Horror Cliches

When it comes to cliches the horror genre is just as rich as that of romance, if not more so, due to all the sub-genres with there own cliches and monsters to attempt to make us evacuate our bowls, and then there is Twilight... only getting a mention to due the presence of "monsters" ("vampires").
Every horror film relies on battle hardened cliches, the zombies will always be where you least expect them (how did they get up onto the roof?) if there were no creepy little girls in Japanese horror out to make you wet your pants, the sub genre would implode (and the Undertaker would be at a loss for creepy promos) and if in someway vampires almost seem like misunderstood in there own vamparic blood draining way (DON'T LOOK AT TWILIGHT!!!!!!) before they rip your throat out then they would cease to exist in modern cinema.
Small children are ALWAYS evil, be it in the possession of demons (the Exorcist) or are just plain creepy and we don't quite know what they are and what they have to do with the scary stuff, especial is they talk in rhyme (see Undertaker promos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX4XcTix6vQ&feature=related ). If there are teens in the film then more often than not they will be spoilt rich kids, they sort that make your fists itch each time they come on screen and you desperately hope that they will be the first to be disemboweled by the mask lunatic/demon/scary ghost thing or by zombies, vampires or werewolves.
Horror films work best in one of two settings, either out in the countryside around the middle of nowhere (this can include a castle) or in the midst or just after some sort of apocalypse (more often than not zombie, although nuclear has been touched upon) but the unifying factor is that in both there is no way of getting outside help, to coin a famous tag line, "in (insert location here) no one can hear you scream". And when one of the main characters inevitable descends into the lair of the antagonist (basement, cave, vampire castle etc.), and is more often than not the pretty girl you hope will survive, and depending on the situation she will either be taken prisoner or (with vampires) find the head vamp and get bitten, and its then up to her relative/boyfriend to rescue her/find a cure/stake her.
A staple of horror movies is the "is it really there" or an anti-climax, when the character sees something in the mirror, or rush by the window but when they turn round or leave to investigate they will find nothing, and put it down to nerves due to there current social problems. Or encounter said nasty in a shower, so you make the assumption that they have never seen Psycho (cue universally known Psycho stabbing music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfthzU3V4zo) as well as when the check into desolate motels, so once again, you have to make the assumption that Hitchcock never existed in whatever alternate universe the movie is set in.
Never go to sleep as there will be something nasty will be gnawing on your face when you wake up, strangers will always be some sort of cannibal or Satan worshipper (or worse Cthulhu)and if they try to get help from a priest more often than not they will be well meaning but incompetent buffoon and dont trust the nuns.