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Played out tropes in TV and Film


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8 hours ago, Funky Nosejob said:

In the 1980s and 90s, an out of control computer could be shut down by taking a baseball bat to the monitor.

Whilst this was surprisingly effective in most films, all comedies required the token thicko to bend down and pull the plug out of the wall socket. 

What a lot of effort.  Pouring water over the keyboard was just as effective.

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8 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

Streets seem to be oddly filled with steam at night time. Billowing, blowing curtains of steam.

That's not as unrealistic as you might think. Several US cities have steam pipes running underground. Denver has 10 miles of them, delivering hot water vapour to customers, feeding laundry machines and even cleaning coins at the US mint. It looks very cool and atmospheric, particularly at night so I can see why it's popular with film makers.

Downtown Denver Has Warmed Itself With Steam Since 1880. Could That History  Soon End? | Colorado Public Radio

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6 hours ago, stanton said:

Crossing any two wires under the  dashboard of a vehicle will automatically jump start it and disable the steering lock 

Aren't there some kind of rules that filmmakers can't show accurate portrayals of criminal activity? I seem to remember there being a time when they weren't allowed to show needles penetrating skin when characters were taking illegal drugs, just in case somebody watching thought, "oh, that's how you do it!"  :rolleyes:

My favourite was when they used to show people bypassing electronic locks by wiggling a screwdriver about in the slot  :lol:

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8 hours ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

Aren't there some kind of rules that filmmakers can't show accurate portrayals of criminal activity? I seem to remember there being a time when they weren't allowed to show needles penetrating skin when characters were taking illegal drugs, just in case somebody watching thought, "oh, that's how you do it!"  :rolleyes:

My favourite was when they used to show people bypassing electronic locks by wiggling a screwdriver about in the slot  :lol:

When William Friedkin made To Live and Die in L.A. he employed a convicted counterfeiter for a scene when bank notes are forged. Over a million bucks of forged cash was made during the production of the film. The crew burned most of it but some did get out and into circulation and Friedkin was interviewed by the FBI.

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5 minutes ago, tongue_tied_danny said:

When William Friedkin made To Live and Die in L.A. he employed a convicted counterfeiter for a scene when bank notes are forged. Over a million bucks of forged cash was made during the production of the film. The crew burned most of it but some did get out and into circulation and Friedkin was interviewed by the FBI.

It seems like Friedkin's always been one of those maverick types who doesn't think they have to abide by anybody's rules. Also has more than a touch of the Garth Marenghi about him.

Went right off Mark Kermode when he went through that phase of constant Friedkin arslikhan. I do hope he got over it.

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In action films, the hero never facing any consequences for their actions in the first half of the film, no matter how incompetent/reckless/how many people they kill.

The worst example of this is Jurassic World, which ends with Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt walking off into the sunset together. I can only assume the film ends just before she is arrested and charged with corporate manslaughter, as the hundreds of deaths were entirely down to her decision making.

See also James Bond telling every woman he meets that he's a spy, often within 10 minutes.

Edited by Carl Cort's Hamstring
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49 minutes ago, Carl Cort's Hamstring said:

See also James Bond telling every woman he meets that he's a spy, often within 10 minutes.

Yes, for a SECRET agent it's amazing how Bond is instantly recognised every where he goes.

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5 hours ago, Fullerene said:

Any pair of handcuffs can be unpicked with a paper clip.  Similarly two paper clips can unlock a door.

See also; opening a door with a credit card.

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10 hours ago, 19QOS19 said:

Every single door in horror films has the exact same squeaky sound. I assume in the sound editing programme it just says "door sound". Gates as well.

Oh, we could be here all day.

There's a particular 'water dripping in cave' sound that gets used in every scene with a dank, clammy environment. Always reminds me of Quake.
Also a recording of a screaming women that I've heard hundreds of times. First time I noticed I'd heard it before was in the film Copycat; it's the one where Siggy Weaver gets emailed a video of the next victim dancing about at a festival. When her face turns into a skull, that's the one.

There must be a website that keeps track of all these overused effects. There are so many, and it's so obvious to anyone who regularly watches films. Like if Michael Caine was cast in multiple roles in every movie and they just expected us not to notice.

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