I
f you're an ardent horror movie fan, you've probably encountered them from time to time. I am talking about those annoying horror cliches, which always seem to destroy the credibility of a film by virtue of their ridiculous, unrealistic scenarios.
Here are some of the more common horror cliches which, I'll bet, have made you roll your eyes and shake your head in utter disbelief many a time:
1. Don't Go In That House Alone - I have seen this irritating cliche played out, time and time again, in all kinds of horror movies, especially in the teen-slasher productions. You get a stupid boy or girl, who know damn well that there is a crazed, masked killer stalking the house - and yet suddenly develop a most ludicrous surge of courage and venture into the house, on their own, to confront the killer or monster, in the lame hope that they will overpower it and kill it. The culmination of this silly endeavour is that the person usually ends up being slaughtered themselves.
2. Why Do They Always Get In The Car? - The protagonist is being chased by the psycho killer or bloodthirsty monster. They spot a vacant car. What do they do? They only get into it and stupidly attempt to start it up. In real life, if you were in a similarly perilous situation, with a maniac or creature chasing you, your nerves would be racing that much and your heart would be beating so fast that the last thing you would feel capable of doing would be to stop and try to get into a car, thereby giving your pursuer some extra time to catch up with you. Instead, you would just keep on running and running into the woods, as fast as your legs would carry you. And isn't it amazing how their hand never trembles a bit as they fiddle around with the ignition?
3. There Is Always An Expert In The Group - You can guarantee that whenever there is a group of people who encounter a creature such as a vampire or werewolf, there will ALWAYS be at least one self-proclaimed "expert" among them who knows how to deal with the creature, be it with a stake or silver bullet.
4. Don't Step Over The Dead Body - Isn't it just so unrealistic and crazy when the hero kills the monster or maniac they've been fighting with - or THINKS they have. And then - foolishly failing to make hundred per cent sure that their enemy is dead - they step over the dead body... and then their ankle is grabbed by the apparently still living monster! For heaven's sake, when you whack a monster over the head with a club or whatever, just make sure the thing really IS dead, will you? Strewth!
5. There's A Ghost In My House, But I Am Not Moving Out - I have seen this pathetic cliche played out in hundreds of spooky movies. The story basically features a young couple that move into a house... and start experiencing a succession of strange incidents, which seem to suggest that they have a resident ghost. But what do they? They stay in the house, despite the acceleration of paranormal incidents they encounter, and usually summon either a medium or an exorcist. More ridiculous, even when their helper doesn't manage to clear their home of the entity completely, they STILL stay in the house, and you might get the husband uttering something like, "No, honey, we've got to STAY here and confront this thing. It is NOT going to drive us out of our dream home." Lord, give me strength!
6. Run Upstairs Instead Of Out The Front Door - This cliche really annoys me. The victim is being chased all around the house by a psycho killer. And what do they do? Instead of running out through the front door, they dash upstairs, stupidly rendering themselves utterly trapped up top as their pursuer creeps up the stairs, closing in on them for the kill.
7. The Cat Jump Scare - Seen this cliche repeated so many times in horror movies over they years that I have now just given up all hope that they will EVER scrap it. You know the one I mean: the cat suddenly jumps out at you and scares you witless.
So there you have it: some of the worst horror cliches I have ever had the misfortune to see. I'll bet all of you can think of many, many more to add to that list. I certainly can.
Come on, all you horror movie writers - start making horror stories realistic and original, instead of relying on the same old tired cliches to get a cheap scare out of cinema goers.
f you're an ardent horror movie fan, you've probably encountered them from time to time. I am talking about those annoying horror cliches, which always seem to destroy the credibility of a film by virtue of their ridiculous, unrealistic scenarios.
Here are some of the more common horror cliches which, I'll bet, have made you roll your eyes and shake your head in utter disbelief many a time:
1. Don't Go In That House Alone - I have seen this irritating cliche played out, time and time again, in all kinds of horror movies, especially in the teen-slasher productions. You get a stupid boy or girl, who know damn well that there is a crazed, masked killer stalking the house - and yet suddenly develop a most ludicrous surge of courage and venture into the house, on their own, to confront the killer or monster, in the lame hope that they will overpower it and kill it. The culmination of this silly endeavour is that the person usually ends up being slaughtered themselves.
2. Why Do They Always Get In The Car? - The protagonist is being chased by the psycho killer or bloodthirsty monster. They spot a vacant car. What do they do? They only get into it and stupidly attempt to start it up. In real life, if you were in a similarly perilous situation, with a maniac or creature chasing you, your nerves would be racing that much and your heart would be beating so fast that the last thing you would feel capable of doing would be to stop and try to get into a car, thereby giving your pursuer some extra time to catch up with you. Instead, you would just keep on running and running into the woods, as fast as your legs would carry you. And isn't it amazing how their hand never trembles a bit as they fiddle around with the ignition?
3. There Is Always An Expert In The Group - You can guarantee that whenever there is a group of people who encounter a creature such as a vampire or werewolf, there will ALWAYS be at least one self-proclaimed "expert" among them who knows how to deal with the creature, be it with a stake or silver bullet.
4. Don't Step Over The Dead Body - Isn't it just so unrealistic and crazy when the hero kills the monster or maniac they've been fighting with - or THINKS they have. And then - foolishly failing to make hundred per cent sure that their enemy is dead - they step over the dead body... and then their ankle is grabbed by the apparently still living monster! For heaven's sake, when you whack a monster over the head with a club or whatever, just make sure the thing really IS dead, will you? Strewth!
5. There's A Ghost In My House, But I Am Not Moving Out - I have seen this pathetic cliche played out in hundreds of spooky movies. The story basically features a young couple that move into a house... and start experiencing a succession of strange incidents, which seem to suggest that they have a resident ghost. But what do they? They stay in the house, despite the acceleration of paranormal incidents they encounter, and usually summon either a medium or an exorcist. More ridiculous, even when their helper doesn't manage to clear their home of the entity completely, they STILL stay in the house, and you might get the husband uttering something like, "No, honey, we've got to STAY here and confront this thing. It is NOT going to drive us out of our dream home." Lord, give me strength!
6. Run Upstairs Instead Of Out The Front Door - This cliche really annoys me. The victim is being chased all around the house by a psycho killer. And what do they do? Instead of running out through the front door, they dash upstairs, stupidly rendering themselves utterly trapped up top as their pursuer creeps up the stairs, closing in on them for the kill.
7. The Cat Jump Scare - Seen this cliche repeated so many times in horror movies over they years that I have now just given up all hope that they will EVER scrap it. You know the one I mean: the cat suddenly jumps out at you and scares you witless.
So there you have it: some of the worst horror cliches I have ever had the misfortune to see. I'll bet all of you can think of many, many more to add to that list. I certainly can.
Come on, all you horror movie writers - start making horror stories realistic and original, instead of relying on the same old tired cliches to get a cheap scare out of cinema goers.