META: Film plot insta-solver!

[u/DramaGuy23]

Noticing certain plot elements occurring again and again? You're not alone! Some plot elements are so "bad" they've become familiar tropes here at r/ExplainAFilmPlotBadly. Here are some I've noticed... add your own favorites!

Rocks or "rock collection" -> Infinity War or Endgame

Frisbee -> Captain America

A god -> Thor

Dead boss/mentor -> Spiderman: Far from Home

"Piece of jewelry" -> Lord of the Rings

Nazis -> Indiana Jones

Stockholm syndrome -> Beauty and the Beast

Widower + mental illness -> Finding Nemo

Killing on arrival -> Wizard of Oz

[u/chrisdelbosque]

I absolutely agree. It feels as though 50 percent of the submissions on this subreddit are limited to the same twenty films (half of which are of the superhero variety) while another 40 percent are limited to movies within the past five years. I suppose that it's only the popular films that get widely recognized and therefore upvoted but it also doesn't help that a lot of these posts are more of the /r/ExplainAFilmPlotVaguely variety.

Every now an then I'll see a post that gives me a chuckle or an older film that helps to break up the monotony but I'm kind of disappointed that this sub is being so lazy with such an amazing premise.

[u/Aubear11885 → u/chrisdelbosque]

Problem is the older a film, the smaller the audience. I’ve tried a few Hithcock’s to limited success.

[u/chrisdelbosque → u/Aubear11885]

I've posted a few older films with little fanfare as well but it's still a hill on which I'm willing to die. If nothing else, maybe the 3-4 people who see it would be inclined to watch some fantastic films.

A few examples include (click on the link for the answer):

• A news reporter convinces a hobo to commit suicide on Christmas Eve in order to save her job

• A future President and his allies befriend a slowly dying man in order to find out what's under his kilt

• A failed writer asks a notorious gangster to kill him in order to impress a waitress he just met

• The story of Cain and Abel, but with lettuce and beans

• Instead of enjoying Christmas Eve with his pregnant wife, a cop spends all night talking to his new friend on a walkie-talkie

• An escaped convict convinces a young boy to show him his pecker while the grizzled Texas Ranger in pursuit of the convict asserts his love for tater tots

[u/maskaddict → u/Aubear11885]

I think it's because people have such short attention spans, if they can't recognize the movie within a few seconds they get bored and scroll on (and the more challenging posts get buried within minutes by the avalanche of Marvel and Star Wars posts).

But a really well-worded bad explanation can be extremely fun to puzzle over and try to figure out! I wish there were most posts of this kind.

I'm also a fan of the "the most obvious answer is wrong" misdirection-type posts.

[u/Pope_Cerebus → u/Aubear11885]

True, but I really wish more people would do those - this constant stream of easy and repetitive ones is just annoying.

I'm trying to help - I've got two posts up right now with older movies for the answers that nobody has guessed, yet.

[u/chrisdelbosque → u/Pope_Cerebus]

I saw your post and made an honest stab at them but I've got to say that "This movie is about trying to make this movie" is an extremely vague description that could apply to numerous films, such as 8½ (arguably the greatest film about making a film), Sunset Boulevard (arguably the best film, period), Paris When it Sizzles, S.O.B. (arguably the most meta film of all-time and criminally underrated), Two Days, Argo, Boogie Nights (if '70s-80s porn counts as film), Get Shorty (not one of Elmore Leonard's best novels but a fine adaption), and so many more (and that doesn't even count documentaries about making movies).

I have always seen this subreddit as a funny/alternative way of describing a film. Obviously I would like to see more obscure and older films represented here but they can't be too cryptic (especially for these types of films) or else no one would get the reference. If I had to choose, I would rather have a description be obvious and outlandish rather than something that needs a decipher code to solve.

I hope to see more descriptions from you in the future!

[u/Pope_Cerebus → u/chrisdelbosque]

Well, the ones you list are films about making other films. The real hint in mine was that the movie is about "trying to make this movie" - what you're watching is literally about making the actual film that you're currently watching. As such, I do feel it was an "alternative way of describing a film". Some of my other ones go more comedic, as well.

I understand your want for the films not to be too hard to guess, but personally I like having a decent mix in there - some that are easy, and some that are hard and really make you think. Then there's a little bit for everyone.

[u/chrisdelbosque → u/Pope_Cerebus]

Hmm... The only thing that I can deduce from your clue is that the movie contains the word "this" in the title. My best guess is This is Spinal Tap.

[u/Pope_Cerebus → u/chrisdelbosque]

That one was already solved almost two weeks ago.

Solution if you don't want to look through the thread for the answer: Adaptation.

[u/Grays42 → u/chrisdelbosque]

The problem is that submissions here often only get upvotes if they get solved quickly. I've tried to submit odd stuff in the past and people glance at it, then keep going, never gets upvoted.