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** She is also similar to Dale Cooper from ''Twin Peaks''. Like Cooper, she is an idealistic outsider with an interest in solving mysteries.

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** She is also similar to Dale Cooper from ''Twin Peaks''. Like Cooper, she is she's an idealistic outsider with an interest in solving mysteries.



* MsFanservice: Despite being very wholesome and proper, she`s got a sexy side that comes out during her audition and later that night when she has sex with Rita.

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* MsFanservice: Despite being very wholesome and proper, she`s she's got a sexy side that comes out during her audition and later that night when she has sex with Rita.






* CensorShadow: In the bedroom, when Rita disrobes, we see little more than just her silhouette against the light coming in through the window.

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* CensorShadow: In the bedroom, bedroom when Rita disrobes, we see little more than just her silhouette against the light coming in through the window.



* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Anyone that would know her real name refers to Rita simply as "the girl".






* CorruptedCharacterCopy: To [[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Dorothy Gale]]. Like Dorothy, Diane lives in a dreary mundane world, but escapes into a dreamland where her alter ego is a universally beloved figure. But while Dorothy is an innocent girl who grows into a heroic figure, Diane is closer to a villain who constructs her dreamworld in a highly self-serving manner so she doesn't have to address her failings as a person. The "Diane Selwyn" in her dream is only ever seen as a rotting corpse, showing that even on a subconscious level Diane knows she's actually closer to a Wicked Witch than a plucky heroine.






* MsFanservice: She gets a topless scene and is cast as the love interest in Kesher`s film.
* ShadowArchetype: To Rita. Rita was devoted to Betty and was simple enough to not break Betty`s heart. Camilla isn't quite so pure of heart. There`s also the matter of one surviving a hit and the other is heavily implied to have not.

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* MsFanservice: She gets a topless scene and is cast as the love interest in Kesher`s Kesher's film.
* ShadowArchetype: To Rita. Rita was devoted to Betty and was simple enough to not break Betty`s Betty's heart. Camilla isn't quite so pure of heart. There`s There's also the matter of one surviving a hit and the other is heavily implied to have not.






* AbortedArc: There`s some build-up between him and Betty, but the dream ends before it can go anywhere.

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* AbortedArc: There`s There's some build-up between him and Betty, but the dream ends before it can go anywhere.



* EmasculatedCuckold: He finds his wife with the pool man and after some struggle gets shamefully evicted from his own home. Given that this all happens in Diane`s dream, there`s a sense of sweet irony to be had regarding his affair with Camilla.

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* EmasculatedCuckold: He finds his wife with the pool man and after some struggle gets shamefully evicted from his own home. Given that this all happens in Diane`s Diane's dream, there`s there's a sense of sweet irony to be had regarding his affair with Camilla.



* WouldHitAGirl: Almost did this to his cheating wife until the poolman/her lover intervened. Later, a mobster didn't hold back on doing the same thing.

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* WouldHitAGirl: Almost did this to his cheating wife until the poolman/her lover intervened. Later, a mobster didn't hold back on doing intervened, with his choice of words showing that according to him, ''Adam'' is the same thing.only one who did anything wrong.



* BodyHorror: Mr. Roque`s bizarrely shrunken head on top of his normal-sized body is a slightly more subdued example.

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* BodyHorror: Mr. Roque`s Roque's bizarrely shrunken head on top of his normal-sized body is a slightly more subdued example.






* NotSoStoic: When they`re first introduced, they say very little and show no emotion outside of cold judgement. Then one of them finds his espresso isn`t to his tastes and the whole scene goes off the rails.

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* NotSoStoic: When they`re they're first introduced, they say very little and show no emotion outside of cold judgement. Then one of them finds his espresso isn`t isn't to his tastes and the whole scene goes off the rails.









* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Bob's odd choice of words show he's overthinking a film that seems to be little more than an erotic thriller.






* AsideGlance: Internal example. As she's singing Camilla shoots Adam a sinister glance.















* CoolOldLady: At least in the first act. We don`t get much information on her real-world equivalent.

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* CoolOldLady: At least in the first act. We don`t don't get much information on her real-world equivalent.






* WouldHitAGirl: Combats the fat woman from the office next door.












Betty's neighbour and a clairvoyant.

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Betty's neighbour neighbor and a clairvoyant.



* {{Psychopomp}}: One possible theory. Dan drops dead as soon as he sees it. Later on it releases the old couple who terrorise Diane into suicide. As Diane's body goes cold, the bum can be seen fading into focus.

