Every genre has it’s clichés. Horror is certainly no exception, the trite plot developments and cheap gimmicks employed by hacky writers are well lamented. Spring loaded cats, cars that refuse start for no real reason, unturnable doorknobs, etc.

This is not a list of such things.

No this list contains those odd devices and occurrences, than when employed by filmmakers makes you wonder not so much about their talent as you do their mental health. These are odd, ugly things, but for some strange reason, they have a tendency to appear, and reappear in the horror genre. Just in case, one in a billion shot, you’re an aspiring filmmaker who happens to be reading this, please take my advice, then spread the word around to your peers. Stop putting these things into movies!

• Incest.
  (examples: Sleepwalkers, Burial Ground)
  
  Note to filmmakers, incest isn’t the crowd pleaser you seem to think it is. Especially when it has no real bearing on the plot. Please stop writing it into your films, ok?

• African Americans as comedy relief.
  
  Most folks would like to think that this shameful practice went out of phase decades ago. But you don’t have to pick up an old “Dead End Kids” flick to see a prime example of this crap, just go rent the '13 Ghosts' remake.

• The threat of child molestation raised to provide cheap tension.
  (Wes Craven’s COS, Alone in the Dark [1982], Campfire Tales [1997] )
  
  Ick! No! No! Bad writer! I will rub your nose in it until you learn not to do this!
  Some might argue that horror is based on uncomfortable taboos, but I would add that horror is also supposed to be scary. Not just ugly, disgusting or offensive, but scary. A dog turd is gross, but not scary. A fat, naked guy eating chili dogs while sitting on the can is offensive, but not scary (well, it‘s kinda disturbing, but not innately terrifying). Paris Hilton is ugly, but, well ok, she’s also horrifying. The point is, I don’t want to pay money to see any of the aforementioned crap.

• Orphaning a child for plot convenience.
  (The Believers, Wendigo)
  
  Also known as Walt Disney syndrome. A favorite of hack writers everywhere, as it allows for cheap low-grade character conflict.
  

• Pointless animal cruelty.
  (Sleepwalkers, Hide and Seek  )
  
  Sometimes animal cruelty can actually enhance a film when it is used to reveal the true nature of a character (ala Reanimator, Cape Fear, Secret Window, etc). Sometimes it's just a cheap device to make you say "Ewww! They killed the puppy." Laziness! It's laziness I deplore!