MovieChat Forums > Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2002) Discussion > Annoying little things in movies

Annoying little things in movies

posted 16 years ago by tmaj48
211 replies | jump to latest

In the beginning of "Amelie," she mentions that when she's watching a film,
it irritates her when the actor driving a car in the film doesn't keep his/her
eyes on the road, but usually spends more time looking and conversing with the
person in the passenger seat, spoiling the illusion that the actor is really
driving. What little things like that irritate you in movies?

For instance, while I have the same pet peeve about driving actors as Amelie,
I'm also bugged by:

Inappropriate accents in films: In "Gone with the Wind," why does Ashley
Wilkes, the consummate Southern gentleman, have an English accent? In "Mrs.
Miniver," meanwhile, why doesn't Englishman Mr. Miniver have one?

In "Back to the Future," the entire town is meticulously done over in
1950s sets, furniture, cars, fashions, etc. Yet in the present-day finale,
Marty's dad, a highly successful science-fiction author, shows off his latest
book, just released by the publisher. The dust jacket of the book looks
amateurish! This is true of other films, such as "Throw Momma From the Train,"
which depict authors and their books. If the set designers, etc. could spend
so much effort making the sets, costumes, etc. as realistic as possible, couldn't they make the cover of a book look like it was professionally done?

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

[–] ireadthatgrassisgreen 16 years ago

Or the ones who type l!k3 tH!S

--
Forget her, she's a predator posing as a house pet.

[–] DennisTheMenace666 16 years ago

I can only think of two things-

along with the driving thing: This has been pointed out by Dane Cook before, but its really annoying when someone driving is like steering the wheel as if they're zigzagging on the road. Like, if you're really driving, the wheel is mostly still unless you're making a big turn or something. But people in movies are like *right left right left right left* and such. i'm pretty sure this is shown in every scene of Psycho whenever shes driving...which is like, all the time. and shes always biting her lip and the "terrifying" music keeps playing over and over. its the same tune even! i know its supposed to be a signature tune but....oh my god.

another thing that kills me is when two people are like, about to kiss, any music that is playing is all quiet or nonexistant, and then when they kiss or embrace its like the music just CRASHES in in this pathetic overly romantic montage. its so cheesy and lame.

[–] toaduser 16 years ago

When characters are watching through binoculars and they can hear what the people they're looking at say.

[–] kharank 16 years ago

Lol yes, and also when their binoculars seem to have a magical 'zoom' feature, so that one minute they're looking through them at a wide-shot, and then suddenly the same pair can read the title on the secret folio the agent is being handed...grr!

[–] toaduser 16 years ago

Oh, and security camera footage that's obviously been directed and edited. Yes, the P-1000 system will not only monitor your precious top secret areas, but in case of a break in, the P-1000 system converts to an instantaneous three camera, self-editng system that will put the intruder in not only wide and medium, but close up shots so we can see the look of fear on his face when he realizes the deal has gone sour. And just like our patented sound-magnifying binoculars, you will be able to hear everything that the intruder says as if he had a lavaliere hidden somewhere on his costume.

[–] SkullyD 16 years ago

Security cameras zooming in.

The fact that half the people in Star Wars have english accents. They are in a galaxy far from earth, so why the hell are there english people?

Cocking a rifle or pump-action shotgun three times in a scene without having fired any bullets. Especially when characters use it to emphasize a point.

Storm troopers and/or battle droids who always miss.

A villain/monster who can't be killed, and there is not even a bad explanation for this.

When the quiet parts of a movie are really quiet and the loud parts are ear-splitting. This is mainly a DVD problem. Even with quadrophonic surround sound it still happens.

Films that show the US military as unbeatable.

Films that show the US military as completely corrupt or incompetent.

Cliched tough drill-sergeant/coach bit.

Sterile crying. Where the actor's face is sort of stoic as tears come down their face. Who cries like that? Let's see some red puffy eyes!

When the hero is cornered by a bad guy with a gun, there is a gunshot, and it turns out the hero's buddy shot the bad guy from behind. I have seen this in like 20 movies.

