Down with Bathroom Mirror Scares!

AnneMarble · Sep 23, 2010

OK, it happened again. I started watching a horror movie. And then it happened. A stupid bathroom mirror scene. I know I wasn't expecting much, but did they have to use the stupid mirror in a stupid "scare" yet again?

If I see one more horror movie with a false "scare" because someone shows up behind the heroine in a bathroom mirror, I might just start an anti-stupid-bathroom-mirror-scene blog. Or a thread. Come on, directors. It's such a retread.

Even before the scare, I thought... Here we go again. First the mirror squeeks loudly every time it slides open, just to rile the audience up. Then along came The Scene. A man's reflection showed up just behind the heroine's reflection in the mirror! Gasp! (Yeah what a shock, I never saw that coming.

) Oh, and guess what? It's her husband! Oh how dare he show up in their bathroom? Snort!

OK, sometimes the scare is real -- a hideous creature appears in the mirror. (And I don't mean my reflection after I stay up too long watching these movies.) I mean an actual creature shows up in the mirror! Great. So what? How about creating some suspense? I mean suspense beyond "OK, when is the hideous creature going to show up in the mirror?"

And yes, some movies do these scenes well. But that doesn't mean almost every freaking horror movie should copy them. Besides, if the scariest moment in your movie comes because your heroine sees a reflection in her bathroom mirror, then maybe you should try a little harder.

night-flyer · Sep 23, 2010

I was watching a horror movie the other night, and of course the woman had to walk by the mirror. The music got that funky scary sound, and so I waited for it to come.
lol, it never did. She dawdled and walked by the mirror, but no scary monster/demon appeared. I was very shocked. The scary part happened a few moments later, but no mirror reflection horror.

That was quite funny, because I was waiting for it. It's been done so many times.
And then they tricked me, by not doing it.

AnneMarble · Sep 23, 2010

night-flyer said:
...
That was quite funny, because I was waiting for it. It's been done so many times.
And then they tricked me, by not doing it.

Now that was clever.

I wish more moviemakers would try being that clever.

Here's another one. Next time somebody does one of those "She thinks her husband is a serial killer even though everyone else thinks she's delusional..." plots... Why not have the actual twist be that she really is delusional?! That would be cool -- and probably make a lot more sense than the typical plot.

night-flyer · Sep 23, 2010

lol! Now, that would throw some people off.

It's just like in the haunted house movies. The husband always thinks that the woman is nuts, when she tells him that there's a ghost in the house.

I vote that she really is nuts, there are no ghosts. Just delutions, then she kills him--thinking he's a ghost or demon.

That'll teach him for not believing her. I hate it when the husband always says they're crazy, instead of believing them. What kinda husband is that?

MissMacchiato · Sep 23, 2010

haha, there was a hilarious stand up routine where I think it's Eddie Murphy or Pablo Francisco talking about how if it was their wife, first time they ever heard that creepy voice which is like 'get out' they'd be out the door, down the path, in the car, and I have to say, that's my type of husband!

leahzero · Sep 23, 2010

http://www.hulu.com/watch/11203/saturday-night-live-digital-short-the-mirror

kuwisdelu · Sep 23, 2010

night-flyer said:
That'll teach him for not believing her. I hate it when the husband always says they're crazy, instead of believing them. What kinda husband is that?

One that doesn't believe in the supernatural?

But yeah, I think the future of twists is that the twist will be foreshadowed and foreshadowed and foreshadowed, and then the real twist is the lack of one, and what happens is an actual, logical ending.

clockwork · Sep 24, 2010

The cousin of the bathroom mirror scare is the open fridge door scare. Nobody in the kitchen, open the fridge door, grab a beer, close the fridge door, "GAH! Where did you come from and how did I not hear you?!" A popular alternative because the scene is usually lit by the fridge light alone. Usually accompanied by a scary orchestral hit to let you know that this is supposed to be scary and that you should be scared now.

JimmyB27 · Sep 24, 2010

I think they should use this bathroom mirror thing in a vampire film.

mirandashell · Sep 24, 2010

The one that gets me is when someone wonders through a dark house knowing there is a monster/killer in there...

