Tropescilloscope: Artistic License History
The creator of a work ignores historical inaccuracy in the interest of telling a better story. (read more at tvtropes.org)
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It Can Think
Fingore
The X of Y
Offscreen Teleportation
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other
More Dakka
Film Noir
Rousing Speech
Card-Carrying Villain
Black Dude Dies First
Red Oni, Blue Oni
Race Lift
Did Not Get the Girl
And the Adventure Continues
Final Girl
Anti-Villain
Leave the Camera Running
Those Two Bad Guys
Amoral Attorney
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Unresolved Sexual Tension
Beta Couple
Overly Long Gag
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue
Every Car Is a Pinto
For Want of a Nail
Here We Go Again!
The Reveal
Artistic License Military
Badass Longcoat
Disproportionate Retribution
Nothing Is Scarier
Martial Arts Movie
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown
Jerkass Has a Point
Mystery and Detective Films
What the Hell, Hero?
Small Name, Big Ego
Reality Has No Subtitles
Major Injury Underreaction
Adaptational Villainy
Hero of Another Story
Fan Disservice
Bloodier and Gorier
German Films
Anguished Declaration of Love
Corpsing
The Chick
Air-Vent Passageway
Film Series
Eldritch Abomination
Cool Guns
Henpecked Husband
Bad Boss
Dumb Blonde
Hero Antagonist
The Cavalry
Sole Survivor
Evil Brit
Costume Porn
Imagine Spot
Would Hurt a Child
Does Not Like Shoes
Amusing Injuries
Rewatch Bonus
Gorn
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
The Mafia
Retcon
All There in the Script
Improvised Weapon
Dirty Cop
From Bad to Worse
Redshirt Army
B-Movie
Dogged Nice Guy
Depraved Bisexual
Death of a Child
Heroes Want Redheads
Author Appeal
Smoking Is Cool
Good Is Not Nice
Author Avatar
Bavarian Fire Drill
Shown Their Work
Only One Name
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
Dutch Angle
Psychological Thriller
Big Damn Heroes
Race Against the Clock
Fiery Redhead
Screw the Money, I Have Rules!
Only Known by Their Nickname
Does This Remind You of Anything?
Expy
Chewing the Scenery
Shell-Shocked Veteran
Market-Based Title
Fate Worse than Death
Your Cheating Heart
Fish out of Water
Dies Wide Open
The Sociopath
Stealth Hi/Bye
The Vamp
Knife Nut
Dark and Troubled Past
Ironic Echo
Damsel in Distress
In the Back
Rated M for Manly
Show Within a Show
Death by Irony
Evil Laugh
Fantastic Racism
Curse Cut Short
Kick the Dog
Artistic License Biology
The Quiet One
Arc Words
Scenery Porn
Television Movie Index
Suspiciously Similar Substitute
Wicked Cultured
Pay Evil unto Evil
Wham Line
The Ditz
Training Montage
Funny Foreigner
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Take That!
Catch-Phrase
Bound and Gagged
Horror Films
Developing Doomed Characters
Russian Films
Maybe Ever After
Big Fancy House
Important Haircut
Sci-Fi Horror
Handicapped Badass
Cassandra Truth
Alas, Poor Villain
Everyone Has Standards
Drugs Are Bad
Visual Pun
"Well Done, Son!" Guy
I'm a Humanitarian
Belligerent Sexual Tension
Rape as Drama
Toilet Humour
aka: Toilet Humor
Due to the Dead
Jump Scare
No Ending
Accidental Misnaming
Chekhov's Skill
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!
The Lost Lenore
Death Glare
Not Using the "Z" Word
Reckless Gun Usage
Greater-Scope Villain
Actually Pretty Funny
Male Frontal Nudity
Artistic License History
Hypocritical Humor
Bottomless Magazines
Beware the Nice Ones
Contrived Coincidence
Not What It Looks Like
Reasonable Authority Figure
Villain with Good Publicity
Big Brother Instinct
Deadpan Snarker
Implacable Man
The Dreaded
Product Placement
Skewed Priorities
Demonic Possession
Bunny-Ears Lawyer
Missing Mom
Mr. Fanservice
Creepy Child
Auto Erotica
Flashback
Meaningful Echo
Let's Get Dangerous!
