10 FAVORITES (67): Super Bowl Ad Awards 2013

It's Awards Month!  Each post this month is going to be Awards-related.  Whether it has to do with the upcoming Grammys, BAFTAs or Oscars, or it's a made-up Award relating to something in the popular culture; that's what this month is all about.  Today, I am giving out the Awards for the Best (and Worst!) commercials that were aired during this year's Super Bowl on Sunday.  Every year it seems like the competition for Best Super Bowl Ad gets fiercer and fiercer. It doesn't help that the networks keep raising the price of the ad time (this year CBS charged over $8 million for one ad spot!).  So let's get on with:

THE 2013 SUPER BOWL AD AWARDS

Let's get the Negatives out of the way:

WORST SUPER BOWL AD 2013

Bar Rafaelli and Generic Nerd Kiss - GoDaddy.com

I never expect anything good out of a GoDaddy.com ad, but this was just awful.  What makes this universally panned commercial so terrible is not the fact that a shlubby nerd is getting a make-out session with the gorgeous model Bar Rafaelli, but the disgusting sound effect of said make-out.  Whether it was an effect added afterwards or live recording, it was just unpleasant.

ODDEST SUPER BOWL AD 2013

Come On, Get Hoppy, 'Mon - Volkswagen

The elements of this commercial ultimately seemed like something that came out of the fake writers' room on 30 Rock.  A completely white-bread guy speaks with a Rastafarian accent telling all in his office to "Get Hoppy, 'Mon" all while the strains of an island version of The Partridge Family theme song play in the background.  And yet it's not an ad for Red Stripe Beer or a Caribbean Cruise!  It's an ad for the German-made Volkswagen!  Everyone at my Super Bowl party was just befuddled.  Even the people in the ad are befuddled!

MOST POLARIZING SUPER BOWL AD 2013

And God Made the Farmer - Dodge RAM

Every year there is always one ad that gets completely opposite reactions from the public.  This year, the Dodge RAM ad has that distinction.  Some people really loved it and others really hated it.  I tend to fall more in the latter category (though "hated" may be a bit strong!).  What people loved was the message the first minute and half of this commercial had (that whole "God saw that the land needed tending and so the Farmer was created" thing!).  While that message is fine on its own, inspirational and even patriotic, the pay-off of the ad was just disappointing.  Even if I knew going into the ad that it was nothing more than a car commercial, I still would have wanted more from the people at Dodge than just a prompt to "Join the Movement at Dodge.com" (Whatever the hell that means!).  It would have been much better if the ad had ended with their new Dodge RAM and a promise from the company to donate a percentage of the proceeds to a Farmers' Aid Organization (like Farm Aid!).  But no, they had to be ambiguous and just show off their new truck and use the equivalent of emotional blackmail to make consumers love the ad (seriously, go into a chat room and say something negative about this ad and it will not go over well!).

Now on with the good ones:

BEST SUPER BOWL MOVIE TRAILER 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness (May 17, Paramount Pictures)

Of all the movie trailers that were aired on Sunday, this one teasing the awaited sequel to J.J. Abrams' first Star Trek reboot made geeks everywhere squee with delight!  And I am especially looking forward to what seems like a tour-de-force performance from Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch.

BEST SUPER BOWL TIE-IN 2013

Joe Montana Miracle Stain - Tide

The ad is fairly self-explanatory and I don't want to spoil the ending for those who missed it!  Suffice it to say it was a great way to honor one of the most famous San Francisco 49ers and yet throw in a zinger.

BEST USE OF MUSIC IN A SUPER BOWL AD 2013

I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) - M&Ms

Hilarious for the annoying Red M&M to sing MeatLoaf's impassioned '90s power-ballad to Glee star Naya Rivera...and then subject us to all the things the little guy won't do for love.

BEST CELEBRITY PERFORMANCE IN A SUPER BOWL AD 2013

Amy Poehler - Best Buy

There were celebrities abound in this year's Super Bowl ads (Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Stevie Wonder, Zoe Saldana, Kaley Cuoco, Willem Dafoe and many more!).  But the celebrity that shined the most was Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler in this hilarious Best Buy ad with all her questions for this young (and oft-confused!) clerk.  She proves why she is one of the most hilarious women on Television.

