenes like the first battle in "Enemy At The Gates", with a historically accurate basis.

[D]

How about the horror films that never end? Is it a union rule that all slasher films have to have a 'the killer is dead-no wait he's really alive even though he was shot/beheaded/burned/crushed, etc.' ending? Can't they just kill the bastard and have the credits roll?

[J.R.]

Or any slasher sequel in which the eponymous killer either tries to pass his powers onto an infant relative or is revealed to be the embodiment of some ancient evil, older than time, or goes into space.

[Deej]

 'kay...maybe the reason the Americans are always portrayed more prominantly in WWII movies is because the movies are....I dunno...American made. Ever see Das Boot...yep featured a bunch of Germans....why? 'Cause it was about the men in a German U-boat...be kinda silly to have a token American. So...If a movie is focusing on a unit of American soldiers, sailors, or Marines, makes sense that they all be American. Okay...the British were involved in the war...there I said it. Now, go make a British WWII movie so I can complain about the complete absence of Josh Hartnett and Chriss Klein.

[nshumate]

A troubled adolescent who learns about himself/herself and his/her place in the world through his bonding with a whale/squirrel monkey/seal/bear/orangutan/sasquatch...

[Pete B6K]

In response to Deej. Yes it would be silly to have a token American aboard the U-Boat in 'Das Boot', in fact it would be completely stupid. That's because there are no nationalities other than German aboard U-Boats.

For that same reason, there's nothing wrong with having only American soldeiers in Vietnam War films. Because that's all there actually was. 'kay?

But for example, in 'Saving Private Ryan' the squad travel a great distance across France after the D-Day landings. No, there shouldn't be any other nationalities in the squad, it's an American squad, but at no point in the film, not during the landings and not during their lengthy journey and final battle do you see an allied soldier who is not American.

I have absolutely no problem with Americans being more prominent, being the focus of the film and even making up the entire leading cast. But to deny the existence of the countless soldiers from the other allied countries is kind of insulting.

And it's never justified to complain about the absence of Josh Hartnett and Chris Klein from a film. The less films they're in, the better.

Pete

[Flangepart]

Um, Pete....the allied armies tried to keep to their own areas to avoid fratricide. They might come across a Brit or Canuk group, but only if they are on the edges of a battle zone. Usualy scout units establishing the boundries.

The Aussies were in Nam, too. They fought very well, and many of out best commanders, ( Col. David Hackworth for one), wished we would have trained our guys in Jungle fighting, with the Boomers as the teachers.

I have no problim with seeing the other areas of the fighting. "A bridge too far" is a good one. "The Longest day" another. If your upset about recent films, then i can see your point. Still, all nations tend to concentrait on their own. No biggie for me.There were no yanks in "Sink the Bismark", but i still liked it.

I don't think the "Saveing Pvt. Ryan" was trying to knock anyone on our side. They just had two hours to fill, and it was not an essencial part of the story they wanted to tell.
OH! as to the post : Lets not see any more stinky markmenship by the hired thugs, okey? Lets make some more realistic shootouts, shall we?  I;E, use some planning in these matters, and you'll make for some realy intrersting action scenes...please?