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