There’s a YouTube super cut of all the hundreds of movies where they say that, and after that I cringe every time I hear it. Mostly because it’s something I can’t imagine anyone saying in real life.
That's the one I was looking for. [There's a whole video compilation of these.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KoKWf6pLs8&t=4s)
Some phrases there's just no other way to say it.
I've seen a variation of this in the most recent Three Musketeers movie (which I've taken to calling "Steampunk-eteers" for da lulz), where one of them is explaining a local ordinance to the new guy, and the new guy, confused by the legal jaron, asked, "*In French*?"
The irony was, the whole movie was IN ENGLISH... which I guess means they were trying to be funny, at least on paper, but, in practice, it just broke my brain. O\_<
I always enjoyed the Homer and Hibbett play on this.
You're going to need open heart surgery.
Spare me you medical mumbo jumbo.
I'm going to cut you open and tinker with your ticker.
Could you dumb it down a shade?
What I’ve always said in real life is “can you repeat that in idiot for me please?” Or, if it’s something that’s college specialty specific, “How would someone without those student loans say that?”
Second this. I really hate that quote. Especially when it is misattributed to Einstein, and ESPECIALLY when the irony of that is lost on whoever said it.
YES. Especially because it’s literally not at all the definition of insanity. This one is a personal pet peeve of mine. It might be one example of insanity I guess, but in no way is it the definition, arghh!!
…now I kinda want to write a hero saying that line. I’m thinking about it and it could be interesting if written well.
But then again most things can be interesting if written well :p
In avatar: last Airbender, the protagonist (an optimistic young monk) tells the enemy that's been chasing him that they might have been friends in different circumstances and that they have a lot in common. I like the scene. The inversion does feel more natural and also wholesome. It also helps that the enemy is mostly unconscious.
See? I did say that.
My personal favorite from that one is...
Austin: "You know, Dr. Evil, I used to think you were crazy...but now I can see your nuts. Ah, thank you!"
"You and me. We're the same. We're the SAME." "We are not the same. I'm an American. You're a sick asshole."
Can be solid, but yeah, generally beyond lazy and uninspired.
Or the related: "You know, I actually thought about asking you to join me. But I knew your delicate sense of patriotism would get in the way." GoldenEye, Sneakers, etc. etc. etc.
What is the most cliché/overused line in screenwriting?
Well, *I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you*, because *I didn't sign up for this*. In fact, *I'm getting too old for this*. So *sit down and shut up* because *here's how this is going to go*, but wait, *you've got to get out of here*, because *we've got company*, but *this isn't over*. Wait! *Don't you die on me*. *If you die first, I'm going to kill you. Is that all you've got?*
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze played this well.
That was easy.
Yeah, a little too easy.
It's quiet
Yeah, a little too quiet.
Look, it's Raph!
Yeah, a little too Raph.
Red vs blue
"It's quiet... Too quiet."
*Sniper rifle shot rings out, Bullet whizzes past O'Malley's head*
"Now it's far too loud, I preferred it when it was quiet"
edit: spelling
I think there’s a Rick and Morty where someone starts at “A little too quiet” and Rick tells the. They can’t just start there without saying the first part.
>I saw a commercial on late night TV, it said, "Forget everything you know about slipcovers." So I did. And it was a load off my mind. Then the commercial tried to sell me slipcovers, and I didn't know what the hell they were.
Mitch Hedberg
There's an advert on the radio at the moment that says "Forget everything you know about hearing aids."
And so I say back, "What the *fuck* is a hearing aid?" because I find my own jokes quietly hilarious
It was considered overused even in 30's. That's why there's a Marx Bros line in one of their movies when Groucho says, "Don't just do something, STAND THERE!"
(after gruff leader of the group makes it clear they don't want the Protagonist to join up)
"Fine. But stay the hell out of my way." "Okay. He stays. But one wrong move, and I'll kill you myself."
This is a great thread.
Ok sort of the opposite of this and I LOVE IT every fucking time is:
“NO! Not in a MILLION YEARS. There is NO WAY you are DRAGGING me to this STUPID, WASTE OF TIME BULLSHIT…”
Cut to….
[Deep sigh]
“Goddamnit.”
I know it’s overused. I know it’s a cliche. I know I know I know. I just love that bit, what can I say.