FUNNIEST SUPER BOWL AD 2013

Goat 4 Sale - Doritos

Doritos always tend to bring the funny when it comes to their Super Bowl ads (and this year they had two, see the Honorable Mentions below!).  This one that aired during the first quarter was just hilarious and made everyone at my Super Bowl party ROTFL! (Yeah I know, I hate Text-speak too...but here it's appropriate!)

CLEVEREST SUPER BOWL AD 2013

Library Whisper Fight - Oreos

While Doritos get my praise for being hilarious, its Oreos that get my kudos for being clever.  Here, Oreos called upon a joke from a classic Super Bowl ad and gave it a great twist.  By setting it in a Library, the whispering caught the audience's attention especially when juxtaposed against the chaos created by the Cookies vs. Cream fight.

AND..

BEST OVERALL SUPER BOWL AD 2013

Clydesdale and Trainer - Budweiser

It seems like anytime the people over at Anheuser-Busch do one of their popular Clydesdale ads, the quality goes up by like 11!  This one (which seems like a cute parody of the central relationship in Steven Spielberg's War Horse) was poignant, clever, touching and even a little humorous.  It was smart to use Stevie Nicks' classic "Landslide" as the background music (that's the touching part!).  It makes me want to run out and pet a Clydesdale.  This ad was a surefire winner!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Viva Young -Taco Bell; Fashionista Daddy - Doritos; Where Babies Come From - KIA

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS (so dishonorable, they don't get links!)

Coca-Cola - The Chase (insipid and full of doofy stereotypes...but in the bad way!)

Subway - Mispronouncing FebruANY (who the hell cares if certain athletes can't pronounce a MADE-UP WORD!!!)

Union Bank - Maya Angelou (similar problem to the Dodge RAM ad, yet a little more offensive to use someone so profound - and talking about profound things! - to promote a bank!)

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! - The 12 Days of Pop Culture

For my final post of 2012, I thought I would do something special for Christmas (as it is in two days!).  I wanted to go through some of the things our wonderful Pop Culture has given us that are influences in my life.  Some of them are franchises, some of them are TV shows and some of them are just good plain fun!  So without further adieu, here is my special:

THE 12 DAYS OF POP CULTURE!

ON THE 12TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

12 Star Trek Movies

There is a theory that certain Star Trek films (Wrath of Khan, Undiscovered Country, First Contact) are better than others (The Motion Picture, Generations, Insurrection).  And though I don't really disagree, overall I would say this franchise has certainly made me quite happy (flaws and all!).  And with the 12th Trek film (Star Trek Into Darkness) coming out in Summer 2013, I will certainly be one of the "Trekkies" standing in line on opening day!

ON THE 11TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

11 Disney Princesses

Growing up with Disney as a major influence in my life, I certainly cannot ignore the numerous Princesses they have in their film line-up.  It was in the early 2000s though that someone in the Disney Marketing Department decided to turn these singing ladies into a diabolical money-making franchise.  They started with six initially (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Belle and Jasmine).  They soon added Pocahontas and Mulan to the mix (despite the former only "technically" a Princess and the latter not being one at all!!!).  With the recent releases of The Princess and the Frog and Tangled, in came Tiana and Rapunzel.  And now with the Disney/Pixar flick Brave, lead character Merida will be added to the group come the new year.  (For those who agree with me and don't like counting Mulan, you can throw Enchanted's Gisele in her place despite that being mostly a live-action Disney film!)

ON THE 10TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

10 Seth MacFarlanes

It seems like Seth MacFarlane is everywhere now!  He had a hit movie over the summer (Ted) and will be hosting the 2013 Academy Awards (censors be on guard!!!).  And, of course, we cannot forget his immensely popular TV empire: his FOX Animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.  Within this empire, MacFarlane himself voices 10 regular characters on all three shows together.  On Family Guy, he voices Griffin family members Peter, Brian and Stewie along with neighbor Glenn Quagmire, Carter Pewterschmidt (Peter's father-in-law), newsman Tom Tucker and Quahog's resident physician Dr. Hartman.  On American Dad!, he voices lead characters Stan Smith and alien Roger; while over on spin-off Cleveland Show, he voices neighbor Tim the Bear (if you've never seen the show, don't ask!).  That's a lot of personalities for one man to have inside him (and yes, I know what I just said!).

