Things you're tired of seeing in movies

[p51]

Another thing I'm very tired of seeing in movies is two people supposedly meeting for the first time and they trade insults and sometimes get physical and it turns out they are long time friends...

That's pretty common with people who've been in the military together.
I know a guy in my living history group who's a retired Command SGT Major (I'm a former Captain) and we bust each other's chops horribly whenever we run into each other. So much so that people who don't know us (and have never seen that shtick) have asked others in our group why we hate each other so much...

 

[Zombie_61]

That's pretty common with people who've been in the military together.
I know a guy in my living history group who's a retired Command SGT Major (I'm a former Captain) and we bust each other's chops horribly whenever we run into each other. So much so that people who don't know us (and have never seen that shtick) have asked others in our group why we hate each other so much...

It's not unique to the military. Years ago I worked with a couple of guys who would regularly start a fake argument for their own amusement. Usually they'd start laughing after a few quick verbal exchanges, but sometimes they were so convincing that a customer would tell the manager that two of his employees were about to have a fistfight. :lol

 

[dascoyne]

That's pretty common with people who've been in the military together.
I know a guy in my living history group who's a retired Command SGT Major (I'm a former Captain) and we bust each other's chops horribly whenever we run into each other. So much so that people who don't know us (and have never seen that shtick) have asked others in our group why we hate each other so much...

I tried that recently at a 26 year reunion of our physics research team from Lawrence Berkeley Labs. I must say it's kinda awkward when the other party doesn't get it and asks if they somehow offended me 26 years ago. I guess my personality has changed since then.

 

[Joosh]

Don't know if this one has been covered- Gun Circles. Like Reservoir Dogs. Guy 1 points gun at Guy 2, Guy 3 points gun at Guy 1, so Guy 4 points gun at Guy 2.

 

[NormanF]

Screaming aliens. In movies aliens always scream or roar. These are intelligent, space faring beings and all they can do is make stupid noises?
#2: Aliens also pump out enough electromagnetic noise that it screws with video equipment.

Sent from my Motorola StarTAC

 

[cunningham]

In the 89 pages of this post I am sure this has been covered, but the incessant and unnecessary cocking of guns, especially shotguns. This was brought back to mind again by the ****eous tv show Falling Skies, where characters seem to re-cock their weapons at any chance they get, always in situations where they would naturally already have their weapons readied to begin with.

 

[LrdSatyr8]

OK... here's a couple of good ones that we've probably seen before, but always good to keep fresh in our minds...

- Why do all bad/good guy meetings take place in an empty parking garage? I mean really? Why can't they meet up at the Sizzler or something? And while I'm at it, why is every restaurant in the movies or TV shows some little mom & pop place no one has ever heard of... why not McDonalds or Burger King... or even Sonic! How many times have you been to a little mom & pop place in your home town? I bet not as often as you've been to MickyD's or BK!
- Why do all explosives have a flashing blinking beeping lights on them? Personally I would think it would be more advantageous for the bad guys to have something that was more unnoticable... like in the shape of a thermostat or something... especially if they are running thru a factory and planting these things everywhere! The last thing you want is for someone to find them because they are beeping or a little light is flashing on them!
- Why are car windows so easy to break? In real life if you've ever tried to break one, they aren't that easy! Arnold broke one with his fist in True Lies... you try doing that on your car window and see what breaks first! There's a reason it's called Safety Glass!
- Why does blood spatter EVERYWHERE when someone gets killed... I'm not talking just a little, I'm talking buckets everywhere? Looks like someone took a water hose a sprayed it all over the room!

Just a few observations I've made over the weekend!

 

[glunark]

How about something we never see in movies or tv?

When did you ever see a character walk past a door and his sleeve got caught in the door handle?

Tell me that hasn't happened to you at least once!

Never to them.

 

[mattycsi]

- Why do all explosives have a flashing blinking beeping lights on them? Personally I would think it would be more advantageous for the bad guys to have something that was more unnoticable... like in the shape of a thermostat or something... especially if they are running thru a factory and planting these things everywhere! The last thing you want is for someone to find them because they are beeping or a little light is flashing on them!

That one has always bugged me. Terrorists are well known for making all kinds of disguised IEDs, but when it comes to the movies its always a way over complicated bit of tech. You could find these things by just turning the light off and looking for the blinking glow.

- Why are car windows so easy to break? In real life if you've ever tried to break one, they aren't that easy! Arnold broke one with his fist in True Lies... you try doing that on your car window and see what breaks first! There's a reason it's called Safety Glass!

Yep. Also the sound effect they use is always that tinkling crashing sound like a big old fashioned plate glass window. Its toughend and designed to break into into pebbles. It makes a crack and a few quiet rattles as the pebbles drop.

- Why does blood spatter EVERYWHERE when someone gets killed... I'm not talking just a little, I'm talking buckets everywhere? Looks like someone took a water hose a sprayed it all over the room!

Again, agreed. Physics and biology out the window for the sake of a good shot. The one that bothers me the most is when somebody is hit with something once and you see a big spatter cast over the wall. If you hit someone once you only get a pool of blood leak out under the body, the first hit opens the wound, the second and third one gets into the blood and casts it around with each swing.

 

[mattycsi]

How about something we never see in movies or tv?

When did you ever see a character walk past a door and his sleeve got caught in the door handle?

Tell me that hasn't happened to you at least once!

Never to them.

Never happended to me once, but me pockets!!

Every damn day I get a pocket caught on a door handle. Sometimes catches me so bad I practically go down like I've clotheslined by The Rock!!