I Have Your Wife
Evil Is Petty
Non-Indicative Name
All There in the Manual
Even Evil Has Loved Ones
Arch-Enemy
Disguised in Drag
Star-Crossed Lovers
Black Comedy
British Films
Dull Surprise
Obviously Evil
Evil Is Hammy
Shower Scene
Sanity Slippage
Batman Gambit
Posthumous Character
Zombie Stories
The '50s
'80s Hair
Made of Explodium
One-Man Army
Punny Name
The Great Depression
Not So Above It All
Antagonist Title
Parental Substitute
Bring My Brown Pants
Lock and Load Montage
Informed Ability
Nice Guy
The Dog Bites Back
Make It Look Like an Accident
Hypocrite
Love Triangle
Once More, with Clarity!
Soundtrack Dissonance
Gainax Ending
Kubrick Stare
Spared by the Adaptation
Crazy Jealous Guy
Babies Ever After
Deliberate Values Dissonance
Sexy Discretion Shot
Cat Fight
Last-Name Basis
Crapsack World
Killed Mid-Sentence
Cold-Blooded Torture
Mama Bear
Insistent Terminology
Mr. Exposition
Break the Haughty
Older Than They Look
Rule of Funny
Suddenly SHOUTING!
Creative Closing Credits
Sealed Evil in a Can
Spanner in the Works
Frame-Up
Redemption Equals Death
Big "NO!"
Vomit Discretion Shot
Never Trust a Trailer
Drill Sergeant Nasty
Mighty Whitey
My Greatest Failure
The '60s
Freeze-Frame Bonus
Plot Hole
The Ace
The Voiceless
He Knows Too Much
Japanese Films
Domestic Abuse
MayDecember Romance
Wrong Genre Savvy
Paper-Thin Disguise
All Men Are Perverts
Heterosexual Life-Partners
One Steve Limit
Crucified Hero Shot
The Stoner
Ambiguously Gay
Adaptation Distillation
Unusual Euphemism
Men Are the Expendable Gender
Well-Intentioned Extremist
Distracted by the Sexy
Colour-Coded for Your Convenience
aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience
An Axe to Grind
Running Gag
No Antagonist
Knight Templar
Bolivian Army Ending
Gender Flip
Spell My Name with an "S"
Determinator
Be Careful What You Wish For
Bittersweet Ending
A God Am I
Real Life Writes the Plot
One-Word Title
Conspicuous CG
Destination Defenestration
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice
My God, What Have I Done?
Slasher Movie
Four-Temperament Ensemble
Captain Ersatz
Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy
Rule of Symbolism
Improbable Aiming Skills
Mugging the Monster
Bilingual Bonus
Villain Ball
Action Survivor
Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday
You Have Failed Me
The Casanova
Heel Realization
I Need a Freaking Drink
O.O.C. Is Serious Business
Serial Killer
Rule of Cool
Whole Plot Reference
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!
Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique
Left the Background Music On
Shipper on Deck
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
Daylight Horror
Getting Crap Past the Radar
Ambiguous Disorder
Fun with Acronyms
Red Herring
Oh, Crap!
Kill 'em All
Jerkass
Award-Bait Song
Grievous Bottley Harm
Properly Paranoid
Disney Villain Death
Woman Scorned
Big Eater
Eye Scream
Poor Communication Kills
Logo Joke
Foreshadowing
It Will Never Catch On
Italian Films
For the Evulz
The Atoner
She's Got Legs
The Dragon
Attempted Rape
Pretty Little Headshots
Wounded Gazelle Gambit
Have a Gay Old Time
Novelization
Evil Sounds Deep
Bullying a Dragon
Psychopathic Manchild
Manipulative Bastard
Never Trust a Trailer
aka: Trailers Always Lie
The Lancer
Ambiguous Ending
Department of Redundancy Department
Big Applesauce
All for Nothing
Word of God
Failed a Spot Check
Composite Character
Vomit Indiscretion Shot
Genre Shift
Genre Savvy
Spiteful Spit
Car Fu
Wretched Hive
Throwing Your Sword Always Works
Central Theme
Children Are Innocent
Artistic License Geography
Almost Kiss
Those Two Guys
Ominous Latin Chanting
Villainous Breakdown
Badass Grandpa
Deus ex Machina
Dirty Coward
Psycho for Hire
What You Are in the Dark
Establishing Character Moment
Animal Motifs
Decoy Protagonist
Broken Pedestal
Exactly What It Says on the Tin
Fanservice Extra
Random Events Plot
Sports Stories
NO INDOOR VOICE
Toplessness from the Back
Chase Scene
Karmic Death
The Bad Guy Wins
Riddle for the Ages
Guile Hero
Tap on the Head
Dressing as the Enemy
An Aesop
Mundane Made Awesome
Military and Warfare Films
Dark Action Girl
Male Gaze
Silent Movie
Covers Always Lie
Heroic Sacrifice
The Load
The Smart Guy
Get Out!
