# You're a popular prolific director: what's your signature gimmick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449 "2005-02-17T00:21:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/1 "2005-02-17T00:21:39Z")
Hitchcock had cameos in his movies. Woody Allen had that whole New York thing going. John Landis had “See You Next Wednesday” in his movies. What gimmick(s) would include in your movies? I’d have these: 1. MST3K references in the background 2. Bad guys drive Chryslers or if a Chrysler passes by a character, the character is doomed. 3. There’d be movie posters or commercials for ridiculous movies: “Coming soon: The Botanist!” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/2 "2005-02-17T00:39:10Z")
1. There is at least one reference to “Schenectady.” 2. One of the characters has a name beginning with “Q.” 3. There’s always an important scene set on a stairway (as an hommage to Hitchcock). ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/3 "2005-02-17T00:48:57Z")
1. When plausible, insert Sacramento into the film. 2. Get a group of six or so people together, playing bit parts. 3. Whenever a billboard, wanted poster, or anything of that nature appears in the film, the same face will always be on it. 4. References to some of my stranger tastes, either on the soundtrack, as people appearing in the film, or any other way I care to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/4 "2005-02-17T00:50:38Z")
1. Three or four Cecil Adams or Straight Dope Message Board references in each movie: line of dialogue, an allusion to a column or thread, a prop, a Slug Signorino cartoon, a character name, whatever. I promise to pander shamelessly to this demographic. 2. Soundtrack will always include something by Prince or Louis Armstrong. 3. Actors cast against type. 4. Avoidance of CGI. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/5 "2005-02-17T00:51:19Z")
At least one reference to _Strange Brew._ ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/6 "2005-02-17T00:52:40Z")
1. The rottenest, most evil bitch of the flick is named Tammy. (First woman to break my heart) 2. There’s always a man wearing a hat at 59:34 into the movie. (I have no idea why) 3. There’s at least one car with North Dakota license plates shown. The car can be background or driven by one of the stars. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/7 "2005-02-17T00:52:42Z")
I’d include: 1. A character named Justin Bailey 2. At least one (very obscure) reference to Tremors, Buffy, 24 and The Evil Dead 3. A(nother) video game reference 4. A song by Guster ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/8 "2005-02-17T00:56:02Z")
I think I’d have: Slow-motion action sequences, often with trench coats flapping in the wind and white doves flying… and everyone has to have two guns at all times Two characters who appear in all my movies, who happen to be goofy drug-dealers, or robots, or possibly both Creepy clowns and a generally dark, surreal, German Expressionist look to everything Oh, wait… ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/9 "2005-02-17T01:47:01Z")
Anal. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/10 "2005-02-17T02:27:18Z")
A Heinlein quote somewhere in every picture. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/11 "2005-02-17T02:37:50Z")
Random comic book references: Archers carrying green arrows. Minor characters named T. Strong. Cameos by large shaggy bearded men. Or skinny men in black with wild hair. That sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/12 "2005-02-17T02:52:24Z")
Hot female nudity! And bondage! In fact, forget the movie. ---
**Author:** ![klintypooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3da27b/32.png) [@klintypooh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/klintypooh)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/13 "2005-02-17T02:58:01Z")
Angry midgets. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/14 "2005-02-17T03:06:23Z")
I would be a body in each of my movies. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/15 "2005-02-17T03:15:05Z")
The extras strolling by in the background would approach the actors in the foreground and feign buttsex with them. ---
**Author:** ![klintypooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3da27b/32.png) [@klintypooh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/klintypooh)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/16 "2005-02-17T03:20:00Z")
> [@Torgo](#): > > The extras strolling by in the background would approach the actors in the foreground and feign buttsex with them. If you replace feign with ‘have’ you will sell lots more movies. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/17 "2005-02-17T03:26:32Z")
You guys are killin’ me! (funny you are) 1. a main character says “Her pendulous breasts” in Mandarin or German or something, someone else says “eh?” and the character looks at them like they’re nuts and says, “never mind.” 2. Beavis & Butthead on a TV in the background somewhere 3. a serious attempt to incorporate a llama or llama byproduct into the plot ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/18 "2005-02-17T03:29:43Z")
All of my movies would have huge amounts of gratuitous sex and violence in them. Actually that’s more of a “marketing” gimmick than a “signature” gimmick. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/19 "2005-02-17T03:37:34Z")
> [@klintypooh](#): > > If you replace feign with ‘have’ you will sell lots more movies. Subtlety is dead. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449/20 "2005-02-17T03:42:24Z")
> [@Torgo](#): > > Subtlety is dead. That should be the title of your first background butt-plug movie. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-popular-prolific-director-whats-your-signature-gimmick/290449.md?page=2)