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* {{Psychopomp}}: One possible theory. Dan drops dead as soon as he sees it. Later on it releases the old couple who terrorise terrorize Diane into suicide. As Diane's body goes cold, the bum can be seen fading into focus.






* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Somehow they managed to break out of the dreamworld and torment Diane. And when Diane is dead, they're nowhere to be found. Best watch this movie with your lights on.






* AmbiguouslyHuman: His choice of wardrobe feels more like a costume than proper attire and his skin is unnaturally streamlined with very limited facial expressions, like he's wearing a mask.



* RuleOfThree: The Cowboy says "If you do good, you'll see me one more time. If you do bad, you'll see me two more times." While he doesn't encounter Adam after this, he does appear before Diane, who as the dreamer would have experienced this interaction and has a skeleton in her closet.









* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The Magician repeatedly says everything is fake, but if you pay close attention you`ll see he made a cane materialise in his hand and makes it disappear seconds later. There`s also the way he disappears in a puff of smoke.

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* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The Magician repeatedly says everything is fake, but if you pay close attention you`ll you'll see he made a cane materialise in his hand and makes it disappear seconds later. There`s There's also the way he disappears in a puff of smoke.
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* TheDreaded: Dan is terrified of the reoccurring dream where he can see the creature through the walls, and the story he tells is unsettling enough to make his friend a bit unnerved as well. Then they go see it in the alleyway behind the diner and the mere sight of the creature is enough to make Dan faint in horror.

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Disambig.





* DaylightHorror: The "man behind Winkie's" scene is somehow made even more disturbing by the fact that it happens in broad daylight.



* JumpScare: One of the most iconic examples of the modern age - This is how the man behind Winkies is introduced, only to disappear just as quickly.

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* JumpScare: One of the most iconic examples of the modern age - This -- this is how the man behind Winkies is introduced, only to disappear just as quickly.
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* AllThereInTheManual: She mentions she previously used to inhabit room 17, so the address board indicates her name is DeRosa.
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A Date With Rosie Palms is no longer a trope


* ADateWithRosiePalms: Near the end, Diane Selwyn has this kind of date. It is extremely unsexy, seeing as how she's weeping as she's trying to get herself off, and failing, possibly out of guilt for paying a hitman to kill Camilla.
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* MagicalHomelessPerson: He is strongly implied to be a godlike mystical being pulling all the strings in the movie.

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* MagicalHomelessPerson: He is strongly implied to be a godlike mystical being pulling who pulls all the strings in behind the movie.movie's plot.
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* MagicalHomelessPerson: He is strongly implied to be a godlike mystical being pulling all the strings in the movie.
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* EvilLaugh: Their first interaction with Betty seems benign, but after they board their cab, they begin to laugh hysterically, ''[[NothingIsScarier in absolute silence]]''. We're given no such mercy from the sound [[HellIsThatNoise during the final scene]].


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* MundaneHorror: Of a different variety than the bum; they're every inch your average elderly well-to-do white couple... which makes their unnatural movements and unexplained ([[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane hallucinatory]]?) attack on Diane all the more nightmarish.


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** In a weirder way, his appearance at the party in Diane's world. Barely a walk-on cameo... but he's there all the same at [[DespairEventHorizon Diane's tipping point]].
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* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: To Mystery Man from ''Film/LostHighway'', both being enigmatic and near omnipotent AmbiguouslyHuman type of characters who may or may not be capable of warping between alternate realities. Both have also lack eyebrows and tend to emerge from the shadows quite literally.

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* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: To Mystery Man from ''Film/LostHighway'', both being enigmatic and near omnipotent AmbiguouslyHuman type of characters who may or may not be capable of warping between alternate realities. Both have also lack eyebrows and tend to emerge from the shadows quite literally.
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* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: To Mystery Man from ''Film/LostHighway'', both being enigmatic and near omnipotent AmbiguouslyHuman type of characters who may or may not be capable of warping between alternate realities. Both have also lack eyebrows and tend to emerge from the shadows quite literally.
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* IdiotBall: Sure, make out with the director and a random woman in front of your unstable ex-girlfriend. What`s the worst that could happen?

