# Best use of clichéd movie elements **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330 "2009-11-20T20:44:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/61 "2010-01-19T18:37:03Z")
Best surprise ending: **A Doll’s House**. OK, so it was a play, but I saw it done as a TV movie before reading it. I hated Torvald, and was disgusted by Nora, but figured it was a typical 19th Century story, like Jane Austen might write. I almost turned it off, but I was surprised by the ending, I actually cheered. **The Usual Suspects** , as I’ve mentioned before, had great style, but no substance. It was clear to me from the beginning who the “bad” guy was, and the only surprise was that someone reputed to be a genius would put together a byzantine plot to eliminate the one person who could recognize him, but forgot it would result of having dozens of police who could recognize him, plus mug shots, finger prints, and a bench warrant for his arrest for failure to appear. If it hadn’t been for lucky timing and conveniently dimwitted police, he wouldn’t even have been released from custody. ---
**Author:** ![Arglefraster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@Arglefraster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arglefraster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/62 "2010-01-19T19:38:49Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > Best overly-complicated villainous plot Does the evil sorceress’ first plan to kill the emperor in The Emperor’s New Groove count? “I’ll turn him into a flea. A harmless, little flea. And then I’ll put that flea in a box, and then I’ll put that box inside of another box, and then I’ll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives, I’ll smash it with a hammer!” ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/63 "2010-01-20T13:48:30Z")
**Best Spontaneous Musical Number in a Non-Musical Film** : _The 40-Year-Old Virgin_’s _Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In_ **Best Overly Complicated Villianous Plot** : everything the Joker does in _The Dark Knight_ How about **Best Overly Complicated Heroic Plot**? I nominate Luke Skywalker’s plan to rescue Han Solo at the beginning of _Return Of The Jedi_. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/64 "2010-01-20T14:21:46Z")
Much as I love sports movies I often run out of love when the hero finally reveals that he is the real deal. I love the struggle but then when he turns out to be a living legend well… So the best **hidden reveal that the lead is the real deal while not letting the lead know that he is the real deal** belongs to: Dennis Quaid in \*The Rookie \* when he tests his arm against a roadside speed monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/65 "2010-01-20T14:43:04Z")
> [@Mooch](#): > > **Best use of gratuitous nudity:** Halle Berry in _Swordfish_ No, that was **MOST gratuitous use of nudity**. It was so blatantly gratuitous it was actively jarring, and very badly done. **Best red herring** : In _Grosse Point Blank_ John Cusack’s character has left his gun in his room and has been followed to his high school reunion by an assassin. [spoiler]One of the other attendees has a gun, which he has shown to Cusack. How does Cusack dispatch the assassin? With a pen that a friend of his had given him earlier in the scene. The gun never figures in it. I’ve always considered that to be a flipping of the bird to [Anton Chekhov](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov%27s_gun). [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/66 "2010-01-20T15:07:55Z")
**Best Death Scene** : Paul Reubens in the theatrical _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. **Best Shocking Death Scene** : _Serenity_, and that’s all I’m sayin’, gorram it. ---
**Author:** ![HeadNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@HeadNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadNinja)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/67 "2010-01-20T15:46:53Z")
> [@Lethal\_Babydoll](#): > > **Best Voice-Over By a Character As Movie Ends:** Shadowlands. > > “Twice in this life I was given a choice. The boy chose safety, the man choose suffering.” Stand By Me: I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/68 "2010-01-21T03:18:52Z")
Best ‘Slow Walking With Purpose’ scene. Office Space. What The Fuck Does PC Load Letter Mean Beatdown. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/69 "2010-01-21T03:25:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Best Spontaneous Musical Number in a Non-Musical Film I nominate (500) Days of Summer. Don’t believe me? Here ya go: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgVNgYXFi\_Q](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgVNgYXFi_Q) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/70 "2010-01-21T04:11:25Z")
For best spontaneous musical number, I vote the “I Will Survive” scene in **The Replacements**. Really. Because it was just as awful as it would have been in real life. They were doing the electric slide, for Og’s sake! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/71 "2010-01-21T06:09:52Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > \ > > My suggestions for other categories: > \ > > Best domineering mother-in-law/mother Angela Lansbury in _The Manchurian Candidate_. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/72 "2010-01-21T13:24:25Z")
Best Father-Son reconciliation scene: _Field of Dreams_ ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/73 "2010-01-21T14:30:27Z")
**Best Kidnapping:** _Suicide Kings_ **Best Gratuitous Product Placement:** Taco Bell in _Demolition Man_ **Best ‘David and Goliath’ Fight Scene:** Indiana Jones vs. big bald airport worker in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ **Best Bank Robbery that could really work:** \*Die Hard \* ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330/74 "2010-01-21T18:42:00Z")
**Best “Bully Gets His Comuppence”** –K-k-k-ken k-k-k-coming to k-k-k-k-kill Otto in **A Fish Called Wanda**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-cliched-movie-elements/518330.md?page=3)