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