Tropescilloscope: Framing Device

Story within another story... (read more at tvtropes.org)

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