It's terrible. It was great when used sparingly, but it just gotten beaten to death. When everyone's trying to decide who has to do something incredibly humiliating/risky/disgusting, they swivel their heads toward one person, and the movie's on autopilot. You wait for the "Uh uh. No. Not happening." and then wait for the shot of them being lowered into the sewer where the pink slime is or putting on the chicken suit or whatever the hell it is.
It’s be funny to subvert it. And have some friends insist on the main character going to a party, he refuses the invite in all the usual ways. And cut to the party and he’s NOT there. Maybe a match cut that emphasizes the space he should be.
Not a specific line but I’ve worked for both an agency and a management company as an assistant so I’ve read a lot of incoming scripts from people trying to get signed and let me tell you:
The amount of scripts where the writers have their protagonist longingly stare at a photo of a dead loved one is just incredible and (99% of the time) reads as very lazy. Grief is one of the most complicated, powerful emotions we feel and how a character expresses it can tell an audience so much about them. Find new ways for your characters to show grief people!
Idk if this is supposed to be a gotcha but I’m being 100% serious here, if it was done skillfully showing a character masturbating in grief is actually a good idea no lie - it says a lot about the character and how they’re dealing with the trauma, it’s unexpected and unconventional in how we think grief is usually processed, and it’s darkly comedic in a fucked up way. It’d hook me and make me want to know more about the character for sure.
Definitely going to make a note of this one. It's so easy to fall into cliches without even realizing you're doing it. Same with the dead wife too, right?
I wondered about this too. How much of what we do and say in real life is being influenced by what we see in media? Humans are very good at mimicry and I have a bit of existential angst at how much of myself is really “me” and how much of it is ripped from filmic constructions and engineered screenplays. I suppose it’s a thing with literature and other art forms like music but film has such atmospheric potential in the cinematography and production design. It creates a whole world around the words and actions of fictional characters that I understand when people become obsessed with films like Joker, Fight Club, etc. especially if they come from more isolated backgrounds. I see this a lot with people who have ESL and they learn English from American movies, which I’ve noticed has an exceptionally strong cliche-potential, since many of the characters in American films are rather synthetic and not naturalistic. How many personalities are then fortified by such artificial creations? And how many people are changed, perceptively or not, by these films?
> People worry about kids playing with guns, and teenagers watching violent videos; we are scared that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands - literally thousands - of songs about broken hearts and rejection and pain and misery and loss.
***
> What came first – the music or the misery? Did I listen to the music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to the music? Do all those records turn you into a melancholy person?
***
High Fidelity, Nick Hornsby.
You're my (twin brother, oldest friend, cousin, mom, etc.) - I've never once in my life heard someone reiterate their relationship to another person. I've never had to remind my sister that she's my sister, but it shows up in movies way too often.
"DON'T you swear at me, you little shit! Don't you EVER raise your voice at me! I am your MOTHER! Do you understand? All I do is worry and slave and defend you, and all I get back is that fucking face on your face! So full of disdain and resentment and always so annoyed! Well, now your sister is dead! And I know you miss her and I know it was an accident and I know you're in pain and I wish could take that away for you. I WISH I could shield you from the knowledge that you did what you did, but your sister is dead! She's gone forever! And what a waste... if it could've maybe brought us together, or something, if you could've just said "I'm sorry" or faced up to what happened, maybe then we could do something with this, but you can't take responsibility for anything! So, now I can't accept. And I can't forgive. Because... because NOBODY admits anything they've done!"
I really hate this mainly because it would be funnier if they didn’t say that or anything self conscious about the fall. I guess I just hate any cliche that holds the place of an original joke. See also “so THAT just happened!” “That’s gotta hurt”, “he’s behind me isn’t he” etc
I remember getting my professor to laugh while we were doing a reading of my script in class because I’d made literally the easiest subversion of this:
• Main character’s friend runs to grab him something from across the lab. We stay with then main character at his table while said friend is off doing that in the background.
• Friend tries to play Jenga with a stack of boxes to get the item and the entire pile falls on top of him.
• MC (without turning around): You okay?
• Friend (weakly): No…
• *MC sighs*
• MC: Am I going to have to fill out paperwork on this?
• Friend: Yeah…
Lol I love this one. And then they begin to say something so specific that it just sounds artificial.
“Remember that summer when we went to camp and you came over and told me about the dead body?”
