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