horror movie conventions

[veronica_rich]

I'm looking to compile a list of horror movie conventions - you know, dolls that come to life, homicidal cars possessed by evil spirits, and the like. Can you think of one or more to comment below?

Comments

[ainsoph15.livejournal.com]

Virgins live; sluts don't.

Creepy kids, usually accompanied by eerie plinky-plunky music.

The town and townsfolk which on the surface look ideal, but underneath hide a DARK SEKRIT.

Dream and fantasy as a means for an evil presence to access the mind of the protagonist.

The 'Pandora's Box' effect - Don't feed them after midnight; don't go that way through the woods; don't press that lever; don't go into THAT house; don't go after the mysterious little child; DON'T OPEN THE BOX!!!. This one is probably in 90% of horror films *g*

Objects of power (in contrast to possessed objects, like the ones you mentioned), which must be destroyed if the spirit/evildoer is to be laid to rest.

Psycho-killers of every description, whether supernatural or human, appear to be impervious to injury that would have floored anyone else. They just get up and keep going.

There's often a moment, or a hint that the killer does have another side to them, and does have the potential for redemption, though this never comes to fruition, as either their nature takes over again, or they perceive that they have been betrayed (whether this is imagined or actual) by the person who inspired those more humane feelings. Obviously this results in a further killing spree.

Something which comes to get you when you sleep - proper primal fear :D

Uh, yeah, I've seen a lot of horror films...

[golden-helikaon.livejournal.com]

Hesitation to kill the killer. Usually too much talking (just like in other movies where the bad guy dies).

They always always run upstairs if the killer is in the house, never outside. It usually involves trying to hide in the bathroom as well.

There's always someone who knows more about the killer/what's happening, but they always die before they can fully give the details.

I don't think I've seen many horrors where the sole survivor isn't a girl.

Like ainsoph15 said, a big one is that the killer is practically indestructable. I think Michael Myers was decapitated in one of the sequels, but he still came back for more. Or you have Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kruger who are supposedly dead during all of their murders.

In road trip horror movies, the characters always come across a creepy old house full of inbred, crazy murderers and the 'helpful cop' is usually part of said family.

[golden-helikaon.livejournal.com]

Eh...I clicked post comment and it didn't show up... I don't know if it actually went through or not.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Faux innocence; the killer/supernatural entity/big bad is or looks like a child or a similarly innocent seeming person.

Mind-control - protagonists are forced to do something OOC, usually horrific.

False awakening - the protagonist(s) think they have escaped, but they're still in the game/lair/trap/etc.

Ignoring obvious warning signs - everyone who lived in the house before them died in horrific accidents; there seem to be no animals in the woods they're planning to hike in and there's a storm brewing; person after person refuses to take them to the village they want to vacation in and doesn't want to talk about it, but the protagonists go ahead with their plans regardless.

Similarly: Gleefully disregarding risks - "relax; there's no way we'd get stranded in those mountains despite the fact that the bus into town 10 miles away only runs once a day, and the bridge has a tendency to break!"

The killer/big bad is actually one of the protagonists.

Insane doctors/dentists.

All I can think of for now. :)

[wicked-swann.livejournal.com]

Don't go into the basement! Alone! With a flashlight!

[metalkatt.livejournal.com]

the heroine falling and twisting her ankle at some point

the heroine wearing impractical footwear

the ugly ones go first

nobody listens to the smart ones

practicality? what's that?

nobody even tries to break a chair or grab something that's not a weapon and MAKE IT A WEAPON.

(Konna and Sierche are insulted at the 'dolls coming to life to kill you' comment.)

people never look behind them, even when they scream at other people/the tv/whatever to look behind them. *pauses, looks behind self*

emergency services like fire/police/whatever are unavailable due to crap weather.

crap weather.

never having neighbours around.

not knowing how to jump out the fsking window, and only focusing on the door

never having enough ammo, though this ties in with my "MAKE SOMETHING A WEAPON" point. Rocks, sticks, a kitchen knife, a lead pipe, break a lightbulb and use the fixture to shock the enemy, SOMETHING.

it's always a trap.

the cute ones die in the end

only one or two people get out

the ones with the least character development die

no switching protagonists

beware the sequel... because you'll be running from this bastard the rest of your damned life.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

You know the toy ship? I thought throwing in some cliched horror might be scary and humorous. :-P

I shall explain tonight. If I find you ...

[captsparrow4evr.livejournal.com]

losing cell phone service/cell phone battery dying
picking up hitchhikers (never a good idea)
Seedy motels with creepy desk clerks (sorry, creepy desk clerks of seedy motels in real life but it's the movies' fault)
Taxidermy
being bitten
power outages
mad geniuses/scientists/doctors
normally harmless creatures growing extremely large or aggressive
screaming uselessly and/or at the inappropriate time (like when trying to hide)
dead bodies being suspended from the ceiling so they drip blood on the heroine and cause said screaming
the car/bus/truck won't start
menacing headlights in the rear view mirror

and finally
despite the fact that we should feel some sympathy for a person who has a) been terribly burned and is disfigured, b) was born mentally unstable and is disfigured or c) had someone attempt to kill _them_ and is disfigured, they're such horrendous and indestructible killers that we cannot develop any sort of sympathy for them.

I'm done.;)

[soleilpirate.livejournal.com]

At first I thought you meant conventions as in, a place to go to celebrate horror films. As in, Star Trek conventions. Eek.

Spiders coming out of someone's face.
Mirrors leading to other worlds/showing horrific things.

Those are two of the biggest reasons I avoid horror films like the plague.

[a-silver-rose.livejournal.com]

How about the evil character (Freddie, Jason, Chucky, ect.) NEVER. STAYING. DEAD.