ON THE 9TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

9 Christmas Specials

In my childhood, Christmas was a time to watch some great Holiday TV.  And there were 9 Animated ones that were musts in my family.  There was A Garfield Christmas and A Claymation Christmas Special that were new during my childhood.  There were always the Rankin/Bass specials, of which 3 were the best: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and Frosty the Snowman.  There were two very important Animated versions of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: Mr. Magoo's and Mickey Mouse's. But the two that were the most important were Dr. Seuss' classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas (not the Jim Carrey one!) and the beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas.

ON THE 8TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

8 Harry Potters

He's protected a stone, escaped a secret chamber, hidden a prisoner, "gobletted" his way through a tournament, joined an order, studied a half-blood prince and even faced death itself.  No matter how you cut it, we're just wild about Harry Potter!  Though J.K. Rowling only wrote 7 books, the people at Warner Brothers decided to split the final book into two installments.  Therefore, they gave audiences 8 chances to put the boy wizard with the lightning scar and his friends in film franchise history as the biggest money-making movie series of all time.  However, this has now spawned a bunch of copycats in that they want to split a book (or a series' final book) into two or three films (see Twilight, The Hunger Games and The Hobbit!).

ON THE 7TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

7 Star Wars Movies

Growing up, George Lucas' first three Star Wars films (Episodes IV through VI, if you're counting!) were like a religion in my household (thanks to my brother!).  And while the prequels have gone down as paling in comparison to the glory that is the original trilogy, I was still there on opening day of all three of those bastards!  And even though the Animated Clone Wars film made me want to throw an Ewok off the Endor moon, I'm still excited by the possibility of yet another Star Wars movie now that Disney has picked up the franchise and future development rights.

ON THE 6TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

6 Different Bonds

I already spoke this year about my appreciation for the James Bond films.  And on that list, there was at least one film of each of the six actors who have taken on the role of the superspy (especially in George Lazenby's case!).

ON THE 5TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

5 Muppet Show Seasons!

This one is fairly self-explanatory (and if it isn't, you can all brush up on your Googling!).

ON THE 4TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

4 Jack Sparrows

Who knew Disney could manage to make a lot of money and some pretty exciting films (though the fourth one is kind of a tedious vehicle!) based on a singular Disney ride?  The popular attraction has now resurrected Johnny Depp as a bankable movie star and produced some very interesting characters (from Orlando Bloom's Errol Flynn-like Will Turner to Keira Knightley's lovely Elizabeth Swann or Geoffrey Rush's opportunistic Barbosa to Ian McShane's wicked Blackbeard!).

ON THE 3RD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

3 Frodo Films

With the first of Peter Jackson's three Hobbit prequels out this month, I was greatly reminded of Jackson's brilliant trilogy which basically began the 21st Century.  All three films got nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award in their respective years and the final installment triumphed in winning all 11 of the categories for which it was nominated (including Best Picture!).

ON THE 2ND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

2 Brothers Grimm

This one has a double meaning!  It is true that there were two Grimm Brothers (Jacob and Wilhelm) who helped to popularize the classic folk and fairy tales for Western Culture.  And it has been said that the two brothers were completely different in personality.  It is believed that elder brother Jacob, the philosopher, had an affinity for the darker side of the tales; while younger brother Wilhelm had a yen for the romantic side of them (as Romanticism was becoming quite popular throughout Europe at the time!).  And now it seems that things have come full circle as two extremely popular and extremely different drama series air on TV.  On NBC, Grimm modernizes the tales and fits them more into a dark and gritty crime procedural that Jacob might have enjoyed.  Meanwhile over on ABC, Once Upon a Time's modernization is mixed with the romanticism (and serial soap opera-style) of the fairy tale world that would have appealed to young Wilhelm.

AND..

ON THE 1ST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

A Road Made of Yellow Brick!

And what Holiday season would be complete without a trip over the rainbow?  During my childhood, L. Frank Baum's glorious and magical land of Oz was quite a favorite of mine.  It was brilliantly showcased on the big screen in 1939's classic movie musical (a gem for all to see!) and has been adapted in several ways from books (novels and comic books!) to the stage (see Wicked!).  Sometimes I feel all I need is a walk down a Yellow Brick Road to make me feel in good spirits.  Perfect for any season (Holiday or no Holiday!).

HAPPY CHRISTMAKWANZUKUH!

AND SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!