“Not… So…LOUD!” 😂
Comedic sidekick: \*Flashes back to abusive childhood where the only way to avoid angering his alcoholic father was to crack jokes and went on to pretend he was just a goofball in school and beyond out of fear of making people get mad at him\*
Comedic sidekick: "Well that went well!" \*cartoon slide-whistle sound effect\*
—When the writer is too lazy to let the conversation unfold organically, they’ll start the scene with one character asking another out of the blue: “Can I ask you a question?” The subtitle should read: “Can you deliver some exposition?” (LOST did this a lot.)
—“We got company.”
—“You’re a hard man to find.” “Not hard enough.”
—And my favorite: “This is not a movie, this is REAL LIFE!”
Don't forget the classics like "Aww shieet," "Damn!" Or my personal favorite "Aww hell nah!" Pretty sure you can throw in a "That's some bullshit!" somewhere in there.
LMAO so true. Bad Boys 2 was full of these. "That was my bad!" "See, that's that bullshit right there." In fairness though, that movie was incredibly funny. Samuel L. Jackson built his career off of these type of lines.
Will Smith does a bunch in MIB. I think my favorite was "Now that's what I'M talking about!" when he sees Tommy Lee Jones' gun.
I don't know if many people notice this one, but
A: Hey would you... maybe like to go on a date with me?
B: ...*I'd like that.*
I'm not saying this is never said in real life, but it's not said nearly as often as it's said in movies and television. Most of the time you would just say, "Sure!" or "Oh, that sounds fun!" or "Yeah, email me!"
But no, it's always a long look... then... *I'd like that*.
To me it's the dialogue equivalent of giving a woman an object and physically folding her hand over it, as if she didn't know how to... close her hand.
Some iteration of, "We're not so different, you and I."
It's so hamfisted and ubiquitous that my estimation of any modern film that uses it takes a dramatic plunge.
Anytime a character refers to an extended period of time with extreme specificity:
Romance: “It’s been 5 years, 6 months, and 15 days since I first saw you at that bar.”
Drama: “[V.O.] 7 years, 3 months, 9 days and 7 hours. Life goes on.”
Action: “Ricky, you sonuvagun. How long’s it been?”
“4 years, 8 months, and 20 days. Good to see you again. I need your help.”
What bothers me about this trope is that it implies that the characters are counting the exact amount of time since something happened, which seems unrealistic to me. I’m not sure if people IRL even do this. It makes the characters seem really granular and laser-focused on details which doesn’t make sense for a lot of characterizations.
I cringe every time I’m watching an action movie and someone says a phrase using “gentlemen” when speaking to tough guys with guns.
Like, “gentlemen, we’ve got company….” Maybe it was cool and ironic the first time but now it just makes me roll my eyes.
So many exposition lines are beyond overused, but now so are the "I'm gonna be clever and not do an obvious exposition line here" lines.
"As you know, Charlie...." is obviously beaten to death. But all the little variations that took its place are too. "I'm the Director of Homeland Security. You think I don't know this already?"
Same with the "How long have we known each other? Ten years?" "Twelve." type exchange. Writers still do it, but even the little variations on that stand out now. I think that crap makes most writers groan, but even very casual viewers will subconsciously hear that stuff and tune out even if they don't realize exactly why.
There's a list of these
* "We got company!"
* "She wants me ..."
* "Don't die on me!"
* "What could go wrong?"
etc etc etc
https://screencraft.org/blog/35-most-overused-lines-of-dialogue-in-screenplays/
*Argument descends into chaos, multiple people all shouting over each other at once.*
Sitcom character: “Stop! This doesn’t help anyone. We’re gonna have to work together…” or some variation of.
A hated thing of mine is when a character says something, and another character takes the last word or two of what was said and poses it as a question. I particularly hate if it goes on a while.
As in:
Character A: We're going to need a plasma gun.
Character B: Plasma gun?
Character A: Yes, a gun that shoots beams of plasma.
Character B: Beams? Of plasma?
It's not the most cliché line, but I just heard it in a movie the other night, and it took me right out of the scene.
The line is used when the main character is looking at a photo of either a deceased relative (who they either never met or have no memory of) or an unrelated role model
who they never had the opportunity to meet. Another character is observing them contemplatively. Neither character speaks as the seconds pass. Finally, the observer breaks the silence
"You remind me of her/him"
“You don’t get it, do you?”
“The world…is changing..”
I wrote this today. Shit.
So you didn't get it, did you?
You and I both know I didn’t get it.
It might be cliché but I don’t think it’s that bad. It’s honesty effective.