Bloodless Carnage
Film Noir Index
Recap /
RiffTrax
aka: Riff Trax Movies
Red Shirt
Morality Pet
Humans Are Bastards
Tranquil Fury
Gilligan Cut
Cloudcuckoolander
The Ghost
Hell Is That Noise
Ship Tease
Extreme Doormat
Laser-Guided Karma
Very Loosely Based on a True Story
Intrepid Reporter
Disney Death
Asshole Victim
Not Even Bothering with the Accent
Anti-Hero
Sacrificial Lion
Butt-Monkey
Up to Eleven
From Nobody to Nightmare
Gone Horribly Right
Gory Discretion Shot
Motor Mouth
Foregone Conclusion
Dramatic Gun Cock
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good
It's Personal
"The Reason You Suck" Speech
Aside Glance
Book-Ends
The Big Guy
Leitmotif
Dwindling Party
Deliberately Monochrome
Police Brutality
Line-of-Sight Name
You Killed My Father
Blatant Lies
Blackmail
Face Death with Dignity
Driven to Suicide
Cruel and Unusual Death
The Musical
BFG
Guns Akimbo
Thriller
Super Strength
I Did What I Had to Do
Curb-Stomp Battle
Black Best Friend
Christmas Movies Index
Neck Lift
Apocalypse How
Woman in White
timeperiod
Setting Update
Action Genre
Call-Forward
Obfuscating Stupidity
Framing Device
Broken Aesop
Celebrity Paradox
Coming-of-Age Story
Five-Man Band
The Hero Dies
Karma Houdini
Put on a Bus
Extremely Short Timespan
The Bully
Papa Wolf
Anyone Can Die
Action Girl
Mind Screw
Disappeared Dad
Time Skip
Danny Peary Cult Movies List
Fatal Flaw
Even Evil Has Standards
Age Lift
Historical Villain Upgrade
Not Quite Dead
Beard of Evil
Femme Fatale
Science Fiction Films
Worthy Opponent
Fainting
Villain Opening Scene
Rich Bitch
Big Bad
Agony of the Feet
Pet the Dog
Reality Ensues
Cool Shades
French Films
Slasher Smile
Shoot the Shaggy Dog
Crazy-Prepared
Jerk Jock
Off-into-the-Distance Ending
Stepford Smiler
Soft Glass
Happily Married
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!
Cat Scare
The Cameo
Pre-Mortem One-Liner
Our Zombies Are Different
You Have Got to Be Kidding Me!
Intergenerational Friendship
Anachronism Stew
Breaking the Fourth Wall
Roaring Rampage of Revenge
Green-Eyed Monster
Canon Foreigner
Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome
Music Stories
Catapult Nightmare
A Date with Rosie Palms
Recycled IN SPACE!
Downer Ending
Same Language Dub
Big-Bad Ensemble
After the End
Meaningful Name
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
Bury Your Gays
Bi the Way
Irony
Gold Digger
What Happened to the Mouse?
Outrun the Fireball
Silence Is Golden
Documentary
Dropped a Bridge on Him
Cool Car
Badass Normal
Hollywood Law
Twist Ending
Eyepatch of Power
Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism
Drowning My Sorrows
Title Drop
Loophole Abuse
Noodle Incident
Unusually Uninteresting Sight
Better to Die than Be Killed
Brainless Beauty
Death by Sex
Epic Movie
Dramatic Irony
Affectionate Parody
Villain Song
Red Eyes, Take Warning
Friend to All Children
Black Comedy Rape
Arranged Marriage
Really Gets Around
Hong Kong Films
Adaptational Attractiveness
Rule of Three
The Place
Pre-Asskicking One-Liner
Naïve Newcomer
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
Artistic License Physics
Not So Different
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Cain and Abel
No Celebrities Were Harmed
The Un-Reveal
Daddy's Girl
Rasputinian Death
Light Is Not Good
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife
Grey and Gray Morality
Together in Death
Pretty in Mink
Call-Back
Blonde, Brunette, Redhead
Idiot Ball
Hooker with a Heart of Gold
Evil Counterpart
Video Credits
Death Seeker
Serious Business
Adults Are Useless
Defrosting Ice Queen
Trailers Always Spoil
Retirony
Darkest Hour
Match Cut
Earn Your Happy Ending
The Power of Love
Drives Like Crazy
Eagleland
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?
