If they are a new character that week and get into a dangerous situation (killer in their apartment, whatever) before the 21-minute mark. Always dead. The next guy might get rescued, but not you. There’s too much of the episode left.
“We’ve got to get out of here before those things kill Guy!”
Pete “Dead Meat” Thompson from Hot Shots! is a series of running gags on just this point, starting with a black cat running across his path, him walking under a ladder, and his wife breaking a mirror:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/mv-TYZDn/dead_meats_lucky_day/
Chas*, or originally from a different title - Zatanna (perhaps the only one of John’s girlfriends to survive for an extended amount of time), and Swamp Thing and Abbie Arcane came out OK. (Of course, Z hates his guts, and Swampy was an odd case to begin with.)
- Did something happen to his sister? Been a long while since I’ve read Hellblazer, and I was several years behind, even then…
Anyone who starts walking backwards in a scary place or situation.
In a horror movie, never use a bathroom cabinet with a mirror surface.
Because when you shut the door, the reflection shows the killer standing right behind you!
The Drake Ramoray rule: Your character is played by an actor who pisses off the people who make the show. (See: Charlie Harper)
being Steve Buscemi in a Coen Brothers’ movie.
I caught a bit of Top Gun last night. Specificallly, the bit where our troubled but brilliant hero Maverick says to Goose:
“You’re the only family I have, man.”
Seriously, why not just stab the guy right then and have done with it?
That was John Constanteen. Totally different guy.
Calling home just to say, “I love you.” The call is often missed and a message left. Common to war movies.
Telling someone powerful or important that you’re going to report their misdeeds in the morning.
In the same movie he also didn’t use a cliche when he could. Keith David’s character is short. Not only does he survive, he gets pulled off the line early. As he was heading to the helicopter I was expecting a shot to ring out.
Just watched “Drive” and thought of this thread when…
SPOILER SPACE
a character, who you know is going to participate in a pawn shop robbery the next day, makes a toast, “To my family, to my new friend and to the future.” You know the rest.
If you’re a/the bad guy and you just disarmed the good guy or broken his weapon, prepare to meet your maker.
And of course, in the comics, if you found out that Superman was Clark Kent, you probably weren’t going to last much past “CONTINUED NEXT ISSUE!”
I can’t think of a single example of that…
Ignoring other superheroes, characters who’ve known in various continuities…
The Kents
Jimmy
Lois
Lana
Pete
Chloe
All of whom got by just fine.
Famous example Action Comics 309.
Good one.
Of course, he never made it to the issue hitting the stands…
someone just admitted to seeing red tails, i think you’re fine.
how about being the fat guy in the dinosaur theme park movie? or the black guy in the dinosaur theme park movie? or the australian guy in the dinosaur theme park movie. or the…