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* IdiotBall: Sure, make out with the director and a random woman in front of your unstable ex-girlfriend. What`s the worst that could happen?happen? [[MindScrew That is all assuming that this is actually what happened]] and not just something [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness Diane's mind conjured up]].
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* ButtMonkey: Nothing ever goes right with his incarnation in the dream world in few minutes of screen time: he fails to stage a suicide on one of his hits and ends up killing two more people in a string of slapstick encounters. And while he gets a decent lead on Rita, his supposed target, he never properly catches up on her, and if he's working for the organization, that would mean even more trouble for him. [[spoiler: This is I stark to contrast to his real life counterpart, who not only is efficient in his profession, but also works for private individuals only.]]

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* ButtMonkey: Nothing ever goes right with his incarnation in the dream world in few minutes of screen time: he fails to stage a suicide on one of his hits and ends up killing two more people in a string of slapstick encounters. And while he gets a decent lead on Rita, his supposed target, he never properly catches up on her, and if he's working for the organization, that would mean even more trouble for him. [[spoiler: This is I in stark to contrast to his real life counterpart, who not only is efficient in his profession, but also works for private individuals only.]]

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* AbortedArc: Their investigation goes nowhere, as they don't exist.

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* AbortedArc: Their investigation goes nowhere, as they don't exist.exist[[note]]Or possibly do, because Diane's neighbor in the real world mentions two detectives looking for her[[/note]].


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* ButtMonkey: Nothing ever goes right with his incarnation in the dream world in few minutes of screen time: he fails to stage a suicide on one of his hits and ends up killing two more people in a string of slapstick encounters. And while he gets a decent lead on Rita, his supposed target, he never properly catches up on her, and if he's working for the organization, that would mean even more trouble for him. [[spoiler: This is I stark to contrast to his real life counterpart, who not only is efficient in his profession, but also works for private individuals only.]]
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* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: The woman at the very end of the film.
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* StylisticSuck: The script he sends Betty is quite cheesy. Betty and Rita crack up when they're rehearsing.

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* StylisticSuck: The script he sends Betty is quite cheesy. Betty and Rita crack up when they're rehearsing. All the more impressive that, when Betty does it in the audition, she single-handedly turns it into a tense and highly sexually-charged encounter.



* StylisticSuck: His direction is of no help at all. It's Woody and Betty who carry the scene.

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* StylisticSuck: Zigzagged. His direction is of no help at all. seems comically pretentious and vague, but Woody actually follows his advice, letting Betty lead the scene. At one point, Woody's hand hovers near Betty's ass but doesn't touch it, as if Woody doesn't want to be inappropriate. Betty grabs his wrist and plants his hand firmly on her own ass, immediately raising the stakes and making the scene much more physical. If Bob hadn't told Woody to let Betty take control, the scene wouldn't have been as electrifying. It's Woody and Betty who carry all academic because the scene.film never gets made, but...
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* MirrorSelf: His "Betty story" version is comically inept, bungling a fake suicide badly that he has to kill two more people ''and still'' manages to set the building on fire. His "Diane story" version is implied to be much more efficient, since he promises Diane that the blue key will show up when he's killed Camilla, and indeed it does, which triggers Diane's suicidal guilt and mental breakdown.

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* HiddenDepths: Betty seems like a rather naive and idealistic young woman, but in her audition scene she accesses a part of herself that we've never seen before and never see again.



* ADateWithRosiePalms: Near the end, Diane Selwyn has this kind of date. It is extremely unsexy, seeing as how she's weeping as she's getting herself off and implied to have been out of guilt for trying to assassinate Camilla.
* DisproportionateRetribution: After Camilla cuckolds her, Diane has her assassinated.

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* ADateWithRosiePalms: Near the end, Diane Selwyn has this kind of date. It is extremely unsexy, seeing as how she's weeping as she's getting trying to get herself off off, and implied to have been failing, possibly out of guilt for trying paying a hitman to assassinate kill Camilla.
* DisproportionateRetribution: After Camilla cuckolds her, Diane has her assassinated.killed.
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* SoleSurviver: There were six people involved in the car crash. She was the only lucky one to survive.

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* SoleSurviver: SoleSurvivor: There were six people involved in the car crash. She was the only lucky one to survive.
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The list of characters across ''Mulholland Drive''. Spoilers will follow.

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* TheAce: She's talented, pretty, compassionate and despite not being a detective manages to come closer to discovering the conspiracy than an actual detective.

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* TheAce: Diane is a failed actress who got dumped by Camilla. She didn't get a part in The Sylvia North Story because the director didn't like her. She's talented, pretty, compassionate bitter and despite not being filled with rage. Diane imagines/dreams that she is Betty, a detective manages to come closer to discovering talented actress who knocks everybody's socks off at the conspiracy than an actual detective.audition. In her fantasy, she wins the love of "Rita" instead of getting dumped. And in her fantasy she didn't miss out on that part because she wasn't good enough, she lost the part because the Mafia made Adam Kesher cast someone else.