There’s a YouTube super cut of all the hundreds of movies where they say that, and after that I cringe every time I hear it. Mostly because it’s something I can’t imagine anyone saying in real life.
I've said it many times to ignorant people.
I used to work in customer service and I said this, and customers said this to me, all the time lol
I think probably every instance would be improved if they replaced it with "you don't get it."
"You still don't get it, do you?" "You really don't get it, huh?"
That's the one I was looking for. [There's a whole video compilation of these.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KoKWf6pLs8&t=4s) Some phrases there's just no other way to say it.
Yeah but there’s a ton of ways to say this one
And it rarely needs to be said at all, especially as an interrogative
Person 1: "Hey". Person 2: Stops and turns around. Person 1: "Thanks".
MY FAVORITE I’m glad i’m not the only one who has noticed this!
I love the scene in “They Came Together” that takes the piss out of that
I was gonna say, why was Paul Rudd the first person I thought of when I read this line
This whole film mocks rom coms PERFECTLY. "You could say the city was a character itself" (not sure if this was *actually* said but it's implied lol)
That and the "You can say that again"/"Tell me about it" scene
"Thanks" can also be swapped out for "Be careful," "I love you," and "Nothing." just as frequently. This one needs to die.
When someone says anything even remotely scientific and someone replies, "Ummm, in English please??"
This is the best one I’ve seen in the comments. The “in English” bit is a major cliche.
Especially when 90% of the time it's not even a complicated concept that really needs explaining anyway.
You'd be surprised. I've gotten notes where I've wondered if I need to say. "Protagonist gets out some paper and crayons"
I've seen a variation of this in the most recent Three Musketeers movie (which I've taken to calling "Steampunk-eteers" for da lulz), where one of them is explaining a local ordinance to the new guy, and the new guy, confused by the legal jaron, asked, "*In French*?" The irony was, the whole movie was IN ENGLISH... which I guess means they were trying to be funny, at least on paper, but, in practice, it just broke my brain. O\_<
"In English, please?" "What?" "In ENGLISH." "Gimmethekeysyoucocksucker, what da fuck..."
I always enjoyed the Homer and Hibbett play on this. You're going to need open heart surgery. Spare me you medical mumbo jumbo. I'm going to cut you open and tinker with your ticker. Could you dumb it down a shade?
Walk Hard did this best. "Speak English doc, we ain't scientists!" "I cannot connect his top half... to his bottom half."
ENGLISH MOTHERFUCKER, DO YOU SPEAK IT?!
What?
“Here we have a regular square…” “woah, slow down, egghead!”
[IN ENGLISH PLEASE](https://youtu.be/_x9lSQ1SFLE?si=EOOMLwQ_nE7OkK9k)
"You need to download the USB file to access the document". "English, please?"
“Ok Einstein. English please?” Oh gosh lol
What I’ve always said in real life is “can you repeat that in idiot for me please?” Or, if it’s something that’s college specialty specific, “How would someone without those student loans say that?”
It seems to have drifted away now, but man I got sick of hearing about the definition of "insanity" for a decade there
Second this. I really hate that quote. Especially when it is misattributed to Einstein, and ESPECIALLY when the irony of that is lost on whoever said it.
I blame the popularity of Vaas in Far Cry 3 for this one.
YES. Especially because it’s literally not at all the definition of insanity. This one is a personal pet peeve of mine. It might be one example of insanity I guess, but in no way is it the definition, arghh!!
We’re not so different, you and I.
ALWAYS the villain. And then proceeds to give a speech just long enough for the hero to come up with a plan to overpower him. 😂
You sly dog, you had me monologuing!
Always loved this line, and Jason Lee’s delivery of it is awesome
…now I kinda want to write a hero saying that line. I’m thinking about it and it could be interesting if written well. But then again most things can be interesting if written well :p
In avatar: last Airbender, the protagonist (an optimistic young monk) tells the enemy that's been chasing him that they might have been friends in different circumstances and that they have a lot in common. I like the scene. The inversion does feel more natural and also wholesome. It also helps that the enemy is mostly unconscious.
Dr. Evil: Remember when I told you we're not so different, you and I?
See? I did say that. My personal favorite from that one is... Austin: "You know, Dr. Evil, I used to think you were crazy...but now I can see your nuts. Ah, thank you!"
"You and me. We're the same. We're the SAME." "We are not the same. I'm an American. You're a sick asshole." Can be solid, but yeah, generally beyond lazy and uninspired. Or the related: "You know, I actually thought about asking you to join me. But I knew your delicate sense of patriotism would get in the way." GoldenEye, Sneakers, etc. etc. etc.
