SAME TIRED PLOT II
Ever since I did the “STP” post I’ve been meaning to develop a list to document just how many movies have been made (and they just keep churning them out) with the exact same freaking plot. I think they should just call it a genre by now. They could call it “Made for Morgan Freeman Movies” or something.
Below I’ve documented their (tired) serial killer ideas, their (tired) good guys concepts their (nearly amusing) taglines. Now, I understand- it’s important to have a vehicle through which young pretty boy actors can attempt to drum up some drama creds, and certain actresses get a chance to prove they can do more than undress, but PLEASE can someone come up with something else? I only bothered to watch 2 of the 17 movies listed.
Don’t get me wrong- I don’t blame the actors, or the directors or producers, the key grips or the best boys. They’re just trying to make a buck. The blame rests squarely on the american viewing audience. As long as you will pay for this drivel and leave going, “oooooohhhh maaaaaaan… I had no idea it was that other over-paid actor. I was suuuure it was the one on the poster!” they will contiue to crap these movies out.
Behold- the list in all it’s glory. If I missed any let me know.
| Year | Title | Serial Killer MO |
Good Guy(s) MO |
Tagline |
| 1991 | The Silence of the lambs | Killer does all kinds of freaky crap (lotion in the basket) |
Emotionally frail FBI agent and brilliant psychopath |
To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman. |
| 1995 | Copycat | Copies other serial killers | Agoraphobic profiler | One man is copying the most notorious killers in history. |
| 1995 | Se7en |
Killer leaves clues by killings based on the deadly sins |
Old guy and young guy | Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die. |
| 1997 | Kiss The Girls | Collects Girls | Old guy & spunky survivor | A detective is searching for a deadly collector. His only hope is the woman who got away. |
| 1997 | Switchback | Pissed off FBI agent/father | Serial killer kidnaps son of FBI agent | The hunter is tracking the killer. But the killer is setting the trap. |
| 1999 | The Bone Collector | Leaves clues on by how he kills victims based on a book |
Quadriplegic and plucky young cop | Two cops on the trail of a brutal killer. They must see as one, they must act as one, they must think as one, before the next victim falls. |
| 1999 | Eye of the Beholder | Woman kills her romantic partners | Anti-hero protects her | Obsession is in the eye of the beholder. |
| 2000 | The Cell | Leaves women locked up to drown | V.R. J.Lo | This Summer… Enter The Mind Of A Killer |
| 2000 | The Watcher | FBI agent who gives up | Killer gets lonely and tracks him down | Don’t go home alone. |
| 2001 | Along Came a Spider | Kidnaps girl and calls guy from Kiss the Girls |
Still old, new partner | The game is far from over. |
| 2001 | Hannibal | Killer with no face | Former FBI agent and brilliant Psychopath | Break The Silence |
| 2001 | From Hell | Addicted clairvoyant police detective | Jack the Ripper | Only the legend will survive. |
| 2002 | Blood Work | Old guy with new heart | Tricky guy who killed the person who donated the heart |
The key to catching a killer is only a heartbeat away. |
| 2002 | Red Dragon | Tooth Fairy who kills on full moons | Retired FBI agent and Brilliant Psychopath | Spoiled Meat |
| 2004 | Suspect Zero | Serial killer hunts- GASP- other serial killers!!! |
Young FBI agent | Who’s next? |
| 2004 | Taking Lives | Spunky FBI profiler | Killer takes identity of those he kills | He would kill to be you. |
| 2004 | Twisted | FBI agent whose father was a serial killer | Killer kills all the dudes around the agent | Every murder has a mark. |
August 18th, 2004 at 6:43 pm
This just hit me. How many of those movies have Ashley Judd in them? She seems to appear a lot as the tough former victim type.
August 18th, 2004 at 8:05 pm
I could probably sit here and think of about 75 or 80 more really, really, really terrible movies with the same plot, but I have more important things to do (Baseball Tonight repeats). So instead, I just have to say that I’m kind of surprised that you could put the movie Seven on the same list as (repeated unnecessary and disgusting deleted explitives) like Eye of the Beholder and The Cell. Come on, even if the ending is a little predictable, it’s still entertaining and suspenseful. That’s like saying that Kangaroo Jack and Office Space are the same because they’re both comedies about rapping kangaroos……wait…anyway I like Seven.