[–] toaduser 16 years ago

Speaking of English accents, why do all Romans and Greeks have English accents. Well, obviously it's Shakespeare's fault, but if you ask any linguist, Shakespeare's English does not sound like modern English.

[–] Hazza335 16 years ago

Yeah I get annoyed at home movies and wedding videos that have just been shot
but have magically been edited and happen to have like 5 different angles of whatever is being filmed.
It's like seriously, most people just shoot with a shaky hand held bad quality camera from one angle that zooms in and out.

[–] BlueGreen 16 years ago

but its really annoying when someone driving is like steering the wheel as if they're zigzagging on the road. Like, if you're really driving, the wheel is mostly still unless you're making a big turn or something. But people in movies are like *right left right left right left*

Oh yes - them roads are uncannily curvy in Hollywoodland!

It's too ridiculous.

another thing that kills me is when two people are like, about to kiss, any music that is playing is all quiet or nonexistant, and then when they kiss or embrace its like the music just CRASHES in in this pathetic overly romantic montage. its so cheesy and lame.

What? You DON'T hear violins when you kiss someone?!

[–] Hazza335 16 years ago

your first point is what I was going to say
oh my gosh! I noticed it heaps in Alvin and the Chipmunks
lol I always watch that, and I think in the scene in Amelie where the guy doesn't watch the road he still keeps moving the steering wheel.
That's got to be my biggest pet peeve ever.

[–] BlueGreen 16 years ago

I hate that sauce marinara tasting, too.

And, apart from stereotypes of all descriptions, there is one thing that has been bothering me since I was a child: when people - usually the main character s- end their phone conversations by simply hanging up. (And I am not talking about life and death situations.)

It is not realistic.
And certainly a simple hurried "bye" would not encumber either the tone of the moment or the plot.

[–] victoriaversailles 16 years ago

Haha, I never say goodbye on the phone. I tend to hang up just as the person on the other end of the line finishes saying "goodbye."
I get a lot of *beep* for it though, so I can see how it's annoying in a movie when it's just as annoying in real life I guess, lol

------
Sal...Wyoming's not a country.

[–] bj_e 14 years ago

Haha, I never say goodbye on the phone. I tend to hang up just as the person on the other end of the line finishes saying "goodbye."
I get a lot of *beep* for it though, so I can see how it's annoying in a movie when it's just as annoying in real life I guess, lol

Yea, i had a friend who did that. What i did was i started just randomly hanging up on him whenever i felt i had gotten the information i needed.

"Hey, what you doing tonight?"
"Im just chilling, nothing planned."
bip bip bip

We got in a fight. We're not friends anymore.

[–] victoriaversailles 14 years ago

That sucks. Sorry that you're both so touchy.

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DON'T PRESS THE "REPLY" AT THE TOP OF MY POST UNLESS YOU'RE REPLYING TO ME FFS

[–] kharank 16 years ago

I hate it in sci-fi movies when a supposedly 'futuristic' computer panel or some such is clearly just a series of blinking lights. No labels, no variations, just a panel of bulbs blinking in sequence...ooh, futuristic!

Also, I hate it in fantasy films when film makers (or perhaps just screenwriters) get lazy, and we have massive stone castles built in the middle of a desert, or a barren plain, with a huge garrison of men or monsters, and ABSOLUTELY NO indication of where they get their food from, who clothes them, where the material for their weapons is mined etc etc etc. There never seem to be any civilians doing boring things like farming or sewing or producing clothes or weapons, just a bunch of soldiers sat around...Gah!

Haha, now I'm venting a little spleen, I remember seeing a film recently - I think it was maybe one of the Underworld films? - where we had a bunch of vampire-types all dressed in their leather, living in a huge mansion, with PCs running all the time, and all I could think was - who is their tailor? Where do they BUY all this leather? That is a massive house - do they pay rent? Why aren't estate agents all over this property? What do they do when a caller comes round? Who pays for all the electricity they are using? Why has a gas-man or electrician never come round and discovered them? They can't just have killed him, that would have attracted even more attention.

Lol, understand I'm not usually pedantic, its just sometimes you come across a film that is so flagrant in its shallowness and inattention to detail that I can't help but get irate!

