[[creepypic]]
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Sometimes, an inanimate object such as a painting or statue might inexplicably change off camera. For example, in one shot a statue of a man may be smiling, and in another shot the statue will be frowning. This can be used as a FunnyBackgroundEvent, but is often used in horror, and can possibly be a source of ParanoiaFuel.

Sub-trope of SpookyPainting, possibly a SisterTrope to OffscreenRealityWarp. May overlap with ExpressiveAccessory. See also PortraitPaintingPeephole.

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!!Examples:
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* One issue of the ComicBookAdaptation of ''RockyAndBullwinkle'' had a pawn shop in whose window was displayed a bust that seemed to grin one moment and scowl the next. It turned out to be connected to the auction in that story.
* The DonRosa DonaldDuck story ''The Magnificent Seven (Minus Four) Caballeros'' features a statue who is quite affronted at the thought of sharing Junior Woodchuck information with a non-woodchuck. Don Rosa quite likes these sorts of bonuses.
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[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* ''FanFic/DungeonKeeperAmi'' features this in an interesting way. When her dungeon is under direct attack by the dark god Crowned Death things start falling apart or warp in eerie ways as his rot-everything power infects them. Strangely, it is noted that parts of her Dungeon under observation are more reluctant to seccumb to the effect.
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[[folder:Films]]
* In ''{{Airplane}}'', the inflatable "Otto" pilot doll changes expression several times.
** As well as the Angel on the dashboard when they're about to land covers her eyes in fear.
* PlayedForLaughs in Creator/MelBrooks' ''RobinHoodMenInTights'' with the sheriff's cardboard cutout.
* In ''Film/MouseHunt'', the portrait of the old owner of the string factory subtly changes expressions, most notable when the main character has sex in the office with the portrait watching in surprise/disgust.
* A very minor case in ''YoungFrankenstein''. A scowling portrait of Victor Frankenstein is highly visible in Fredrick's room. When Frederick finds his grandfather's instructions and decides to continue his work, a lightning-illuminated close-up shows the portrait looking very pleased. Related is the joke of Igor's hump moving from one shoulder to another.
* Mild case: A point in the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' universe is that people in paintings, photographs and the like can actually move, even out of frame. So it's not inexplicable or off camera, but it still gets creepy when you see Umbridge's office hanging full with pictures of cats, miauwing and moving.
* Mrs. Munson talks to her dead husband's portrait in the remake of ''TheLadykillers'', and while the portrait never talks back, it does react to the events around it (most obviously with an expression of surprise at an explosion, and a satisfied smirk at a KarmicDeath.)
* The film version of ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' has a scene in Major Major's office, which has a photograph of FDR on a wall. As Major Major talks with Sgt. Towser, he paces in circles around the room, causing the photo to disappear from view and then reappear, replaced in succession with pictures of Churchill and Stalin.
* ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}} II'': Vigo's painting does this a couple of times in addition to his more over-the-top stuff.
* The painting in the hotel foyer from ''Film/InTheMouthOfMadness'' does this, showing a couple going for a romantic walk along the river degenerating into tentacled beasts.
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[[folder:Literature]]
* An iconic example is ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray''. The titular portrait changes when no one looks at it, and its first change is a subtle alteration in the expression. Most of the remaining changes are more obvious.
* In ''TheWitches'', one of the children is cursed to live in a painting. No one ever sees her move, but she lives her entire life in the painting, even aging gradually into an old woman, and then disappearing altogether.
* ''The Mezzotint'', by M. R. James.
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[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Provenance", things in a haunted painting move and change, although events in real life evoke a reaction in the painting.
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** The Weeping Angels are creepy moving ''statues''
** Some of the drawings in "Fear Her" do this
* One of the pranks in an episode of ''TriggerHappyTV'' featured a person disguised as a statue in a park who would sneeze every so often when people came near.
* One episode of ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' features a ventriloquist who notices while shaving in front of a mirror that his DemonicDummy keeps on changing the tilt of its head every time he glances at it in the mirror. Then he looks directly at the dummy, and it ''winks'' at him. He responds by throwing something at it, causing its face to seemingly break.
* An episode of ''Series/MysteriousWays'' had a crying stained glass window as its [[OnceAnEpisode miracle of the week]].
* In one episode of ''{{Warehouse 13}}'', Pete, Myka and Claudia were stuck in a house where the changes they made in the room changed the painting of that same room. And [[RealityChangingMiniature vice-versa]]
* In the pilot episode of ''Series/NightGallery'', the first segment "The Cemetary" features one. After murdering his ailing uncle, the nephew realizes that his uncle's painting of the family cemetary (where the uncle is buried) is changing every time he sees it, and it's showing his uncle rising from the grave...[[spoiler:The butler, who both wants to avenge his old master and take the inheritance from the nephew, is gaslighting him with multiple paintings to drive him crazy. It works, and the nephew falls down the stairs to his death in the grip of insanity. As the butler gloats in triumph some time later, he watches in horror as the painting starts changing on its own right before his eyes. It's showing the nephew rising from the grave...]]
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* In [[ChzoMythos Five Days A Stranger,]]:
** There is a painting in the dining room of Roderick Defoe. Each day, the man in the painting gets older and older. [[spoiler: By day four, it's a corpse. By day five, the painting is blank except for a blood splatter.]]
** Another example is the landscape painting in a different room. Every so often, a dark, vaguely-human figure appears on the horizon. It's subtle enough that most people don't notice. [[spoiler:The painting was done by Matthew Defoe, one of the first deaths linked with the manor's past. Its origin is explored further in Trilby's Notes.]]
* ''HamtaroHamHamHeartbreak'', a children's game for the GameBoyAdvance system features one of these on the entrance wall of Boo Mansion.
* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'': Paintings found in [[EldritchLocation Castle Brennenburg]] change depending on the player character's sanity. Under normal conditions, the portrait of [[BigBad Baron Alexander]] depicts him as an old long-haired gentleman; [[spoiler: if the player's sanity is low, then the portrait's face becomes melted and monstrous - possibly revealing Alexander's true face]]. The castle's other paintings also appear to change depending on your sanity level; this usually manifests as distortion in the figures' faces and the addition of skeletons in the scene. This makes for excellent ParanoiaFuel, just like everything else in the game. Ditto paintings seen in ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness''.
* Pretty much all of the paintings in VideoGame/{{Ib}}, considering it's all about a Creepy Changing Artist.
* Played for horror in ''Clive Barker's Undying'' where, near the beginning of the game is a large painting of all the Covenant children. Using the Scrye spell on it makes [[spoiler:everyone except Jeremiah turn into their demonic forms on the picture, the exact same forms you have to bossfight one-by-one later in the game. As for Jeremiah, he's simply decapitated in the picture... foreshadowing [[OffWithHisHead the exact manner in which he dies]]. Both times.]]
* In ''VideoGame/AiToYuukiToKashiwamochi'', the opening game screen changes slightly every time you play the game. At first it's just Yuki, Ai's boyfriend, inching closer to take her hand. Then the sweets on the screen begin changing into medical supplies. Then Ai gets a frightened look on her face as Yuki begins gradually dragging her off the screen. [[spoiler:Then Yuki's human appearance changes to that of a skeleton. Then the screen goes completely blank with both Yuki and Ai gone...]]
* In the [[BigBoosHaunt Old Chateau]] in {{Pokemon}} Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, there is a room with a painting that looks normal if you look at it up close, but stares at you with [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]] if you look away from it.
* In The Sims 3, with the "Supernatural Expansion" you can buy paintings that change during nighttime. Such as a young woman turning into an old hag, a face of a man which turns into a skull, and so on.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevania4'' in the gallery level there are two types of paintings that are notable. Both of similar looking old woman. One if you pass it, it will mumble something inaudible which summons bats to attack you. The other will reach down and try to grab you. Unless you try to pass them they both seem like perfectly normal paintings.
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[[folder:Web Original]]
* [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1891 SCP-1891]] of the Wiki/SCPFoundation does this to ''other'' paintings. Specifically, it's a painting of a stooped human. The painted human somehow moves to other paintings and gradually transforms everything depicted into machinery.
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', Larry the Cucumber has a paper bag mask which changes expressions based on the wearer's expression. Bob the Tomato notices it, and is very freaked out by it. It is later hinted that the mask doesn't change because of the wearer's emotions, but the wearer's emotions change because of the mask.
* As a FreezeFrameBonus in ''LiloAndStitch'', a poster in Nani's room has a surprised expression for a few frames after Stitch hits Jumba with a VW Beetle.
* In the TexAvery cartoon ''WesternAnimation/WhoKilledWho'', a police detective looks inside a dark room with a flashlight. The light passes a picture of a [[GoingFurASwim woman in a swimsuit and fur coat]]. He quickly returns to it for a second look, but now the woman has covered herself up with the coat.
* Early villainess Hexadecimal in ''WesternAnimation/{{ReBoot}}'' had a drama mask for a face, which could [[ExpressiveMask change expressions]], but only when offscreen. Hex could invoke this by passing her hand in front of her face.
* ''WesternAnimation/MrMagoo's Christmas Carol'': While the transforming door knocker is [[YetAnotherChristmasCarol par the course]], ''after'' the ghostly visitations end and Scrooge!Magoo leaves to visit the Cratchit house, the door knocker [[AsideGlance winks at the audience]].
* When Coconuts goes to fight Sonic in ''AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', he briefly kisses a portrait of Robotnik. Once he's done the portrait has an expression of disgust.
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[[folder:Other]]
* The queue of TheHauntedMansion has something like this. In the queue, there is a headstone with the engraving of a woman's face. Every so often, the woman's eyes will open, dart around for a few seconds, and then close. The queue also contains several paintings that morph into a different painting, such as a painting of a woman morphing into a tiger.
* The allegedly cursed painting "The Hands Resist Him" allegedly had the people in the paintings frown, and one person even allegedly pulled out a gun.
* Religious figurines and paintings are often accused of crying or bleeding when no one is looking.
* Party City, Walgreen's, and other stores sell these at Halloween, thanks to the magic of lenticular printing.
* An '80s issue of ''National Geographic'' had a variation on this. Its holographic cover had a whole globe on it, but when you tilted it slightly, the globe had bits broken out of it. Not exactly creepy, but definitely deeply unsettling.
* On [[TVTropes this very site]] In the forums for Halloween 2012, a system was implemented for the forum avatars that had this effect. When first viewed the avatar pictures are normal, but when you scroll offscreen then return to them, the picture is replaced with a random picture of something scary. Among these include a [[Series/DoctorWho Weeping Angel]], [[Film/TheExorcist demonic Regan]], [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos the Slender Man]], and {{Cthulhu|Mythos}}. There were also a few humorous ones like [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite a sprite of Cofagrigus]] and a Weeping Angel with a "ಠ_ಠ" smiley for a face.
* PlayedForLaughs in the Miiverse trailer for the {{Wii U}}, where the {{Basement Dweller}}'s "Non-Specific Action Figure" has a painted-on expression of disapproval when first seen, but after the nerd beats ZombiU, he suddenly shows a thumbs-up gesture with a painted-on expression of approval without being moved.
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''That's it, scroll right down. You need to go to the very bottom of the page. Got it? Now then, back up. Good. Look closely at the Mona Lisa. Notice anything?''
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