* MarySue: An InUniverse example, who turns out to be Diane's idealized image of herself. Diane is a failed actress who got dumped by Camilla. She didn't get a part in The Sylvia North Story because the director didn't like her. She's bitter and filled with rage. Diane imagines/dreams that she is Betty, a talented actress who knocks everybody's socks off at the audition. In her fantasy, she wins the love of "Rita" instead of getting dumped. And in her fantasy she didn't miss out on that part because she wasn't good enough, she lost the part because the Mafia made Adam Kesher cast someone else.
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!!!'''Played by:''' Michael J. Anderson

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!!!'''Played by:''' Michael J. AndersonCreator/MichaelJAnderson



!!!'''Played by:''' Angelo Badalamenti (Luigi) & Creator/DanHedaya (Vincenzo)

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!!!'''Played by:''' Angelo Badalamenti Creator/AngeloBadalamenti (Luigi) & Creator/DanHedaya (Vincenzo)



!!!'''Played by:''' James Karen

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!!!'''Played by:''' James KarenCreator/JamesKaren



!!!'''Played by:''' Chad Everett

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!!!'''Played by:''' Chad EverettCreator/ChadEverett



!!!'''Played by:''' Wayne Grace

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!!!'''Played by:''' Wayne GraceCreator/WayneGrace



!!!'''Played by:''' Creator/RobertForster ([=McKnight=]) & Brent Briscoe (Domgaard)

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!!!'''Played by:''' Creator/RobertForster ([=McKnight=]) & Brent Briscoe Creator/BrentBriscoe (Domgaard)



!!!'''Played by:''' Maya Bond

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!!!'''Played by:''' Maya BondCreator/MayaBond



!!!'''Played by:''' Johanna Stein

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!!!'''Played by:''' Johanna SteinCreator/JohannaStein



!!!'''Played by:''' Geno Silva

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!!!'''Played by:''' Geno SilvaCreator/GenoSilva



!!!'''Played by:''' Bonnie Aarons

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!!!'''Played by:''' Bonnie AaronsCreator/BonnieAarons



!!!'''Played by:''' Jeanne Bates & Dan Birnbaum

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!!!'''Played by:''' Jeanne Bates Creator/JeanneBates & Dan BirnbaumCreator/DanBirnbaum



!!!'''Played by:''' Lafayette Montgomery

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!!!'''Played by:''' Lafayette MontgomeryCreator/LafayetteMontgomery



!!!'''Played by:''' Creator/RichardGreen (The Magician), Cori Glazer (Blue-Haired Woman) Rebekah Del Rio (AsHerself)

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!!!'''Played by:''' Creator/RichardGreen (The Magician), Cori Glazer Creator/CoriGlazer (Blue-Haired Woman) Rebekah Del Rio Creator/RebekahDelRio (AsHerself)

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An aspiring actress who has just arrived in Hollywood looking for her big break. Also a doppenganger of Diane Selwyn.

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An aspiring actress who has just arrived in Hollywood looking for her big break. Also a doppenganger doppelganger of Diane Selwyn.



* AmateurSleuth: Tries to solve the mystery of Rita's amnesia by sneaking into other people'S homes. Her curious persona has been compared to Franchise/NancyDrew.

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* AmateurSleuth: Tries to solve the mystery of Rita's amnesia by sneaking into other people'S people's homes. Her curious persona has been compared to Franchise/NancyDrew.



* AbortedArc:
** [[spoiler:The mafia tried to kill her in the beginning of the film because she was an actress and was presumably a threat to the mafia's plans regarding Adam's film. However, Rita's real name and specific identity are never revealed and her connections to the film industry like all the other plots in the dream world eventually come to an end without a satisfying conclusion.]]

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* AbortedArc:
** [[spoiler:The
AbortedArc: The mafia tried to kill her in the beginning of the film because she was an actress and was presumably a threat to the mafia's plans regarding Adam's film. However, [[spoiler:However, Rita's real name and specific identity are never revealed and her connections to the film industry like all the other plots in the dream world eventually come to an end without a satisfying conclusion.]]