 

[Riceball]

OK... here's a couple of good ones that we've probably seen before, but always good to keep fresh in our minds...

- Why do all bad/good guy meetings take place in an empty parking garage? I mean really? Why can't they meet up at the Sizzler or something? And while I'm at it, why is every restaurant in the movies or TV shows some little mom & pop place no one has ever heard of... why not McDonalds or Burger King... or even Sonic! How many times have you been to a little mom & pop place in your home town? I bet not as often as you've been to MickyD's or BK!

The chain restaurant thing is simple, licensing. The movie's producers can't use a real chain because they'd have to pay the corporation that owns the chain to use their trademarked and copyrighted logos or it's the opposite and they don't do it because they don't want to give these chains any free advertising. Either way it comes down to money. Besides, not everybody likes going to eat at chain restaurants when they go out, my wife is a good example of this, she hates eating at most chain restaurants and much rather go to some independently owned and operated restaurant than your Applebees or Chiles.

 

[Father]

(1) People that can hold their breath for >1 minute while doing strenuous things like pulling/pushing open a door under pressure and swimming down below >20 feet.
Is everyone that gets into an "adventure" also a natural free diver?

(2) How do so many people know kung-fu or some other martial arts? I guess it would be better than watching people fight the way they do in real life (watch a youtube video... it's sad).

(3) Cell phone ringing at the most inopportune moment

(4) Cocking sound on a Glock

(5) The continuous automatic clicking of an empty machine gun

(6) "Wait, I have to go back for [pet, child, important device]"

(7) Never collecting the dead bad guy's ammunition and/or weapon.

(8) Head shots all day long, from any angle, at any speed....

 

[Zombie_61]

...And while I'm at it, why is every restaurant in the movies or TV shows some little mom & pop place no one has ever heard of... why not McDonalds or Burger King... or even Sonic! How many times have you been to a little mom & pop place in your home town? I bet not as often as you've been to MickyD's or BK!...

I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I ate at a McDonald's or Burger King. They're not as reasonably priced as they used to be, and the food is horrible. When my wife and I eat out, we eat at independently owned restaurants and burger joints almost all of the time.

 

[Bear]

Never happended to me once, but me pockets!!

Every damn day I get a pocket caught on a door handle. Sometimes catches me so bad I practically go down like I've clotheslined by The Rock!!

I seem to have a knack for the pocket thing. I use The Club on my steering wheel and if I'm not careful, it catches and d**n near rips my shorts off. It always rips off at least one pocket, followed by several minutes of cursing.

 

[Krull]

How about something we never see in movies or tv?

When did you ever see a character walk past a door and his sleeve got caught in the door handle?

Tell me that hasn't happened to you at least once!

Never to them.

I've done that,how about capes? the way I go get hung up I've always wondered how much fun it'd be to go gallivanting about in cape! also be hilarious to see the likes of Batman get yanked off his feet!

 

[Father]

I've done that,how about capes? the way I go get hung up I've always wondered how much fun it'd be to go gallivanting about in cape! also be hilarious to see the likes of Batman get yanked off his feet!

 

[dascoyne]

Drama-comedies about a group of dissimilar and quirky family members that get together for the holidays or some other event.
It's just a cheap way to cram in a lot of bickering, laughing and crying because everything is in the backstory.

 

[p51]

The blood spatter thing? Happens more often than you'd think. I got shot in the foot once (NO, not self-inflicted, it was an accidental discharge from about 100 yards away, came across the top of my boot, ruined a good set of combat boots I'd just broken in) and I was surprised how far the blood went. Wasn't even a major artery either. I've seen blood spatter from an aviation accident once. Still gives me the shakes late at night, sometimes. Blood can come out of a person like a garden hose, but I agree that's not normal.

How do so many people know kung-fu or some other martial arts? I guess it would be better than watching people fight the way they do in real life (watch a youtube video... it's sad).

Or even just the standard boxing-type fight? Have you ever seen anyone really fighting like that? My dad pointed out when I was a kid that the old western movies from the 40s and 50s were the only ones that got fighting right (lots of rolling around on the ground and no idea where the fists are going). Just watch a few and you'll see he has a point there. Not perfect, no, but way more realistic than movie fights today!

 

[batguy]

How do so many people know kung-fu or some other martial arts? I guess it would be better than watching people fight the way they do in real life (watch a youtube video... it's sad).
Or even just the standard boxing-type fight? Have you ever seen anyone really fighting like that? My dad pointed out when I was a kid that the old western movies from the 40s and 50s were the only ones that got fighting right (lots of rolling around on the ground and no idea where the fists are going). Just watch a few and you'll see he has a point there. Not perfect, no, but way more realistic than movie fights today!

Very true. I am so completely sick of movie fights.

They tend to look totally fake like some kind of honorable boxing match.
Or totally fake and cruelly brutal.
Or totally fake and comically incompetent.

But no matter what, they always look totally fake.

In real fights people get out of breath almost instantly. Their hits are faster & messier, with lots of missed & glancing swings. They kick, hold, grab, etc. And they don't break bones or otherwise destroy each other's bodies every hit either (unless they are pros). One good hard damaging hit like that will bring most fights to an end.

 

[p51]

One good hard damaging hit like that will bring most fights to an end.

How about knife fights in movies? I have yet to meet someone nuts enough to continue a knife fight after they've gotten cut. In the movie, it just gives the hero pause for a second. But in real life, that usually ends the fight.
In the military I was trained to fight with knives and bayonets (not so much the latter as there hasn't been any bayonet fighting for decades) and the one thing they taught was to get in and cut any way you can because the first person cut usually loses as they get scared to get cut again.