#51 to 60 Annoying Trends
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51. Fake Driving.
Almost every film has an obligatory driving scene. The guy is behind the wheel, and the lady sits on the passenger
side. They are chatting. He's looking at her for a long time without minding anything in front of him on the road.
In the background is a rear projection effect of the landscape whooshing through. If it's for real, how things move
looks very slow. If the top is off, there's no wind blowing against anybody's hair. Of course, the guy's hands must
be moving left and right constantly on the steering wheel given that it never happens in real life.
52. Fantastic Coincidences.
Already broke, a man needs one million dollars to pay off his debts. The next day, somebody gives him the exact
amount, and all of his problems are solved. A hero is stuck while being tied to a sinking anchor in the middle
of the Atlantic Ocean, and he manages to wrangle a laser pen out of his pocket to cut the metal chain to get out
of the situation. A woman is dying of cervical cancer, she prays for a cure, a preacher comes walking to put
his hand on her head, and it's miraculously gone.
53. No Haircut Required.
It's boot camp time. All recruits are required to have their heads shaved. But not the actors. Their hairs
remain intact. The same rule applies to anybody who's already in the military. The longer the hair is, the
more perfectly okay it is.
54. Look How Cute the Kid Is.
No matter how little acting experience child stars have, they're so good...the best in the world...that
they must take over the show and dominate everybody, even those with many years of excellence.
As a result, the movie goes way, way south because all we want is them dead.
55. The Greatest Gun Ever.
It's a 20's picture. Everybody loves the Tommy gun. He must have it to fire one million rounds nonstop.
In reality, the Thompson submachine gun wasn't well known at the time, and its magazine had "either a circular
drum that held 50 or 100 rounds or a box that held 20 or 30 rounds." That being said, it's a pretty
heavy gun that loses tons of points when it comes to accuracy and practicality. Most preferred the shotgun.
56. Extreme Close-ups.
I pop in a movie. Within five minutes of playing it, people are so close to the screen that I can see every pore
of their faces plus the nostrils. Ditto for the cakey makeup. Why must Hollywood insist on this? Can the camera
zoom back like five feet and give me some breathing space?
57. Second Time Doesn't Work.
Two actors or one of them and a director made a masterpiece picture. The easiest instinct for them is to work
together again on a different project that's not a sequel. Unfortunately, the magic isn't there anymore.
Some examples are S*P*Y*S after M*A*S*H, Pulp after Get Carter, and
Made after Swingers.
58. Lack of Originality.
I pick out a title and play it. Fifteen minutes later, I'm like, "Wait a minute...did they steal this from
(insert a film here)?" Yep, it's the same exact plot only to be redressed. Sometimes, it's a line or a scene.
They aren't meant to be a spoof but outright plagiarism. It's a common problem in cinema nowadays because
everybody in Hollywood is an idiot or can't come up with something original.
59. Makes No Sound.
An assassin has a silencer on. He kills his target soundlessly and leaves without alarming anybody else.
Brilliant stuff except...it's not possible in real life. There's no such thing as a silencer that "silences"
a gunfire; it can only lower the noise to 100 decibels which is still pretty loud.
60. CPR Saves Lives.
A person has passed out. Somebody rushes to him and performs a CPR. One...two...one...two...push, push, push!
And he suddenly wakes up and starts coughing. It's a miracle! Statistically speaking, the survival rate on screen
is 75%. Is that so in real life? Nope...it's rather between 5% and 10%. If done in the hospital, 15%.