Turn the bloody lights on, you silly cow!

dolores haze · Sep 24, 2010

I have a horrific moment every single morning when I look in the bathroom mirror. There's not a damn thing I could see in a movie that would scare me more than that.

dolores haze · Sep 24, 2010

mirandashell said:
The one that gets me is when someone wonders through a dark house knowing there is a monster/killer in there...

Turn the bloody lights on, you silly cow!

And don't go into the creepy basement, carrying a candle and wearing your snow white night dress. Gah! YOU DESERVE TO DIE!

night-flyer · Sep 24, 2010

I agree with all Delores and Mirandashell, I want to kill these people myself. If you're too stupid to live, then I root for the monster.

mirandashell · Sep 24, 2010

There's loads of films where I end up doing that! LOL!

night-flyer · Sep 24, 2010

Teenagers, where they stop and have sex or smoke a joint while Jason is chasing them?

Or when everyone splits up to get picked off one by one when they know someone is killing them off?

lol

Shadow_Ferret · Sep 24, 2010

I really hate any scene where the danger is right outside the camera view. And the person is there who SHOULD be able to see the monster just outside camera range, but doesn't, then the camera just does a pan and THERE IT IS! Yeah. Stupid. Why didn't the person see the thing standing right next to them like that?

leahzero said:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/11203/saturday-night-live-digital-short-the-mirror

Gah! I kept jumping even though I knew it was comedy.

katiemac · Sep 24, 2010

JimmyB27 said:
I think they should use this bathroom mirror thing in a vampire film.

Buffy did it. Except it was a compact mirror.

Sage · Sep 24, 2010

I think the creepiest mirror scenes are the ones where the mirror doesn't match up with what's supposed to be reflected in it. Like if the reflection moves when the person looking at it doesn't, for example.

I definitely expect something to move behind the character in the mirror in horror movies just because it's been done so often. Then when I'm feeling the most creeped out IRL, say, I'll be brushing my teeth and refuse to look up at the mirror because I do not want to see if there's something scary in there (bad logic, but so is being scared at that point).

Jessianodel · Sep 24, 2010

leahzero said:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/11203/saturday-night-live-digital-short-the-mirror

I hate you. I knew the mirror scene was coming, but I expected a monster.

Jesus that guy was freaking creepy!

night-flyer · Sep 24, 2010

I thought he was pretty scary! lol

I wouldn't want to see him in my mirror.

AnneMarble · Sep 25, 2010

leahzero said:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/11203/saturday-night-live-digital-short-the-mirror

The people who made that must have sat through the same movies.

xitomatl · Sep 26, 2010

My favourite/hated horror movie cliche is getting the keys.

Quick, get the car door/house/garage/whathaveyou keys out quickly to get in and be safe!

Oh no, you have so many goddamned keys you have to try TEN of them to figure out which one it is!

Oh shit, now you DROPPED them! Gah, pick them up quickly!

FINALLY find the right key and get in the house/car/whatever!

Just as the door is closing, arm/leg/foot/stick blocks you from closing the door because you took so damned long to unlock the door!

I don't know about you guys, but I don't have three dozen keys on my keychain. Makes me wonder why these people insist on carrying around a warden's-sized key ring with them. Maybe they're all janitors.

Or when they yell "Hello!" into the dark, mysterious, creepy, building. Just to let the evil murderer or monster know exactly where they are. Great idea.

Oh, but we love the horror movies all the same

.

Zoombie · Sep 26, 2010

"So, if you were in a haunted house, you'd be the one who went to the closet to prove there are no ghosts?"

"No, I'd be the one in the front with the fucking flamethrower shouting that anyone sentient should get the fuck out because I'm burning the place down. I don't believe in ghosts, but I sure as fucking HELL don't believe in taking stupid risks."

My favorite quote about this kind of thing.

night-flyer · Sep 26, 2010

Zoombie, you're going in alone. I don't want to end up a crispy critter. You're more dangerous than the ghost. lol

I hate the old abandoned fun house movies. Who leaves an amusement park abandoned, and how do they make the rides work after the place has not been running for years? And would you really want to ride on crap that has not been maintained for years?

If you find an abandoned amusement park, just know that there are likely insane, psycho killers in it there and stay out!!

Camilla Delvalle · Sep 26, 2010

Yeah, mirrors are overused. What annoys me more is when the murderer is apparently killed but wakes up again and continues to chase them.

Down with Bathroom Mirror Scares!

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