MovieChat Forums > The Hidden (1987) Discussion > The Movie of 1,000 Cliches

The Movie of 1,000 Cliches


Me and my friends were watching this movie a while back, when one of my friends called it "The Movie of 1,000 Cliches", because of the numerous about of predicatable parts in the movie.

For Example:

1. The two guys walking with a plate of glass in the middle of the street during the first car chase.

Thats just one of a huge list of cliches, and i was wondering if anybody notcied any others.

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I just thought of another one.


2. When they first so the police station some white guy throws a waded up peice of paper at the garbage can and misses, than an african american guy oes the same thing and he makes it.

Thats kind of a racial cliche but its still one none the less.

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So you call it a movie of a thousand clichés (and you write the word 'cliché' wrong), but you can only think of _TWO_ cliches, and even them separately?

The only way your post would be credible, is if you would LIST EVERY SINGLE ONE of these supposed thousand clichés; I bet you can't do it, and thus, you are a liar.

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The difference here is that the driver actually aims for the guys carrying the window. Usually it's an accident.

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Yeah but it is still a very overused cliche.

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Please tell me an underused cliche, you who refers to your friends and yourself as “me an my buddies.”

How’s the job in the Post Office working for you? How’s your witty buddy’s career in Stand Up going?

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"The difference here is that the driver actually aims for the guys carrying the window. Usually it's an accident."

And you get that awesome stunt. The way that guy's body bounces off the car and hits the street -- ouch!

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The way that guy's body bounces off the car and hits the street -- ouch!

The funny part was the nurse quickly abandoning her wheelchair patient to allow him to be hit by the car.

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I don't think this is a cliched movie at all. I'd hardly call that glass scene a cliche. I've seen many cars drive through glass windows in shop fronts etc. but never a scene like that.

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Watch "What's Up, Doc?" and slapstick movies from the 30s and 40s.

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~No matter where you go, there you are~

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I'd say watch THE ROCK! Its got the plate glass, the vegetables, and a truck full of Poland Springs water to fly the hmmwv into.

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Yeah, but some cliches are very cute. For instance, that one, where the old cop is waiting in the middle of the street with the gun.

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Also- I think this movie canonized a lot of cliches that hadn't quite been done to death at the time. I love the opening chase from this movie because it's like they're checking off the necessary elements for a thrilling car chase one by one. Guys carrying sheet of glass across the street? Check.
Cripple in a wheelchair? Check.

In fact I could name a buttload of things I love about this movie. Like how everyone the alien uses as a host (dog included) licks their lips. Or when the alien, while inside the older guy, smashes the stereo that was playing a song about sunshine and happiness.

Love this movie.

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One of the things I like about this movie is the LACK of cliches.

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One of the things I like about this movie is the LACK of cliches.

+1


* No one can survive becoming a legend.

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Oh, I don't know... A possessed stripper that uses 2 different bullpup firearms in one movie? Is this a cliche', or does this seem just a little bizarre?


"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..."

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Or when the alien, while inside the older guy, smashes the stereo that was playing a song about sunshine and happiness.

I thought he smashed it because he didn't like the country music.

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I think they were intentionally satirizing the cliches. I have to admit I was shocked when the woman abandoned the guy in the wheelchair!

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Actually the glass plate wasn't really a cliche as he run over one of the guys instead of just hitting glass. It looked intentional as well.

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Also, people normally swerve to miss the old guys in the wheelchairs. (Check out Deathrace 2000 if you don't believe me.) Running over the old guy was basically to announce this movie was hardcore.

The cliche that stood out for me was, "He killed my partner." That's just one step above, "This time, it's personal."

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Sorry I'm 2 years late answering your Q. But I just bought this DVD on Ebay and boy am I glad I did!
Here's my brief list of "cliches" and I'm not saying "Cliche" like it's a bad thing.
1) Creature from outer space
2) Cops cooperating with the FBI (against their will)
3) Creature changing human identities
4) Special weapon that can only kill aliens
5) Police Roadblock (which every car in every movie seems to burst through)
6) Bank Robbery where the robber shoots the security camera
7) Cop inviting alien cop home for dinner
8) Little daughter being cognitive of the alien's presence
9) "The guy we're chasing killed my partner!"
10) "The guy we're chasing killed my wife...and daughter!"
11) Senator (or any political figure) coming to give a speech
12) Alien assuming an FBI agent's identity
13) Yes, the plate-glass window
14) Yes, the missed wastebasket shot and the next guy making it
15) The underling cop finding evidence & his superior saying "Good work"
16) Someone (anyone) getting shot repeatedly and not going down
17) Auto dealer offering cocaine to rich customer
18) People repeatedly saying "Hey! stay away from that car!"
19) The new cop saying "Let's take my car"
20) The head cop saying "I demand some explanations!"
21) New cop saying, "An explanation won't help you."
22) "I've been after him for 9 years...YOUR time."
23) Agent assuming identity of dead partner for seeking revenge
24) Police showing photo & witness saying, "Yeah he's a nice, quiet guy."
25) Cop hanging off a roof and killer about the do him in
26) Bullet coming out of nowhere to save his life at the last second
27) Any doctor anywhere saying "Stat!"
28) Criminal on deathbed in hospital only to revive & kill again
and the list goes on & on.
But I still LUV this movie, and I plan to show it to everyone I meet in the next 9 years. (YOUR time.)

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Creature of outer space is not a cliche, its the subject matter.

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Most of those aren't cliches. You could just as easily have said:
- They use guns
- There is a car chase
- There is a stripper

Not much worse than counting an alien as a cliche.

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"4) Special weapon that can only kill aliens "

This is not true at all!

The weapon also exploded a wall! (Hm, I didn't mean for this to rhyme, actually)

So it can do a lot of other things, not "ONLY kill aliens".

Btw, 'alien' is a hostile word to use for ExtraTerrestrial visitors. It's racist and insulting.

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"I've been after him for 9 years...YOUR time.""

This always bothers me, as you see it in so many movies and TV shows, even the so-called 'enlightened ones', like Babylon 5 ('Nine Earth Years..' .. 'Humans and aliens'.. they're ALL humans, for crying out loud, why would bodily shape dictate who the humans are, and why make ONE race separate and lump in everyone else based on such prejudice-based, hostile philosophy? Also, why use an insulting, alienating word like 'alien' anyway? Would ANYONE feel good about being called 'alien'? When you go visit another planet, would you be HAPPY to be called 'an alien'? Would that make you feel welcome?)

Yeah, it's always 'The Earthians have a saying', 'Nine years Earth time', 'In ancient Earth history', etc.

Why can't they ever come up with something more original, it's always so god damn Earth-centric, and only Earth-people can be called humans for some reason. Narns can't ever be called humans, Centauri can never be called humans, even the Minbari can't be called humans. So, Morden is a human, while Vir and Delenn aren't... fair? I don't think so.

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" Little daughter being cognitive of the alien's presence"

COGNITIVE?

Are you sure you are using the right word here? Little daughters are not cognitive of pretty much anything, kids are dumb, selfish monsters.

They might be intuitive about it, they might feel something, they might suspect something, they might even realize or know something, but it's mostly instinctual or intuitive, it's not COGNITIVE, which requires actual, deep and effective thinking process.

COGNITIVE?!!

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And another pat on the back from me!

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Bravo!

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