10 Most Bizarre Horror Stereotypes

6. Summonings That Backfire

Night of the Demons
Universal

You'd think that if you're going to go to the lengths to do some sort of summoning or reach out to the dead, you'd be prepared for what may come of that.

If you're in a horror movie, seemingly not.

You can pick pretty much any horror flick based around a Ouija board, some ancient ritual or an eerie incantation, and it's guaranteed that the people involved in these acts are ridiculously under prepared when they inevitably get what they've asked for.

As soon as one even starts to contemplate the idea of doing something that will connect them to the dead or to another world, there has to be some consideration given to, y'know, what will happen if what you're doing works. Instead, many an idiot has been left in a state of shock and panic at their summoning or attempted contact actually giving them their supposedly desired results.

It's very much a "be careful what you wish for" point being made here, but it's something that has been so overplayed and overdone in so many movies for decades now that you have zero sympathy for any of those involved in such happenings.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.