As Long as It Sounds Foreign
Neck Snap
Betty and Veronica
Superhero
Bond One-Liner
Anachronic Order
Foil
Scare Chord
Demoted to Extra
Took a Level in Badass
Expository Hairstyle Change
Only Sane Man
Improbable Infant Survival
aka: Infant Immortality
Brick Joke
Punch-Clock Villain
Fire-Forged Friends
MacGuffin
Kill It with Fire
The Alleged Car
World of Ham
As You Know
Hope Spot
Insult Backfire
Romantic False Lead
Fatal Family Photo
Enemy Mine
Bond Villain Stupidity
Meaningful Background Event
Mood Whiplash
Badass Boast
Country Matters
No-Sell
Room Full of Crazy
Stock Footage
Pun
aka: Incredibly Lame Pun
The Stoic
Taking You with Me
Never My Fault
FaceHeel Turn
Corrupt Corporate Executive
Half the Man He Used to Be
Hollywood Darkness
The Brute
Famous Last Words
Fourth Date Marriage
Works Set in World War II
Parental Incest
Back from the Dead
The '90s
Brutal Honesty
Narrator
No Name Given
Romantic Comedy
Shut Up, Hannibal!
Hoist by His Own Petard
Leaning on the Fourth Wall
Madness Mantra
Cowboy Cop
Mercy Kill
Eiffel Tower Effect
Boom, Headshot!
Token Minority
There Is No Kill Like Overkill
Sassy Black Woman
Punctuated! For! Emphasis!
Ungrateful Bastard
Creator Cameo
Spiritual Successor
Captain Obvious
Love at First Sight
Sadistic Choice
Mad Scientist
Early Installment Weirdness
Badass in a Nice Suit
Taking the Bullet
Badass Bookworm
Needs Wiki Magic Love
Blood from the Mouth
Immune to Bullets
Beauty Is Never Tarnished
Playing Gertrude
Never Found the Body
Closed Circle
Bare Your Midriff
Double-Meaning Title
Tagline
Shirtless Scene
Unwitting Instigator of Doom
An Arm and a Leg
Homage
Fake Shemp
Our Vampires Are Different
Stylistic Suck
Affably Evil
Adult Fear
Kick the Son of a Bitch
Fanservice
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy
Parental Abandonment
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds
Cool Old Lady
Say My Name
Adaptational Heroism
Hate Sink
Truth in Television
Horror Comedy
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil
Translation Convention
Only in It for the Money
Refuge in Audacity
Calling the Old Man Out
In Name Only
Large Ham
Politically Incorrect Villain
Evil-Detecting Dog
Exact Words
The Smurfette Principle
Moment Killer
Dramedy
Unreliable Narrator
Faux Affably Evil
Dirty Old Man
Chekhov's Gunman
Groin Attack
Empathic Environment
Ascended Extra
Shout-Out
The Hero
The Faceless
Ripped from the Headlines
Bowdlerise
Your Head A-Splode
Bloody Hilarious
Funny Background Event
Only a Flesh Wound
Lampshade Hanging
Bland-Name Product
Slap-Slap-Kiss
Peek-a-Boo Corpse
Adaptation Dye-Job
Mexican Standoff
Storming the Castle
Mooks
Real Life
Hair-Trigger Temper
Made of Iron
Tempting Fate
Public Domain Feature Films
Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene
Girl-on-Girl Is Hot
No OSHA Compliance
Naked People Are Funny
Malevolent Masked Men
Dying Moment of Awesome
Deal with the Devil
Artistic License Law
Flipping the Bird
Awesome, but Impractical
This Is Gonna Suck
Accidental Murder
Pragmatic Villainy
Broken Bird
The Remake
Pyrrhic Victory
Mythology Gag
Not So Stoic
Smug Snake
It's All About Me
Casting Gag
Married to the Job
Animal Title Index
The End... Or Is It?
