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