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