Hidden Depths
Biopic
Canadian Movies
In Medias Res
Obstructive Bureaucrat
Heroic BSoD
Bait-and-Switch
Adaptation Name Change
Names to Run Away from Really Fast
Dark Reprise
The '80s
Mistaken for Gay
Stuff Blowing Up
Freudian Excuse
Chiaroscuro
Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?
Humiliation Conga
Manchild
Deconstruction
Straight Gay
Ghost Fiction
Took a Level in Jerkass
Stalker with a Crush
Cluster F-Bomb
Historical In-Joke
Retired Badass
Parental Neglect
Aluminum Christmas Trees
Fat Bastard
She Cleans Up Nicely
Easily Forgiven
The Alcoholic
Overprotective Dad
How We Got Here
Victoria's Secret Compartment
As Himself
Sir Swears-a-Lot
Dissonant Serenity
Camera Abuse
Laughing Mad
"Shaggy Dog" Story
N-Word Privileges
And Starring
Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer
Sequel Escalation
All Girls Want Bad Boys
Re-Cut
A Father to His Men
Australian Movies
Pimped-Out Dress
Sinister Minister
Character Development
Stealth Pun
The '70s
Didn't Think This Through
Bald of Evil
Scenery Gorn
A.I. Is a Crapshoot
Abusive Parents
Plucky Comic Relief
Defiant to the End
Unspoken Plan Guarantee
Vacation Films
Break the Cutie
Adaptation Expansion
Diabolus ex Machina
Facial Horror
Determinator
aka: The Determinator
Yandere
Credits Gag
Slashed Throat
A Minor Kidroduction
20 Minutes into the Future
Vitriolic Best Buds
Protagonist Title
Improbable Weapon User
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
Alpha Bitch
Despair Event Horizon
Double Entendre
Actor Allusion
Eureka Moment
Ms. Fanservice
Adaptational Badass
True Companions
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping
Animated Credits Opening
Based on a True Story
"Awesome McCool" Name
Bar Brawl
Abhorrent Admirer
Death by Adaptation
Pragmatic Adaptation
Police are Useless
Gratuitous English
Nice Hat
Black and Gray Morality
Evil vs. Evil
The Un-Favourite
aka: The Un Favorite
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!
Totally Radical
Dark Is Not Evil
Red Right Hand
Darker and Edgier
Historical Hero Upgrade
Revenge
Becoming the Mask
La Résistance
Combat Pragmatist
Bad "Bad Acting"
Too Dumb to Live
Man on Fire
Annoying Younger Sibling
Instant Death Bullet
I Just Shot Marvin in the Face
Dual Wielding
Interrupted Suicide
Blood Knight
Offscreen Moment of Awesome
Sequel Hook
Genre Throwback
Lighter and Softer
Advertised Extra
Meet Cute
Reality Is Unrealistic
Body Horror
Vampire Fiction
The Chessmaster
Take a Third Option
All Just a Dream
Cool Old Guy
Early-Bird Cameo
Kids Are Cruel
Berserk Button
Adorkable
He Who Fights Monsters
Artistic License Gun Safety
Jitter Cam
War Is Hell
Wham Shot
Insane Troll Logic
Fantasy Films
The Film of the Book
Villain Protagonist
And I Must Scream
Armor-Piercing Question
Honor Before Reason
Manly Tears
Ax-Crazy
Evil Plan
BrotherSister Incest
Those Wacky Nazis
Off with His Head!
HeelFace Turn
Loads and Loads of Characters
Self-Deprecation
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
Index of Film Westerns
The Oner
The Starscream
Would Hit a Girl
Faking the Dead
Continuity Nod
Ass Shove
As the Good Book Says...
The Mole
Adapted Out
Roger Ebert: Great Movies List
Undying Loyalty
Comically Missing the Point
folderlabel
Monumental Damage
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
Big Bad Duumvirate
Action Prologue
Epic Fail
Alliterative Name
Precision F-Strike
Scary Black Man
Chekhov's Gun
My Beloved Smother
Suspiciously Specific Denial
Authority Equals Asskicking
Camp Gay
The Stinger
Historical-Domain Character