Film Clichés

• Post-Apocalyptic short films are horrifyingly overdone. It has gotten to the point where this terrifying theme becomes laughable. Please, stop spamming a ruined landscape overrun by the zombie horde.
• Dysfunctional-families are a cruel fact of life. No matter how many times they are used, it never becomes a cliché because it happens so often in reality. The actual problem is that it is not used effectively. If it doesn't have a purpose or meaning, then it shouldn't be added to the film.
• When did short films get so long? When a film is 40-45 minutes long, I don't consider that to be much shorter than a regular film which may only last about 20 minutes longer. I agree that a short film to be considered a true short film, it shouldn't be much longer than 30 minutes (preferably 10 minutes or so).

•  I don't think this list was entirely clear on what makes these "clichés" clichés. Yes, by definition a cliché is something that has been used beyond effectiveness, but an example of some sort might be nice.
• How is cannibalism a cliché? I have never once seen a short film about cannibalism. And why would anyone want to make a film about that?

 How can these clichés be made fresh again? What steps can one take to possibly avoid these over-used ideas?