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