* UnreliableNarrator: It's implied that the entire film takes place from her perspective. The first half plays out as her fantasy of Hollywood with her as a talented actress and Camilla as her loyal lover. The second half reveals the truth about her but is still peppered with {{surrealism}} due to her self-loathing.



** Averted in the real world, where everything goes mostly smoothly for him. His divorce left him with all the spoils, his film seemingly wrapped up with no major issues and it's hinted that he'll marry Camilla. [[spoiler:It's implied that Diane's hitman kills Camilla by the end of the film, but still, he at the very least is still alive unlike Camilla and Diane.]]

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** Averted in the real world, where everything goes mostly smoothly for him. His divorce left him with all the spoils, his film seemingly wrapped up with no major issues issues, and it's hinted that he'll marry Camilla. [[spoiler:It's implied that Diane's hitman kills Camilla by the end of the film, but still, he at the very least is still alive unlike Camilla and Diane.]]
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* FamiliarSoundtrackForeignLyrics: "Llorando" is a Spanish cover of Music/RoyOrbison's "Crying."
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grammar corrections


** She is also similar to Dale Cooper from ''Twin Peaks'' as like Cooper, she is an idealistic outsider with an interest in solving mysteries.

to:

** She is also similar to Dale Cooper from ''Twin Peaks'' as like Peaks''. Like Cooper, she is an idealistic outsider with an interest in solving mysteries.



* DisproportionateRetribution: After Camilla cuckolds her, Diane has her assasinated.

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* DisproportionateRetribution: After Camilla cuckolds her, Diane has her assasinated.assassinated.



* EvilCripple: Stuck in a wheelchair. It's implied he may have some degenerative disorder, given he has trouble talking at certain points and sits in a room which lets in no sunlight.

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* EvilCripple: Stuck in a wheelchair. It's implied he may have some degenerative disorder, given he has trouble talking at certain points and sits in a room which that lets in no sunlight.



* RambunctiousItalian: Luigi is very excentric.

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* RambunctiousItalian: Luigi is very excentric.eccentric.



* PinkMeansFeminine: During the musical audition scene, all the women auditioning have pink in their attire with Melissa George's Camilla Rhodes wearing an all pink dress.

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* PinkMeansFeminine: During the musical audition scene, all the women auditioning have pink in their attire with Melissa George's Camilla Rhodes wearing an all pink all-pink dress.



Two detectives who investigates the failed attempt on Rita's life.

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Two detectives who investigates investigate the failed attempt on Rita's life.



* FlirtatiousSmackOnTheAss: Smacks the prostitude on the ass when she enters the back of the blue van.

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* FlirtatiousSmackOnTheAss: Smacks the prostitude prostitute on the ass when she enters the back of the blue van.



[[caption-width-right:350:''"It's my duty to inform you that who ever you're hiding from...they know where you are."'']]

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[[caption-width-right:350:''"It's my duty to inform you that who ever whoever you're hiding from...they know where you are."'']]



* AmbiguouslyHuman: They can alter their size and crawled out of the blue box, so at the very least they're magical in nature.

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* AmbiguouslyHuman: They can alter their size and crawled crawl out of the blue box, so at the very least they're magical in nature.



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misuse. no Canadian stereotypes are mentioned


* CanadaEh: Where Betty came from.
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* AuthorAvatar: The Magician's words carry meaning that seem to come straight from the mouth of the director.

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* AuthorAvatar: The Magician's words carry lecture on false images and wish-fulfillment carries meaning that seem seems to come straight from the mouth of the director.

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* ActorAllusion: Chad Everett was probably best known for being in the seven-year run as Dr. Joe Gannon in the television series ''Medical Center'' (1969) which earned him two Golden Globe Awards and Emmy nominations. Hence the creepy "doctor" type line "just tell me where it hurts, baby."



* FanDisservice: The suggestive scene he does with Betty would be more sexy if it wasn't for the noticeable age gap.

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* FanDisservice: The suggestive scene he does with Betty would be more sexy sexier if it wasn't for the noticeable age gap.


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* FlirtatiousSmackOnTheAss: Smacks the prostitude on the ass when she enters the back of the blue van.


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The list of characters across ''Mulholland Drive''. Spoilers will follow.
* PlethoraOfMistakes: His plan to kill Ed and make it look like suicide goes awry when he accidentally triggers the gun while wiping his handprint off and then he decided to "kill" the vacuum which triggers the building's smoke detector alarm.
* WouldHitAGirl: Combats the fat woman from the office next door.
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* HandshakeRefusal: They refuse the handshake offered by Ray at the conference.

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