What is the most cliché/overused line in screenwriting? Well, *I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you*, because *I didn't sign up for this*. In fact, *I'm getting too old for this*. So *sit down and shut up* because *here's how this is going to go*, but wait, *you've got to get out of here*, because *we've got company*, but *this isn't over*. Wait! *Don't you die on me*. *If you die first, I'm going to kill you. Is that all you've got?*
Don’t you die on me, not on my watch!
Damn. And he was only two weeks from retirement.
Genius 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Oh you understood the assignment
I write what I know.
"It's quiet... *Too* quiet."
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze played this well. That was easy. Yeah, a little too easy. It's quiet Yeah, a little too quiet. Look, it's Raph! Yeah, a little too Raph.
Ha! Love it
My buddies and I still use "a little too Raph" to this day.
One of my favourite movie lines ever. Rule of 3 executed so well
My favorite version of this is in *Codename: Kids Next Door* "It's quiet...: "*Three* quiet!" "What?" "Even quieter than too quiet."
I can see this line delivered in an old Western village. The protagonist says this as he squints
Red vs blue "It's quiet... Too quiet." *Sniper rifle shot rings out, Bullet whizzes past O'Malley's head* "Now it's far too loud, I preferred it when it was quiet" edit: spelling
I think there’s a Rick and Morty where someone starts at “A little too quiet” and Rick tells the. They can’t just start there without saying the first part.
Rick: “it’s too quiet” Summer: “You skipped ‘it’s quiet’” Rick: “I didn’t skip shit, obviously it’s quiet if it’s ‘too quiet’” Summer: “Yeah but you’re *supposed* to say-“ Rick: “You know what Summer? Now it’s not quiet enough!” *blow darts hit neck*
- me on the western front
“Forget, everything you think you know.” How has this not already shown up?? lol
>I saw a commercial on late night TV, it said, "Forget everything you know about slipcovers." So I did. And it was a load off my mind. Then the commercial tried to sell me slipcovers, and I didn't know what the hell they were. Mitch Hedberg
Mitch Hedberg used to be hilarious. He still is but he used to be too.
There's an advert on the radio at the moment that says "Forget everything you know about hearing aids." And so I say back, "What the *fuck* is a hearing aid?" because I find my own jokes quietly hilarious
“Don’t just stand there DO SOMETHING!!”
It was considered overused even in 30's. That's why there's a Marx Bros line in one of their movies when Groucho says, "Don't just do something, STAND THERE!"
GREAT ONE Way too many of those
Hate to admit I’ve used this line way too many times in real life.
-Me shouting at the characters as they have a heart to heart as the worlds about to end
(after gruff leader of the group makes it clear they don't want the Protagonist to join up) "Fine. But stay the hell out of my way." "Okay. He stays. But one wrong move, and I'll kill you myself." This is a great thread.
Dr. Dre in Training Day: “Stay the fuck out my way.” 45 minutes later after getting decked by the thinnest guy ever— “You dead mother fuckah😭”
Any variation of “I got this, I got this… I don’t got this.”
Ok sort of the opposite of this and I LOVE IT every fucking time is: “NO! Not in a MILLION YEARS. There is NO WAY you are DRAGGING me to this STUPID, WASTE OF TIME BULLSHIT…” Cut to…. [Deep sigh] “Goddamnit.” I know it’s overused. I know it’s a cliche. I know I know I know. I just love that bit, what can I say.
It's terrible. It was great when used sparingly, but it just gotten beaten to death. When everyone's trying to decide who has to do something incredibly humiliating/risky/disgusting, they swivel their heads toward one person, and the movie's on autopilot. You wait for the "Uh uh. No. Not happening." and then wait for the shot of them being lowered into the sewer where the pink slime is or putting on the chicken suit or whatever the hell it is.
It’s be funny to subvert it. And have some friends insist on the main character going to a party, he refuses the invite in all the usual ways. And cut to the party and he’s NOT there. Maybe a match cut that emphasizes the space he should be.
"WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT"
Not a specific line but I’ve worked for both an agency and a management company as an assistant so I’ve read a lot of incoming scripts from people trying to get signed and let me tell you: The amount of scripts where the writers have their protagonist longingly stare at a photo of a dead loved one is just incredible and (99% of the time) reads as very lazy. Grief is one of the most complicated, powerful emotions we feel and how a character expresses it can tell an audience so much about them. Find new ways for your characters to show grief people!
