Movie/TV clichés

[Amor de Cosmos]

I wonder how lucrative is the life of a Hallmark actor. If it's reasonable enough it provides the dual benefit of decent cash and almost total anonymity.

Do they employ many 59yo English men?

I've a friend who's been in couple. He said he's never been treated better on set, or off. It's possibly the only thing that sustains any level of interest for most professionals

[ursus arctos]

Don't quit your day job

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifit...h=69211caa3f34

[Sits]

I wonder how lucrative is the life of a Hallmark actor. If it's reasonable enough it provides the dual benefit of decent cash and almost total anonymity.

Do they employ many 59yo English men?

[Hot Pepsi]

The possibility of AI writing or acting in Hallmark movies came up a few times in the coverage of the recent Hollywood labor strikes. AI may already be writing these movies. How could we tell the difference? Alan Turing never considered Hallmark movies.

The absolute volume of these films is staggering. The excess, as well as the predictability, is now part of the appeal. I suppose that could be said of our current Christmas culture overall.

There should be academic journals just devoted to the study of this phenomenon.

[ursus arctos]

There are dozens/hundreds of these, and multiple podcasts devoted to same, such as this one

https://deckthehallmark.com/

[Patrick Thistle]

The only visitors from out of town who can find love are

scions of the family who quit the podunk life to follow their dreams in the Big City but then return* after they're dumped / widowed / fired / caught up in a scandal... and then they meet their high school sweetheart who is also single and never stopped carrying a torch for them.


*possibly to inherit the family farm after their estranged relative died

[tee rex]

I would agree with SB there, except that would show that I've watched a lot of these movies, which I can never admit, so I really have no idea what he and ursus are on about.

[San Bernardhinault]

The only visitors from out of town who can find love are male executives from evil mega corps who’re intent on shutting down the small artisanal businesses run by local women and who’re desperate to get back to the bright lights but who learn the true meaning of small town existence after some incident renders them incapable of returning that weekend.

[ursus arctos]

The seemingly endless series of Hallmark holiday movies can be seen as an exercise in identifying answers to your last question.

[tee rex]

From the discussion on the "Innovations" thread about maps v modern technology ...

Maps are a common visual prop. Unfold one, try and decipher it, struggle with it, might blow away, and when a character strides off ("I know the way!") the one holding the map will be exasperated as they can't fold it up again.

It might be a ragged piece of parchment but despite the river crossings, monster attacks and atrocious weather, it will remain whole and legible.

It's easy to keep using maps for stories set in the past or a fantasy world, but if we do away with maps in our own time, how will visitors from out of town meet the locals and fall in love?

[Sits]

Ah, by bumping this thread you've reminded me: The Night Agent is a pretty formulaic action series but dialogue cliché is top notch.

[tee rex]

Yoga only happens for one reason: sex. The character (usually female) does yoga which then leads to sex, or wanting sex, or otherwise "amusingly" introducing the subject of sex. Nobody ever does yoga for yoga, they do the instructor.

[Patrick Thistle]

I thought the "Jaynestown" episode of Firefly messed with this trope to very funny effect.

But even that was very similar to a Farscape episode where there's a statue of a Hyneerian in a random village.

And there was a Marvel Comic between Empire and Jedi where Luke and Leia find a statue of Han Solo on a planet in an almost identical story to Jaynestown.

[Snake Plissken]

Any spaceship crew making contact with different alien civilisations every episode will be mistaken for gods on one planet. This might mean they are worshipped or blamed for everything that's wrong in the world. Or both.

I thought the "Jaynestown" episode of Firefly messed with this trope to very funny effect.

[Walter Knight]

Any spaceship crew making contact with different alien civilisations every episode will be mistaken for gods on one planet. This might mean they are worshipped or blamed for everything that's wrong in the world. Or both.

On a broadly similar theme, an alien planet will only have one supreme ruler (and possibly some sort of rebels in opposition in a Star Wars-type production).
There's never different areas/blocs with different political/military/economic goals that have to try to reach consensus on matters of planet-wide importance. I appreciate that would make for boring viewing, but it also seems highly unlikely that if there is life on other planets, it wouldn't be at least as diverse in views/opinions/power structures as our relatively small home.

[Lang Spoon]

All ITV sitcoms are fucking shit

Especially ones from LWT

Thanks for that, man who lives pre-1992.

[Patrick Thistle]

Any spaceship crew making contact with different alien civilisations every episode will be mistaken for gods on one planet. This might mean they are worshipped or blamed for everything that's wrong in the world. Or both.

[Guy Profumo]

All ITV sitcoms are fucking shit

Especially ones from LWT

[Hot Pepsi]

Part of that is to be taller. See the previous discussion of Gal Gadot’s odd wedge boots in Wonder Woman.

[San Bernardhinault]

I don’t know if I’ve complained about this yet, and it really is “TV tropes I’m not OK with”..,

Woman protagonists in action and spy films and TV are always wearing inappropriate footwear. Usually leather, with heels at least a couple of cm high. They run, keeping up with bad guys, wearing these things. Climb down balconies. Get into marshal arts style fights.

You’d think that as highly trained agents they’d choose more practical shoes for the job. If so they might catch the bad guys quicker and win fights faster. And certainly after the first time they did it they’d put on some running shoes instead.

[tee rex]

In a diner/cafe, how do you use the items on your table?

The napkin ... for writing on, obviously. A phone number, a clue, whatever.

The fried egg ... for putting out your cigarette (preferably in the yolk, it's sunny side up).

The knife ... for pretending to put in your heart to show your feelings have been hurt by the person opposite, or by the sassy waitress.

[elguapo4]

If you're getting married in sitcom land, there's a very good chance that the minister will go sick the day before the ceremony. Don't worry, one of your friends will pipe up and announce that they are ordained, as they did it on the internet. So no need for stress (although there may be a need to punch your friend in the face for the smug way they announce this, like it was a surprise).

Or else one of them will confess an indiscretion that any normal person would take to their grave.

[pebblethefish]

If you're getting married in sitcom land, there's a very good chance that the minister will go sick the day before the ceremony. Don't worry, one of your friends will pipe up and announce that they are ordained, as they did it on the internet. So no need for stress (although there may be a need to punch your friend in the face for the smug way they announce this, like it was a surprise).

[Slightly Brown]

Need an actor to portray a female character with feelings that she is unwilling to vocalise but is clearly feeling deeply? Hire Scarlett Johansen.

Now, while I get your point, let’s not get carried away. Johansen is a brilliant actress. Her disembodied performance in the brilliant Her was superb. Actually, I think we’re making the same point. Och. Ok. I have a high-school crush on her. Don’t tell anyone.

[Patrick Thistle]

Need an actor to portray a female character with feelings that she is unwilling to vocalise but is clearly feeling deeply? Hire Scarlett Johansen.