# Dealbreaker screenplay clichés **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [March 14, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002 "2022-03-14T02:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/41 "2022-03-14T23:00:23Z")
My FAVORITE type of bad dialog is as follows -Heroes are surrounded by an angry mob of people Mob Leader: -shouting- YOU BROKE INTO THE MAYORS HOUSE, BURNED DOWN HIS BEDROOM, STOLE ALL OF HIS VALUABLES AND GAVE HIM SUCH A SHOCK HE DIED OF A HEART ATTACK!! -Heroes wince in anticipation of dying- Mob Leader: -shouting- AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF -beat- that guy was a major jerk so we’re actually in your debt. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/42 "2022-03-14T23:08:38Z")
[quote] “Just\_Asking\_Questions, post:39, topic:961002, full:true”] That’s not really _script_ dealbreaker, more of an acting thing, but by have I seen it. [/quote] I disagree. I think it’s in the script because it’s FUNNYᵀᴹ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/43 "2022-03-14T23:28:02Z")
**HE:** Are you afraid? **SHE:** (_Snuggling up_) No … not any more. 😏 ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/44 "2022-03-15T00:02:25Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Snub-nose .38s that never fail to hit a bad guy 100 feet away. Yet can’t hit the good guy from 10 feet away. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/45 "2022-03-15T00:37:57Z")
Like here: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gne8v9aj45w/maxresdefault.jpg "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell Of Fear - Rooftop Shootout Scene (1080p)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gne8v9aj45w) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/46 "2022-03-15T00:48:20Z")
“This time it’s personal.” Like the last 100 times the bad guys tried to kill you, kill your partner, abduct your wife, etc. it wasn’t personal? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/47 "2022-03-15T01:04:13Z")
Okay, the Evil Overlord list is not actually a dealbreaker, but it does have a lot of cliches seen over and over. My favorites are #48 and #100 > **[Peter's Evil Overlord List](http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html)** > > Humorous Evil Overlord Instruction Manual ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/48 "2022-03-15T01:15:45Z")
The Pioneer Women’s Rifle, which when fired in the air with eyes closed will hit a circling brave at 100 yards. Racking the slide on a pump shotgun. Cocking a double-action revolver. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/49 "2022-03-15T01:20:54Z")
Fiddling with the ejector port on an M3 submachine gun. Pulling the slide on a .45 automatic all the way back to see if there’s a bullet in the chamber (and ejecting a perfectly good bullet in the process). ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/50 "2022-03-15T01:29:55Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Pulling the slide on a .45 automatic all the way back to see if there’s a bullet in the chamber (and ejecting a perfectly good bullet in the process). ( Chuckling ) I actually saw somebody do that IRL, not to check for the presence of a round, but thinking they were cocking it somehow. At least they didn’t hold it sideways. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/51 "2022-03-15T01:40:12Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Single use guns I remember one early episode of _Sleepy Hollow_ where Ichabod fires one shot with the pistol Abby gave him and then drops it, because his experience with (18th-century) guns is that you can’t load and fire again with the enemy that close and you’re better off getting your hands free and finding a melee weapon. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/52 "2022-03-15T01:50:40Z")
> [@Eclipse\_Chaser](#): > > "Let’s just say … " The TV show _Police Squad!_ used to make fun of this trope all of the time. > [@](#): > > Det. Frank Drebin: > Now let’s say a new merchant moves into the neighbourhood, opens up a shop. > > Capt. Ed Hocken: > OK… > > Det. Frank Drebin, Capt. Ed Hocken: > A new merchant moves into the neighbourhood, and opens up a shop. > > Det. Frank Drebin: > Then let’s say that merchant attracts a certain couple of thugs who demand payments. > > Capt. Ed Hocken: > All right. > > Det. Frank Drebin, Capt. Ed Hocken: > That merchant attracts a certain couple of thugs who demand payments. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/53 "2022-03-15T01:57:43Z")
It’s an entirely different kind of dialogue, altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/54 "2022-03-15T01:59:33Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > I’m pretty sure this is mainly for the benefit of viewers who might not recognize the celebrity’s face but would know the name. Maybe there’s even something in the celebrity’s contract stipulating that the name gets mentioned prominently. I’d bet money that that happened when Rush Limbaugh appeared on the Drew Carey Show. Everyone who met him said “Oh, Rush Limbaugh! I _love_ your show!” Made even more of a cinch because he was known for never appearing in the media where he could be challenged. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had veto power over a take he didn’t like written into the contract. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/55 "2022-03-15T02:01:18Z")
I think this covers pretty much everything. [[What a Guy! | Red Dwarf | BBC Studios - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXYfnWRp1Q0&ab_channel=BBCStudios)] ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/56 "2022-03-15T02:30:35Z")
“I oughta kill you right now!” [Points gun at hero, then politely waits for hero to talk him out of it] ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/57 "2022-03-15T05:05:43Z")
“Ah, he plays with death as if it were a toy!” ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/58 "2022-03-15T08:34:13Z")
Another really specific bad line that pops up all the time. Character A is being given an impossible or bizarre task to do by Character B in front of Character B’s cronies. Character A responds back in shock repeating the orders and Character B assumes this means he’s actually all in and it leans on the 4th wall enough to make it annoying. B: I need you to rob Fort Knox using only a Model T car and get away with 10 million dollars. A: Wait hold on, you want me to rob the most heavily guarded bank in America with a 100 year old car and somehow get away with it? B: Now that’s a beautiful summary I’m glad you understand it! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/59 "2022-03-15T11:54:56Z")
A very common action cliche I’ve mentioned in probably more than one similar thread: The good guy beats the bad guy in the final battle. **Bad guy:** Go ahead, finish the job. Kill me! **Good guy:** No, I’m not like you. Good guy turns and starts to walk away. Bad guy removes hidden weapon or grabs nearby dropped weapon, forcing good guy to whip around and kill him in self-defense. Thus good guy gets to keep his virtuousness, and audience is spared an anticlimactic ending. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002/60 "2022-03-15T15:34:17Z")
**Character A** : [completely ludicrous and bizarre statement] **Character B** : [opens mouth as if about to correct Character A, then purses lips as if thinking “What’s the use?”] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealbreaker-screenplay-cliches/961002.md?page=4)