10 FAVORITES (58): Would You Like a Franchise With Your Movie?

Last week, I talked about how this Summer (just like some of the more recent Summers) is a season of "Franchise Films" being released in movie theaters.  And for some of my friends, it seemed like I was rather cynical about the quality of these types of films.  While I do question the studios insistence on rolling out sequel after sequel to films that clearly don't need them, there are several Movie "franchises" I quite enjoy.  Now, I put the word "franchise" in quotation marks because like a lot of the actors (and even some of the writers and directors!) involved in these films, the word does not do proper justice to some of these movies.  A "franchise film," for me, has more to do with the marketing surrounding a movie.  That includes all the toys, books, lunchboxes, sheets, backpacks, toaster ovens, weed-whackers and what-have-you that have that marketable title branded on their product box.  So because of all the paraphernalia that goes with most of these movies, they unfortunately get categorized as "franchise films," even if the term is rather condescending (I mean, the Oscars don't typically love these types of films!).  But there are certain "film franchises" that, no matter what, manage to turn my head in their direction (so to speak!).  This week's 10 FAVORITES is all about "film franchises" and how these particular ones have kept my attention (as well as the attention of many a movie-goer!) throughout the years.

THE 10 BEST

"FILM FRANCHISES"

OF ALL-TIME

"FRANCHISE" #10

Superman

In many online polls, The Man of Steel manages to top the list of America's Favorite Comic Book Hero (or at least eke into every top 3!).  And there are good reasons.  His story is the ultimate standard when it comes to origins, secret identity, complex villains, traditional values, etc.  The 1978 Richard Donner-directed film was quite well-done with its casting and its flow.  It was followed by a pretty good sequel ("Kneel before Zod!!!").  However, the franchise tended to drop off the radar with some poorly produced sequels (Superman IV was quite laughable!).  They did try a reboot and, despite some good buzz, Superman Returns was ultimately a misfire (I mean, The CW's Smallville was more liked by fans!).  Let's hope the next reboot will be slightly better.

"FRANCHISE" #9

Pirates of the Caribbean

Who knew that a Disney ride would yield such a delightful set of films?  The answer is: Those marketing geniuses at the House of the Mouse.  When it comes to marketing, no studio can hold a candle to Disney.  Colleges offer business courses on Disney's marketing model.  It's that powerful.  And with this "franchise," Disney has spared no expense.  And let's face it, without Johnny Depp, these films would not be as popular. His Oscar-nominated (!) characterization of Captain Jack Sparrow has become the stuff of legend.  While a fifth film as been announced (they really should have left it a trio!), the four they have done have made enough money to keep audiences happy for quite some time.

"FRANCHISE" #8

Spider-Man

For me, Spider-Man's origin story has always been more engaging than that of Superman's.  Maybe it's because I identified more with Peter Parker and I am quite moved by the Marvel mantra that is "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility."  The first Spider-Man film was fascinating and extremely enjoyable.  Like Superman, it was followed by a very good sequel (in fact, my brother likes Spider-Man 2 more than Spider-Man!).  The third one was a little much for my taste (Tobey Maguire's "version" of "Bad-Spidey" was just a big "Stop it!").  I am looking forward to the reboot coming this July, even if the trailers aren't enticing me in the way they should (most trailers these days suck anyway!).

"FRANCHISE" #7

The Muppets

You thought these delightful characters would be higher, didn't you?  Yes, I have made no secret about my love for the genius that was Jim Henson and the everlasting joy his creations will bring me.  The only reason that Kermit and friends don't make it into the Top 5 of this list is that I first fell in love with these guys through Television and their seminal variety series The Muppet Show.  All that said, The Muppet Movie and the two films that followed it will forever be on my "Rainy Day" watch-list.  They even charmed me with their post-Henson films (Christmas Carol, Treasure Island, etc.).  And their Oscar-winning comeback film from last year was touching and entertaining at the same time.  Good times...such Good times!

"FRANCHISE" #6

The Lord of the Rings

Talk about a series that has influenced all forms of media.  J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth has had an influence on Music (Led Zeppelin), Books (J.K. Rowling has cited Tolkien as a major influence), Stage (there was a moderately successful musical version of Tolkien's books), Television (where would Game of Thrones be without Tolkien?) and of course Film.  Peter Jackson's hugely successful trilogy is unlike any other and will always be revered by many.  While he is busy working on Tolkien's prequel The Hobbit (slated for release this Christmas!), we can marvel at the cinematic wonder that is The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

"FRANCHISE" #5

Star Trek

Like The Muppets, I got to know my pals from the United Federation of Planets through the landmark TV series (more from The Next Generation than the Original, but Rodenberry's influence was clear!).  But the films were ever-present in my childhood, especially the far superior Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country (II and VI, respectively).  Though most of the odd-numbered Trek films have manage to tick off a lot of diehard fans, some of them are more enjoyable than one would think.  And J.J. Abrams 2009 reboot was just the charge the "franchise" needed to rekindle interest.

