The Slamming Door - This can be effective in some situations. But I think evil spirits have better tricks nowadays. Avoid…

Stay here, I’ll come back OR Let’s divide - Don’t use that dialog. Have your characters being separated by other factors than their stupidness.

Trying to grab the weapon - How many times have they fallen only to have their weapon propeled at a ‘‘suspensful’’ crawling reachable point? Avoid…

The car isn’t working anymore - Almost every film has its uncredited Evil Motor Stopper Spirit. Avoid… Or dedicate a whole movie to it so it finally stops popping in all horror films, trying to get noticed.

Gee, how can he/she run that fast? - If your killer or bad guy/girl isn’t supernatural, it’s really insulting the audience when the directing shows the good guy/girl running for 5 minutes only to be faced a second later with him/her. Avoid…

Unlimited ammo - You’re not John Woo, so start counting the bullets. Only He has this right (!).

Spirit transfer possession - Yeah, it’s been know to work in various situations, but it’s been overdone. ‘‘The Hidden’’ being probably the movie that’s done it to close the deal on it. Avoid…

Thunder - Effective in many situations and classic way to dramatize events. Unless your evil character is Thunder itself, try to add chills with story-related factors.

Rocks, roots & dirt are pro-evil. - When a girl or hero narrowly escapes impending doom, but trips and falls to the ground allowing the villian to walk to them. And when with a someone running along too, you'll hear a "Go on without me..." for sure. Avoid…

SUMMER CAMP CLICHES:
Avoid any camp not named for an Indian like Crystal Lake or Sleepaway.

If you are a counselor, avoid picking on shy kids, they do get revenge.

If you are a camper, befriend the shy loner types, they need the companionship.

Overly friendly counselors may be recent asylum escapees.

Make sure they put away all knives, arrows and other potential weapons.

If you have sex in the woods, you will die in the woods!

Campfire legends always come back to haunt you.

If you encounter any figure wearing a hockey mask, you're a goner!

Don't go scurrying in the counselors cabin, you may discover a secret hobby.

If you happen to survive the carnage in the first film, don't appear in a sequel, you will be offed in the first few minutes.

COLLEGE CLICHES:
Most of the students are always way too stupid to be in college.

The big time jocks are always the first to go, so brawn does not matter.

If you are a blonde with big breasts, don't get naked or you're a goner.

Never go exploring in that creepy deserted building.

Avoid any college with asylums or prisons near by.

Stick with the brainy wallflower, she usually ends up surviving.

Never take a shower if you have seen dead bodies, even if you are covered in blood.

If there is a medical school nearby, avoid the morgue.

If you are in a Frat or Sorority, beware of any recently rejected pledges, especially if they were released from a nearby asylum.

Campus Police are pretty much on the level of Keystone Kops.

Never stay in the dorms during extended holidays

KILLER CLICHES:
You can only do your killing on a holiday, so remember to avoid the summer camps and college dorms in August.

Guns are never to be used, so go raid a hardware store or local barn.

If you are disfigured or have a limp, even better!

When chasing women through the woods, soon enough they will trip and fall.

If you are an only child, somehow you won't be if there is a sequel.

Always use a mask, even if Halloween is months away.

Always avoid bitter, disgruntled cops that put you away once before.

Don't worry about getting killed by the macho tough guys, you will always win.

Strong mother fixations tend to be a big plus, so remember mom well.

If you are a woman and a killer, you will die at the end. No female-killer ever seems to live.

Keep in mind that you are most likely invincible but try not to talk, if you do then you must always crack jokes.

GOVERNMENT CLICHES
If you happen to wander onto any abandoned government facilities, do so at your risk.

Any container or package put away by the Army is almost always harmful.

If you happen to see any men wearing white environment suits, PRAY!

If you happen to meet any men wearing dark suits and dark glasses at night, they are probably not part of any government agency on Earth.

Any government developed virus or biological agent has no known cure.

If you see any large unmarked vehicles in a convoy, get out of town!

If you are being attacked by zombies, the government will nuke you and deny everything.

Government issued containers or steel drums will break down or fail at the wrong time.

If you live near a lake, it will get contaminated.

Remember they will deny everything! Take a hint from Agent Fox Muhlder and Trust No One!

ZOMBIE CLICHES:
If you ever see anyone walking that you know is dead, they are a ZOMBIE!

If you ever get bitten by a zombie, you will soon become one.

Remember that a well placed gunshot in the head usually does the trick.

Zombies love brains, nice warm BRAINS!

Never walk in a stagger or you might be mistaken for a zombie and get shot.

If a loved one is killed by a zombie, burn them quickly.

Never try to outrun a zombie, they somehow always manage to catch you.

If they are Redneck Zombies, give them some moonshine and have them play a banjo.

Never piss off a Haitian Medicine man or you will become a zombie.

Never use fire to ward off zombies as it will usually burn out at the crucial moment.

If you happen to be in an Italian Zombie movie, have a big barf bag ready.

DEMONIC CLICHES:
Never read anything called The Book of the Dead, The Necronomicon, The Satanic Bible or play with weird puzzle boxes, Quija boards or any other device that summons the evil or dead. They tend to be both!
Never name your child Damien.
If your child spits up green vomit and has a head spinning complex, call an exorcist and stop serving them peas.
Never promise your first born to any weird group, they will come to pick it up.
If you happen to wander upon a gathering of robed people with pentagrams on the floor, walk away as fast as you can.
Never give your blood or volunteer to give any bodily fluid to any robed group.
Demons seem to be impervious to bullets, unless your name is Ash.
Summoning spirits during a seance usually brings really cranky, angry ghosts.
Evil looking fluids buried under churches should stay there.
Never sign a deal with the devil, he is worse then any record club about collection.

WOMEN:
If a Playboy or Penthouse centerfold model appears, more then likely she is the villain and a vampire.

The most stuck up and bitchy cheerleader gets it first. But first she must somehow get naked.

When you confront a potential intruder, a fireplace poker is usually not going to stop a Jason or Freddy type killer.

If you are a plain Jane or just plain ugly, you are not usually important to the plot.

Babes are never meant to survive, unless they are being saved to become the killers breeding stock.

Bimbos are more likely to enter a creepy looking building or suggest that a well armed group break up.

Woman should never get naked or go skinny dipping, it usually draws the killer or over sexed maniacs to you.

The likelihood of a bimbo becoming a hero is in direct relation to the release of Aliens. Before not likely, after hell yah!

When making a Women in Prison movie, your bimbos must be dressed in the latest from Frederick's and Victoria's Kinky Secret.

If the babe is meant to be the hero from the start, its because she is related to the killer. That's a hard fast definite.

When a babe gets killed, somehow she has to get topless so you can look at her breasts before she dies.

ALIENS:
If you happen to get a strange message and decipher it, beware of eminent Invasion.

If you happen to find a derelict ship of unknown origin, send in robots.

Never get close to anything that resembles an egg, hive or pod.

If your friend behaves rather strangely, they may be under alien influence or really stoned!.

Never try to get in contact with a hostile entity, whatever higher intelligence they possess, they ain't telling you!

Unlike Earth machines, Alien machines can lay dormant for thousands of years.

Flying saucers can outrun, out shoot and out fly anything built by man.

Make sure when you abandon ship that the escape craft only contains those you wish to save.

If you happen to have nuclear or fusion weapons at hand. USE THEM!

Never trust a company spokesman, they usually want to screw you in exchange for the xenomorph.