[–] BlueGreen 16 years ago

I have been known to ponder about such things myself - I mean, where did they get the fabrics, who built this house and how, etc.

Pedantry is very underrated and much too maligned. ;)

[–] am_buglet_82 16 years ago

I hate when the characters order big plates of food and never eat it.
Like if one character gets a phone call, and hurries away without even touching his/her food, EVEN THOUGH minutes before they say they're "starving".

If they're in that much of a hurry, they could at least take a couple bites before they rush away.

-Amanda

"She will remember your heart when men are fairy tales in storybooks written by rabbits"

[–] dakedoom 16 years ago

Somebody has probably mentioned this, but for me it's godawful to see people typing on the computer and never using the space key. For example American History X has this problem

[–] SkullyD 16 years ago

When I have people typing in my student films, I always go "Don't fake it! You f---ing type it!" Of course I never have any computer hacking or anything like that. Just people typing basic stuff and using the space bar.

I think the problem is that when you see a computer screen in a movie it is a digital replacement, and the actor has no idea what is going to be happening on screen.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Astronauta 16 years ago

I really hate when the bad guy is pointing a gun at the main actor of the movie and he doesn´t fire- The bad guy starts talking "I am gonna kill you because of this and because of that, bla bla bla ..." and then the bad guy gets killed (by the hero that find a bright way to save himself because he had time enough to think or buy the hero´s friend that is always in the back of the bad guy with a gun)

[–] bubbajune 16 years ago

When people take any type of pill and their body language immediately suggests that the pill worked instantly.

Why do women shut/slam a door then put their backside up against the door?

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] SweetSorcia 14 years ago

When people take any type of pill and their body language immediately suggests that the pill worked instantly.

Yes! Or when somebody will, say, ingest some poison and have an EXACT amount of time before they have to correct it. Like your body is a machine with a countdown clock, and nothing will happen as long as you take the antidote before 24 hours is up. But once 24 hours and 1 second hits...BAM! You'll fall down dead.

So ridiculous.

"Well!!! Since when did you become the physical type?"

[–] a_cardboard_sunset 16 years ago

I hate it when the good guy is being shot at from a very close range and no matter how many shots are fired, he never once gets hit.

Or when some takes a lot of bullets and is still able to run away/kick some butt/etc. Come on, seriously?

When the movie is supposed to take place in a country that does not speak English, and for some reason all the actors are British (or faking a British accent). Why is that a substitute for the actual language!? Moulin Rouge is an example--Jim Broadbent is English, Ewan McGregor is Scottish (I believe), and Nicole Kidman is Australian. They all use an English accent--the movie takes place in France. I don't know why this bothers me, but it really drives me nuts!

Also, the greatest dubbing I've ever seen was when I watched a TV version of the movie "The Faculty" years ago...I don't remember which character (maybe Elijah Wood?) it is, but they are supposed to scream "the f word." The dubbing made it, "phhhhOOEY!" I laughed so hard.

[–] kallan-gerard 16 years ago

I hate it how every time it starts raining, a thunder clap accompanies it. I mean I've never once in my life heard a downpour start at the same time as a lightning storm.

[–] anaxandra 16 years ago

when the actress wakes up in the morning with her make-up put on perfectly

meet me in montauk!!

[–] bj_e 14 years ago

I hate it how every time it starts raining, a thunder clap accompanies it. I mean I've never once in my life heard a downpour start at the same time as a lightning storm.

You know, i play the piano/keyboard, and i'll take any opportunity to use my thunder-sounds. They are awesome! My band hates it though. I just think it adds atmosphere to any song/situation...

Edit:
Covering comfortably numb i just cant help myself. The lead guitarist always insists on playing the live solo-outro, which lasts for roughly 3-5mins (feels like a lot more). It has the rest of the band playing 5 chords over and over for 54 (!) fackin measures. It NEEEDS more thunder in my opinion, like chris walken needs more cowbell. Applause-sounds are cool too.

Edit2:
Sorry, thats 66 measures, repeating the same chords 17 times. Doesnt sound like that much when i think about it, but i can assure you it needs thunder.