"FRANCHISE" #4

James Bond

Whether he looks like Sean Connery or Daniel Craig, Agent 007 is always smooth and cool.  After 23 films (with 24 AND 25 on the way!), Ian Fleming's James Bond has become the ultimate super-spy and everyone's favorite hero. If I had to pick a favorite Bond film, it would be a contest between the earliest ones (Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger).  However, the two recent ones (starring the brilliantly reserved Daniel Craig) have been must-watches (especially Quantum of Solace!).  I have a feeling that we'll always have Bond to watch, either "shaken or stirred!"

"FRANCHISE" #3

Harry Potter

For a series that (compared to all the other "franchises" here) is pretty much the youngest of the group, this boy wizard and company have fared pretty high on this list.  J.K. Rowling's exciting and mega-successful (and I can't stress the "mega" enough!) novel series has enraptured a whole generation of young readers.  When Warner Brothers and British producer David Heyman embarked on making the film versions of her 7-book series, little did they know that it would become the most successful film series in the world.  In the United States alone, all 8 films (the 7th book having been split into 2 parts!) have grossed almost $3 million (Worldwide, the figure is about 3 or 4 times that!).  The series has made superstars of its 3 young leads (In his Broadway ventures, Daniel Radcliffe has managed to recoup investments within 3 months!).  And J.K. Rowling herself will never have to be on welfare ever again!  That's pretty good for character conceived on a delayed train.

"FRANCHISE" #2

Batman

When it comes to superheroes, it is The Caped Crusader who figures into my childhood quite prominently (For those who might disagree, blame my brother!).  Director Tim Burton had me spellbound with his take on the character.  Both Batman and Batman Returns were essential viewing into my young adulthood.  Though the "franchise" was almost destroyed by the work of director Joel Schumacher (Batman had a Bat-credit card, that's all I'll say!), it was resurrected to great glory by the brilliance of writer-director Christopher Nolan.  Nolan had an even darker and more psychological take on the character and his origin story.  Christian Bale has given new dimensions to Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego that have not been explored before.  And need I mention the ingenious Oscar-winning work of the late Heath Ledger as Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker. I wait with baited breath the final installment of Nolan's Batman trilogy (with the always charming Anne Hathaway taking risks as the sensual Catwoman) and forever cementing Batman's place in my life.  (NOTE: I know I have utilized The Dark Knight Rises trailer a couple of times on this blog already, but I just love this trailer!!!)

AND...

"FRANCHISE" #1

Star Wars

For those who really know me, this cannot be a surprise.  In a sense, it is the "Mother of all Franchises" as it was one of the first major blockbusters and has amassed more money in merchandise than Batman, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings put together.  It is also a "franchise" that is completely original in that the entire universe that the series lives in was created in the mind of master filmmaker George Lucas (compare that to most of the other "franchises" on this list which are based on books, comic books or even rides!).  And even though I make fun of them a lot (and there are a lot of problems with them!), the prequels made in the early 2000s are somewhat enjoyable.  But they cannot hold a candle to the original series.  Both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are brilliant pieces of American cinema, and the 1977 original is perfection when it comes to Fantasy storytelling.  When it comes to unique qualities, there is nothing like Lucas' world and the complex characters which inhabit it.