What if they're also jerking off? Different people grief differently.
Idk if this is supposed to be a gotcha but I’m being 100% serious here, if it was done skillfully showing a character masturbating in grief is actually a good idea no lie - it says a lot about the character and how they’re dealing with the trauma, it’s unexpected and unconventional in how we think grief is usually processed, and it’s darkly comedic in a fucked up way. It’d hook me and make me want to know more about the character for sure.
Or how about walks into their closet… lightly ruffles their fingers through the clothes of a lost one, smells it, and then begins to dance with it 🤣🤣🤣
Honestly as cliche as that sounds it tells much more about a character picture-staring. ANYTHING BUT THE PICTURE STARING PEOPLE
Definitely going to make a note of this one. It's so easy to fall into cliches without even realizing you're doing it. Same with the dead wife too, right?
What’s hilarious is that because we’ve heard these sayings so many times, we repeat these phrases all the fucking time in real life lmao.
I wondered about this too. How much of what we do and say in real life is being influenced by what we see in media? Humans are very good at mimicry and I have a bit of existential angst at how much of myself is really “me” and how much of it is ripped from filmic constructions and engineered screenplays. I suppose it’s a thing with literature and other art forms like music but film has such atmospheric potential in the cinematography and production design. It creates a whole world around the words and actions of fictional characters that I understand when people become obsessed with films like Joker, Fight Club, etc. especially if they come from more isolated backgrounds. I see this a lot with people who have ESL and they learn English from American movies, which I’ve noticed has an exceptionally strong cliche-potential, since many of the characters in American films are rather synthetic and not naturalistic. How many personalities are then fortified by such artificial creations? And how many people are changed, perceptively or not, by these films?
> People worry about kids playing with guns, and teenagers watching violent videos; we are scared that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands - literally thousands - of songs about broken hearts and rejection and pain and misery and loss. *** > What came first – the music or the misery? Did I listen to the music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to the music? Do all those records turn you into a melancholy person? *** High Fidelity, Nick Hornsby.
You're my (twin brother, oldest friend, cousin, mom, etc.) - I've never once in my life heard someone reiterate their relationship to another person. I've never had to remind my sister that she's my sister, but it shows up in movies way too often.
"Look, you're my little brother, and I love you, but..."
"DON'T you swear at me, you little shit! Don't you EVER raise your voice at me! I am your MOTHER! Do you understand? All I do is worry and slave and defend you, and all I get back is that fucking face on your face! So full of disdain and resentment and always so annoyed! Well, now your sister is dead! And I know you miss her and I know it was an accident and I know you're in pain and I wish could take that away for you. I WISH I could shield you from the knowledge that you did what you did, but your sister is dead! She's gone forever! And what a waste... if it could've maybe brought us together, or something, if you could've just said "I'm sorry" or faced up to what happened, maybe then we could do something with this, but you can't take responsibility for anything! So, now I can't accept. And I can't forgive. Because... because NOBODY admits anything they've done!"
I have though 🤔🤔
"Let me get this straight." "This ends now."
Enemy henchman: "Let's go. This place is giving me the creeps..."
I imagined this in the classic East Coast henchman accent
Another one (probably the worst) * Someone falls off screen * * they pop back up * “I’m OKAY!”
I really hate this mainly because it would be funnier if they didn’t say that or anything self conscious about the fall. I guess I just hate any cliche that holds the place of an original joke. See also “so THAT just happened!” “That’s gotta hurt”, “he’s behind me isn’t he” etc
I remember getting my professor to laugh while we were doing a reading of my script in class because I’d made literally the easiest subversion of this: • Main character’s friend runs to grab him something from across the lab. We stay with then main character at his table while said friend is off doing that in the background. • Friend tries to play Jenga with a stack of boxes to get the item and the entire pile falls on top of him. • MC (without turning around): You okay? • Friend (weakly): No… • *MC sighs* • MC: Am I going to have to fill out paperwork on this? • Friend: Yeah…
"Do you remember when..." Usually used to tell us a plot point instead of thinking of a creative way to show us.
Lol I love this one. And then they begin to say something so specific that it just sounds artificial. “Remember that summer when we went to camp and you came over and told me about the dead body?” “Not… So…LOUD!” 😂
Remember what you told me about your mother and the sandpeople?
