A Cinematic Guide To Recognizing Red Flags

Expose potential narrative challenges as you learn the art of identifying red flags in movies. This exploration promises to elevate your understanding of cinematic storytelling and enhance your viewing experience.

“When characters exchange information they both already know, and that’s the dialogue.

“Aw, what’s up, my baby sister?”“Don’t call me baby – I’m already ten.”“I know. Because you were nine when Mom died, and that was a year ago. Remember?” “Of course I remember – you’re my older brother after all.””

“Licensed music that doesn’t match the scene but is recognizable”

“Expositional dialogue.

It’s why detectives and reporters are protagonists a lot. Their job is to have exposition told directly to them”

“If there are multiple trailers that use the same bad joke, that’s not a great sign.”

“When Bob walks up to Alice and says “quick, drop everything, we need to fly to Rome now, here’s your ticket”

Then the next scene is Alice and Bob in the airport in Rome, presumably after a long international flight. And Alice says “so why are we here anyway?” As if no time has passed”

“And if the trailer makes you feel like you’ve seen the whole movie already”

“Basically every Kevin Hart movie.”

“Or their excuse for not telling someone a secret because “I was trying to protect you””

“When they draw too much attention to their foreshadowing.”

 

“Oh, I see you have Jesse’s lighter. He loved that lighter. Always lighting his cigarettes with it. Man, I miss seeing him use that lighter. “

“Cop movies (and some military) when the partner starts talking too much about his upcoming nuptials or kids, he’s gonna die.”

“If it starts in a bar where the protagonist has to beat up some loud mouth patrons to let the audience know he’s a bad @$$. Bonus points if the loud mouth bar patrons are harassing a female bartender.”

“Road House with Patrick Swayze is an exception.”

“When I start saying out loud “why the f@#k would you do that” or “just do x y z and none of this movie even has to happen!!” Sh#t along those lines. It drives my wife nuts.”

“Hallmark movies”

“When it’s super dark and difficult to even see what’s happening on the screen”

“Not really true in every case but husband and I have a running joke that if the first scene for a character has a car door open and a booted foot (or stiletto) comes out to stand on the pavement (camera angle low) its either a sh#t movie or a comedy.”

“A surplus of production companies in the opening credits, none of which you’ve ever heard of before. Guaranteed to be low-budget and almost always a complete mess.

“Babbling Brooks Pictures presents a Sanded Mountain United production of a Millennium Triangle Studios film. In Association with Wingnut Dishwashers Unlimited” is code for “we were desperate for money so we took it from literally anyone who would give it to us.””

“Plot contrivances. If something nonsensical happens or someone makes a ridiculous decision just to make the plot happen I automatically start checking out.”

“Opening with voice-over narration that merely repeats what we are looking at”

Source: www.reddit.com

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