10 FAVORITES (57): There's No Cliché Like Old Clichés

You know when you're at a party, and you're telling a friend about a great Movie or TV program you just saw.  You're getting really into it and everyone can see by the look on your face how much you enjoyed this artistic endeavour you witnessed.  You finish telling the story and how much you loved seeing something so fresh and new...then there's that one person at the party who says: "I've heard that story before!"  Hello, I am that one person!  Or at least I often feel like that person.  We are in a day and age where no story is new and everything seems recycled.  Development departments at most studios and corporations now won't shell out big bucks to produce or publish a Movie, TV Show or Book where the plot elements aren't at least somewhat familiar (and proven to be familiar with a large audience!).  People like what they know.  Change is uncomfortable and too risky (especially where a lot of money is concerned!).  These plot elements that these execs love so much fall under a rather dubious nomenclature: Cliché.  A Cliché is a type of story that is done so often that its dramatic effect has waned to the point of nothing (or almost nothing).  It can be a character or a plot element or the entire plot itself or even the way in which the plot is presented.  It doesn't matter what it is, it's probably a Cliché.  Now, as a writer myself, I've never had a problem with utilizing clichés in my own work or seeing them in the work of others (unless they are poorly executed!).  The trap really is that most clichés are double-edged swords (and I'll explain that as we go along today!).  There really are too many to list here (you might want to try looking at tvtropes.org for a couple other examples!).  So for this weeks 10 FAVORITES, I've decided to run through some of the most common and/or the ones that always seem to attract my attention.  And its at this point that I'm going to stop putting an accent on the "E" in "Cliché " because it's annoying and comes off as really pretentious!

THE 10 MOST POPULAR CLICHES

CLICHE #10
Breaking the Routine
This one mostly applies to TV Shows, especially ones that decide to do something different for "Sweeps."  Sometimes the show decides to change its format for say one episode (The West Wing, 30 Rock and M*A*S*H all did it!).  Sometimes the writers want to bring a challenge to the actors like do a whole musical episode (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy!) or have their characters pull a Freaky Friday (watch next week's Glee, if you don't believe me!).  And then there are the shows that enter a whole "Alternate Timeline" or "Parallel Universe" for an episode or two (Bones, Friends, the entire third season of Fringe and any Treehouse of Horror episode of The Simpsons).  All of these examples are some form of what I call: Breaking the Routine.  By the way, NBC's Community has done every single one of these things (because it's awesome!).

CLICHE #9
The Never-Before-Seen Twist
Law & Order used this tagline more often than they used the "Ripped From the Headlines" tag.  This cliche is often used on TV proceedurals especially in the respective network's promos for the episode in which it is used.  They tout it like it is the most outrageous and surprising thing you've ever seen since the last time the show pulled this trope.  The so-called "Twist" comes out of nowhere within the story, though these days most people can see it coming from a mile away.  In fact since 1992's The Crying Game, no "Twist" is as surprising as that one!

CLICHE #8
Basic Stereotypes
In the old days, Movies and TV Shows utilized a lot of ethnic stereotypes (see Gone With the Wind or Speedy Gonzalez cartoons or any Western where the Native Americans were prominent characters!).  As the years went by and studios were under pressure to be more politically correct, shows like All In the Family, Barney Miller and Murphy Brown utilized those stereotypes cleverly and weaved them into their humor.  As we moved into the 21st Century, a whole new crop of stereotypes showed up: The gay guy, The nerd and (most recently) The sarcastic hipster.

CLICHE #7
The Call is Coming from Inside the House (aka You Trusted the Murderer!)
My name for this cliche is actually the name of the old urban legend (used in horror films like Black Christmas and When a Stranger Calls) that has the poor frightened girl in more danger than she realizes.  But in my definition of this cliche, I refer to "the House" as basically the hero's (or heroine's) life.  In most mysteries or horror movies now, the serial killer ends up being someone that the leading lady or the investigator has trusted the whole time. Remember the ending of Scream, the first one (SPOILER ALERT!!!).  The murderous "Ghostface" turned out to be trusting Neve Campbell's brooding and smoldering boyfriend (wickedly played by Skeet Ulrich) and his metero-goofus friend (played by perennial goofus Matthew Lillard) - the two friends were in it together to kill Drew Barrymore and just got off on the terror they struck in the town.  On TV: NCIS, CSI, Bones and Castle have all used it at some point or another.  In fact, FOX's Emmy-winning 24 thrived on this cliche.

CLICHE #6
Unseen Characters
Here, Google these names: Vera Petersen, Maris Crane, Stan Walker, Mrs. Wolowitz, Carlton the Doorman and Wilson Wilson.  All of these are examples of TV characters that we often hear about (and in some cases even hear their voices!), but we never fully see their faces.  Usually it is because an actor could not physically be cast in the role, because the description of the character went so over-the-top in some physical attritbute that no actor or actress could fit that part without disservicing the character.  Whatever the reason, these characters get used in sitcoms often.