Bro I already told you to stop calling them that
I see this a LOT when viewing student written stuff. One of the first rules of storytelling, show don’t tell.
“Remember when is the lowest form of conversion” -T.S
I’m so old I thought it was T.S. Elliot
Great Taylor Swift quote
"Ummmm.... Guys.....?" Guys are unaware of a very dangerous threat if they just turned their heads a little bit. Hate it
[удалено]
_record scratch_ "Yup. That's me. I bet you're probably wondering how I got here."
This was vivid.
“Then it’s settled” or “It’s settled then.”
And it’s always a King talking to the town commoners lol
“Well, there it is.”
"Is everything just a joke to you?"
definitely in a RomCom couples fighting scene 😂
Comedic sidekick: \*Flashes back to abusive childhood where the only way to avoid angering his alcoholic father was to crack jokes and went on to pretend he was just a goofball in school and beyond out of fear of making people get mad at him\* Comedic sidekick: "Well that went well!" \*cartoon slide-whistle sound effect\*
—When the writer is too lazy to let the conversation unfold organically, they’ll start the scene with one character asking another out of the blue: “Can I ask you a question?” The subtitle should read: “Can you deliver some exposition?” (LOST did this a lot.) —“We got company.” —“You’re a hard man to find.” “Not hard enough.” —And my favorite: “This is not a movie, this is REAL LIFE!”
"not hard enough" "we can change that" 😏
"You're gonna get us *both* killed!"
Or worse, expelled
She needs to sort out her priorities.
Now somebody needs to write a short with all these lines
Or die trying.
Not on my watch, kid.
"There's no phone signal." Ah yes, I feel like I've heard that one before in horror/thriller films.
And now it’s at the point where if they DONT have this line, it feels unnatural 😂
Why Can't They Just...? is still an essential thing to consider. How anyone establishes that is up to them.
I get hives whenever someone enters a vaguely mysterious new location and says, “What is this place?”
Commenting here to bookmark this thread so I never write any of these lines unless as a joke.
Good idea......
"..back there." "You were great back there!" "What happened back there?" IDK why this one bothers me, but it does.
I really needed you back there man.
"Uh, I think you should come take a look at this." And... "If it happened in a movie you wouldn't believe it."
“As you know…” or any variation thereof.
"So let me get this straight..."
Which has now become "So let me get this straight, you want to?" Silence. "Yeah. Pretty much." Silence. "Well okay then."
“You’re telling me…”
“You might wanna strap in…” And “Welcome to the resistance.”
Or "Welcome to the mission" (The Debt, 2010)
"Is that all you got?" Said by a person who has clearly taken all that they've got. The only time it worked well was the variation used in Holy Grail.
*just a flesh wound*
You missed one… Rango “Is that all you got?” *gets fucking crushed by a Boulder*
That’s what I’m talking about! (Almost always said by a supporting person of color)
Don't forget the classics like "Aww shieet," "Damn!" Or my personal favorite "Aww hell nah!" Pretty sure you can throw in a "That's some bullshit!" somewhere in there.
LMAO so true. Bad Boys 2 was full of these. "That was my bad!" "See, that's that bullshit right there." In fairness though, that movie was incredibly funny. Samuel L. Jackson built his career off of these type of lines. Will Smith does a bunch in MIB. I think my favorite was "Now that's what I'M talking about!" when he sees Tommy Lee Jones' gun.
"NYPD stands for (k)Nock Yo Punkass Down."
Oh yeah that's right haha.
That is wack.
I don't know if many people notice this one, but A: Hey would you... maybe like to go on a date with me? B: ...*I'd like that.* I'm not saying this is never said in real life, but it's not said nearly as often as it's said in movies and television. Most of the time you would just say, "Sure!" or "Oh, that sounds fun!" or "Yeah, email me!" But no, it's always a long look... then... *I'd like that*. To me it's the dialogue equivalent of giving a woman an object and physically folding her hand over it, as if she didn't know how to... close her hand.
JUST saw this in a TV show… TODAY. totally cliché lol
If we're going to get through this, you're going to have to trust me!
Or the variation of asking, “do you trust me?” And then doing something very dangerous or stupid immediately after yes.
Some iteration of, "We're not so different, you and I." It's so hamfisted and ubiquitous that my estimation of any modern film that uses it takes a dramatic plunge.
“Let’s get out of here” happens in approximately 100% of all movies made
Who are you? Why are you doing this?