[–] brentnevers 13 years ago

It begins like that every afternoon in Costa Rica....!!!!!

[–] wanderingdaughter 16 years ago

It drives me mad when an actor is smoking a cigar or cigarette and the size of it changes drastically between shots. I was watching The Sopranos yesterday and Tony was smoking a cigar that was doing this. I was so distracted that I have no idea what was happening in the scene.

Along a similar vein, when you see an actor has their hand in one place or their hair part is messed up or something, then it's suddenly moved or fixed. Would it really be that difficult to have the actor do it on screen or else just shoot it again?

Finally, the only time you ever see a character sneeze or cough is when they're dying or they have some sort of massive flu or illness. I cough and sneeze without needing immediate medical attention all the time. Itching too.

"The fool looks at a finger that points at the sky. "

[–] StarleneD 16 years ago

I get so annoyed when actor's driving a car and spinning the steering wheel around wildly, but you can see out of the car's rear window that the street is perfectly straight...

[–] softspokenFinn 16 years ago

For me a big one is reloading guns. I can count the shots and know they should reload, but they keep blazing away. The other is binoculars. Doesn't everyone know that there is only one view reticle? But hey, actors have so much money they don't know what it's like being in the real world.

[–] melnar1 13 years ago

It's not the actors' fault - blame the director.

[–] lhan817 16 years ago

when actors don't say hello or goodbye.

the fact that unless they are
A) going to get killed in the process
or
B) going to go have sex/get caught with their pants down or clothes off
actors never feel the need to take a shower or go to the toilet.
Harry Potter for example. where on earth are the large bathrooms to cater for all the Griffindors, and why does no one need them!?

movies with wars or big fights were 'extras' and 'unimportants' are being killed and picked off all around the main character, who miraculously runs through flying bullets or arrows without being hit. what if he was the first to be shot, bam?
thirty baddies, one goodie, the baddies cant aim and miss him. the goodie has 7 bullets and manages to kill them all. come ON, hollywood!

when actors are in the middle of a conversation and there is a scene change, maybe from the car to a diner or from school to home, and they are still strangely at the EXACT same point in the conversation, like they never stopped or continued. I mean, maybe they didnt get a chance to finish it, but for example.

-scene is in car, driving-
"how old is josh anyway?"
-cut to inside, diner, the waitress giving them food-
"he's twenty."

no, actors. no. bad actors. bad director.

[–] smithure 16 years ago

when actors rip off their expensive clothes as if they were made of tissue.
when its obvious that a stunt man was used.
when scripts are obviusly written to win actors oscars ie the hours or erin brokcovich, i know its based on a real story but for a law suit julia ran through alot of emotions and fights.
when in comedies the jokes are way too intelligent to be used by a person ever
when the main is not captured but his/her friends are. also when the evil guy had d the good guy at gun point but goes on about the plot and how once he kills the good guy he will finally rule the world or what not, then when the backup arrives and he gets caught he asks how could this of happened.
when actors use an accent to make the audience laugh but its so pathetic you just cringe all the way. ie zoolander

[–] alivine 15 years ago

actors never feel the need to take a shower or go to the toilet.
Harry Potter for example. where on earth are the large bathrooms to cater for all the Griffindors, and why does no one need them!?

No, we saw their large bathrooms many times, in almost every HP movie something important happens there :)

[–] yfguitarist 14 years ago

when actors are in the middle of a conversation and there is a scene change, maybe from the car to a diner or from school to home, and they are still strangely at the EXACT same point in the conversation, like they never stopped or continued. I mean, maybe they didnt get a chance to finish it, but for example.

-scene is in car, driving-
"how old is josh anyway?"
-cut to inside, diner, the waitress giving them food-
"he's twenty."

no, actors. no. bad actors. bad director.

That's usually an intentional trope, an editing trick.

[–] herefishyfishy 16 years ago

-unnecessary scenes, like in narnia, the random fly that hits the window and dies..
-in rom-coms when the girl says something like "just shut up and kiss me"
-also in rom-coms where the boy and girl will reach for the same thing, their hands touch, and they look up at each other