CLICHE #5
The Beauty and the Schlub
Tale as old as time...and it goes right "to the moon!"  It's basically a variation of the Beauty and the Beast tale in which a beautiful wife is married to one of the schlubbiest guys you will ever meet.  Witness the classic sitcom The Honeymooners (and it's animated parody The Flintstones).  It has been used several times over the years (Marge Bouvier was apparently one of the prettiest girls in high school when she met Homer J. Simpson!), however in the late '90s there was a slight twist on it.  It started to seem that comedy writers decided to up the shall we say nagging quality of the wife and the ineptitude of the schlubby hubby (look at Everybody Loves Raymond or The King of Queens or even Family Guy and all of the couples on Modern Family!).  It almost could be called "The Shrew and the Schlub!"

CLICHE #4
Team So-and-So Vs. Team The Other Guy (aka The Basic Love Triangle)
The Love Triangle has been around for centuries, dating all the way back to Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (are you Team Rebecca or Team Rowena?).  But it wasn't until recently that it has taken on a whole new dynamic, and all you fangirls out there know darn well what I am talking about.  It's like the fans of the book or movie have to join a "team" of other fans who root for the relationship that they want to see happen (even if both choices look like their the same pile of milquetoast, sorry Twihards!).  If you don't believe me about the influence that Stefenie Meyer's Twilight has had over the last couple years, just look at the latest book-to-movie phenomenon The Hunger Games.  Suzanne Collins' popular trilogy has taken on the same kind of fan base and therefore main character Katniss Everdeen must pull a Bella Swann and chose between her two leading men.

CLICHE #3
24 Hours Earlier... (aka How We Got Here...)
Remember Sunset Boulevard's format, with the story unfolding after you know that the narrator lies in a pool dead from a bullet in the back.  Writer-Director Billy Wilder was praised for his trailblazing technique.  Since then, it has been used so many times in so many different ways (usually with some kind of title card that says "24 Hours Earlier" or "2 Days Ago" or "Many Moons Prior").  Every crime proceedural since the '90s (from The X-Files to NCIS to Law & Order: SVU to Criminal Minds to this week's season finale of Castle!) has used this at least once.  Even sitcoms have taken a shot at it (a classic Wings episode parodied Mr. Wilder, while the short-lived FOX show Grounded For Life seemed to use it all the time!).  And dramas like LOST and The West Wing used it a couple of times, especially during Season Premiere or Season Finale time!

CLICHE #2
Will They? Won't They?
This can be referred to as the Maddie and David or the Sam and Diane or the Booth and Brennan or (my personal favorite recently) the Hermione and Ron.  Sexual tension between two characters can be quite palpable and can even make the audience really root for the relationship to move forward.  But, as I said above, cliches can be double-edged swords and none are more double-edged than this one.  It divides people more than the above Love Triangle fangirls do.  If they go forward and have the relationship, two camps pop up.  One saying they've "Jumped a Shark" (witness Who's the Boss?) and the other shouting "Hooray" and creating cute nicknames (Glee's Finchel).  If they don't get together, the same two camps pop up.  Audiences are disappointed that the writers are dragging it out and critics are often applauding the choice not to jump into bed.  It changes the dynamic of the series, and some shows survive it while most shows flounder in the change.

AND...
CLICHE #1
Ensign Red Shirt
Poor Ensign Red Shirt!  He's that guy that the show hired to basically be the other guy that is NOT the main character that goes into the dangerous situation with the rest of the crew and pretty much doesn't come out alive.  The name of the trope comes from the classic sci-fi series Star Trek in which almost every landing team consisted of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and -well, you guessed it!- Ensign Red Shirt (he doesn't need a real name, because basically he's not important!).  Ensign Red Shirt has changed with the times though.  On Star Trek: The Next Generation, he became Ensign Yellow Shirt.  And on most crime proceedutals, he is often Officer Whats-his-name or Agent That Guy.  And most often we learn a little something about him just before he bites it.  It's like the writers feel guilty so they have the main character talk to him like they're old buddies.  And he always has something he has to be ready for by the weekend (like his daughter's piano recital or a family reunion he isn't looking forward to or an anniversary dinner with the wife!).  You know an Ensign/Officer/Agent Red Shirt is gonna kick the bucket when he mention's little Katie's piano recital!  Poor Officer Red Shirt!