Patterns, Formulas, Cliches or whatever you want to call them, there are certain repeated events in horror films that we’ve all seen a million times. Some of these patterns are good, however there are other patterns in horror flicks that would have us think they happen all the time in real life when they don't. Some of these can also be ok but then there are those few that we all have seen over and over and we start to hate with a passion.

Follow up:

Here they are, in no particular order, the 7 things I’m sick of seeing in horror movies:

1 - Victim running from killer ALWAYS trips and falls

PATTERN: Almost without exception, if a girl is running from an axe wielding psycho you can bet she trips over something and falls down. Often you'll notice she trips over thin air, amazing how the survivor girls are so uncoordinated yet still, you know, survive!

REALITY: I'm sorry but the few times in my life when I've been running from something or someone that scared me, I was moving faster than lightening (felt that way) and didn't trip. Have you tripped up while running away from someone? I'll give you this too, they didn't even need to be chasing you with a chainsaw . . . you just plain tripped.

2 - The current boyfriend/husband of the protagonist's would be love interest is a total douche

PATTERN: You've seen this one. The lead of the film loves a girl, but the girl has a boyfriend. Already you know there is a 99% chance that this boyfriend will end up being a complete jerk. He screams at her, demeans her, doesn’t respect her. You can’t see why she’s with him in the first place. However, whatever the reason it doesn’t matter because you know she’s going to end up with the main character in the end anyway when she finally sees the douche for what he is, and leaves him for the protagonist (or the deadbeat b/f gets sliced and diced so the hero gets sloppy seconds).

REALITY:The hot chick's boyfriend is 10 times better looking, funnier, smarter, richer and all round a better person than you. Cue Nelson's point and Laugh here, "HA-HA".

3 - Survivor girl/boy can go toe to toe with the killer during the film's finale

PATTERN:The hero is quiet and reserved throughout the majority of the movie while being eclipsed by their much more outgoing friends. As their friends meet their maker one by one the survivor begins to change. We finally reach the showdown between the sheltered protagonist and brain eating ghoul. Before the film's climax, the killer had no prob dispatching countless victims with ease (most of which were more athletic and capable of defending themselves than the main character) but now the survivor's punches, kicks and pretty much everything else hurts and slows down the killer. The antagonist's time average per kill gets all screwed up in a horror movie climax.

REALITY:You run into the killer, YOU DIE!

4 - Opening a door slowly means cheap scare soon to follow

PATTERN:The hero hears a noise coming from the closet. They slowly approach the door and then turn the handle ever so carefully. So close now, almost open and BAM! Or . . . Hero opens the door and nothing. Hero takes deep sigh of relief to turn around and BAM!

REALITY:You hear a noise and you get the crap out of the house, jump in the car and drive to Taco Bell (cause you worked up an appetite) all while calling 911. The same is applied for hearing noises upstairs.

5 - Character is sitting in their car and BAM! Someone hits the car door window accompanied by a loud blast of music

PATTERN:There's a good chance you'll see one of these moments pop up in a horror movie made within the last decade. Funny, watch these scenes with the sound off and it's not scary at all. It has everything to do with the piercing sound of music that blasts for that split second just to get that cheap scare. Honestly, every time in a horror movie when I see a conversation being held in a parked car I immediate countdown for the old window trick (They haven't let me down yet).

REALITY:Who walks up to a car door window and slams on it to get somebody's attention? Or one step further, who just walks up and stares waiting to get the occupants attentions? Psychopaths who are already in prison for doing much worse things, that's who!

6 - The Killer walks yet still keeps up with the victim

PATTERN:This is an 80's trend. Girl is running a marathon yet for completely unexplained reasons the nutcase is taking a midnight stroll and he's still right on her heels. (I love "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon"'s explanation for this)

REALITY:Girl runs + Killer walks = Girl gets away, comes back with police and killer doesn't get out of jail free

7 - Once the film's cast has been introduced in the first act, you can pick out which ones are going to die immediately

PATTERN:Douche bag Jock, hmmmm Dead! Stoner, lets think, Dead! Best friend, oh they are really Dead. Other random character who has just enough screen time . . . just paint a bulls eye on their head.

REALITY:If a Psycho wants you dead they won't take the time to knock off everybody else you know first (or anybody you've made human contact with for that matter) . . . they just ring your door bell and BAM!

What are some of the ones that you’re sick of seeing over and over?