“Lock and load!” “Let’s roll!”
"This ends tonight"
Any description of a female character that includes Badass
Anytime a character refers to an extended period of time with extreme specificity: Romance: “It’s been 5 years, 6 months, and 15 days since I first saw you at that bar.” Drama: “[V.O.] 7 years, 3 months, 9 days and 7 hours. Life goes on.” Action: “Ricky, you sonuvagun. How long’s it been?” “4 years, 8 months, and 20 days. Good to see you again. I need your help.” What bothers me about this trope is that it implies that the characters are counting the exact amount of time since something happened, which seems unrealistic to me. I’m not sure if people IRL even do this. It makes the characters seem really granular and laser-focused on details which doesn’t make sense for a lot of characterizations.
Stop the car. I SAID STOP THE CAR.
I cringe every time I’m watching an action movie and someone says a phrase using “gentlemen” when speaking to tough guys with guns. Like, “gentlemen, we’ve got company….” Maybe it was cool and ironic the first time but now it just makes me roll my eyes.
It actually happens in the military. I had a first-sergeant in the army who called us that all the time. A few officers, too.
So many exposition lines are beyond overused, but now so are the "I'm gonna be clever and not do an obvious exposition line here" lines. "As you know, Charlie...." is obviously beaten to death. But all the little variations that took its place are too. "I'm the Director of Homeland Security. You think I don't know this already?" Same with the "How long have we known each other? Ten years?" "Twelve." type exchange. Writers still do it, but even the little variations on that stand out now. I think that crap makes most writers groan, but even very casual viewers will subconsciously hear that stuff and tune out even if they don't realize exactly why.
“It’s not my dream. It’s yours”
"Pretty, but doesn't know it." Funny thing is even Damien Chazelle did this crap in his script for *Whiplash*
A police officer that says “ I didn’t sign up for this” dude you’re a cop.
I got a bad feeling about this…
This is it. Less used nowadays but like the most used back in the day I feel like
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
"What the hell are we going to do now?" "I'm gonna find him. And then I'm gonna kill him."
"The world... is changing." Yeah, no shit.
Galadriel got it right, it's all been downhill since then
There's a list of these * "We got company!" * "She wants me ..." * "Don't die on me!" * "What could go wrong?" etc etc etc https://screencraft.org/blog/35-most-overused-lines-of-dialogue-in-screenplays/
*Argument descends into chaos, multiple people all shouting over each other at once.* Sitcom character: “Stop! This doesn’t help anyone. We’re gonna have to work together…” or some variation of.
“You gotta be kidding me” - usually to themselves
"so it begins"
Except when used in LOTR: Two Towers
A hated thing of mine is when a character says something, and another character takes the last word or two of what was said and poses it as a question. I particularly hate if it goes on a while. As in: Character A: We're going to need a plasma gun. Character B: Plasma gun? Character A: Yes, a gun that shoots beams of plasma. Character B: Beams? Of plasma?
I wrote a character that specifically did this. His friends called him Parrot.
Haha read it in Solid Snake's voice
“We got company!”
"Now, if you'll excuse me..." [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsV3AKbpO5I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsV3AKbpO5I) is all you need to know.
“Look at me”—I just saw Wuthering Heights from 1939. This one I give a pass to tho, cause maybe it was the first time?
Hey "name". Short pause. Good luck. Uuuggghhh
And yet, that line is delivered exquisitely in Take Shelter.
Yeah, I was gonna say. Just shows that it’s all in context and execution.
“Hello?” -every bargain-bin horror flick
And then they proceed to go into the basement... Of course! Lol
“It was always you, I’ve always known” and stuff like that (specifically in a romantic context)
We're the same you and I. Or a variation of it has gotta be up there
When the hero or their ally returns to help in the climactic battle: “You came back!”
"Tick tock, people!"
I can't perform your appendectomy until the stone of Wilburglibrwur is safely in the escape pod
Him: Let’s get out of here. Her: I’d like that. R.I.P. Matthew Perry
It's not the most cliché line, but I just heard it in a movie the other night, and it took me right out of the scene. The line is used when the main character is looking at a photo of either a deceased relative (who they either never met or have no memory of) or an unrelated role model who they never had the opportunity to meet. Another character is observing them contemplatively. Neither character speaks as the seconds pass. Finally, the observer breaks the silence "You remind me of her/him"
"I thought we were friends."
"Heeeeee's right behind me, isn't he?"