tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post2880513233314413134..comments2024-02-10T01:22:29.316-08:00Comments on Hugo Stiglitz Makes Movies: Question of the Day: What is the worst movie title you've come across?Kevin J. Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-19577140962822436062009-10-12T08:40:09.638-07:002009-10-12T08:40:09.638-07:00Isn't LAW ABIDING CITIZEN missing a hyphen bet...Isn't LAW ABIDING CITIZEN missing a hyphen between LAW and ABIDING? <br /><br />Yes, yes, it is.Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-90573555248043816872009-10-01T17:45:52.451-07:002009-10-01T17:45:52.451-07:00I love Manos. Especially on MST3K. Good call on ...I love Manos. Especially on MST3K. Good call on the The Human Stain...although the movie wasn't terrible.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-38476657970411497482009-10-01T16:40:21.661-07:002009-10-01T16:40:21.661-07:00Best title ever: "There Will Be Blood"
...Best title ever: "There Will Be Blood"<br /><br />I always thought "No Country for Old Men" was a clumsy title.<br /><br />Some of the worst titles ever:<br /><br />"Feeling Minnesota" No thank you.<br /><br />"Franken Hooker" Brilliant!<br /><br />"Lerperechaun 2: Leprechaun in da Hood" What else do you need to know?<br /><br />"2 Fast 2 Furious" 2 Dumb 2 Believe<br /><br />"The Human Stain" ewww...is this some kind of fetish super hero?<br /><br />"Manos: The Hands of Fate" which is literally Hands: The Hands of FateDavid H. Schleicherhttp://davethenovelist.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-80661774325854552672009-09-30T06:50:28.059-07:002009-09-30T06:50:28.059-07:00Jason -- as someone who watches and enjoys Breakin...Jason -- as someone who watches and enjoys <i>Breaking Bad</i>, I can't even remember what the meaning of the title is (after doing some googling, it turns out it's a slang term from creator Vince Gilligan's youth).<br /><br />But yeah, that is kind of dumb name.Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-45994827375943042332009-09-30T04:43:49.544-07:002009-09-30T04:43:49.544-07:00I thought of another one, but this one is cheating...I thought of another one, but this one is cheating because it's TV ...<br /><br />I don't think I could ever watch the series <i>Breaking Bad</i> just because I can't bring myself to say that I really like a show called <i>Breaking Bad</i>.<br /><br />I'm sure someone who has actually seen the show will tell me I'm being stupid for objecting on these grounds (they'd be right) and that the title is actually clever and purposeful (I'm taking a guess). On the face of it, though, the title is stupid, and I can't get past it.<br /><br />Thankfully I don't have time to watch the show anyway, so it's a moot point.Jason Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150199580478147196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-23414789107132066502009-09-28T19:02:26.676-07:002009-09-28T19:02:26.676-07:00Troy:
yes...that's one of the worst titles ev...Troy:<br /><br />yes...that's one of the worst titles ever...because as you point out it makes no sense!Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-90191552081004407802009-09-28T19:01:59.972-07:002009-09-28T19:01:59.972-07:00Craig:
The whole It Could Happen to You original ...Craig:<br /><br />The whole <i>It Could Happen to You</i> original title thing makes me think about <i>Law Abiding Citizen</i>. It's just such a banal title. Good call on the Coen titles.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-44534624177951567282009-09-28T19:00:49.730-07:002009-09-28T19:00:49.730-07:00Samuel:
I thought of Tarantino's movie, too. ...Samuel:<br /><br />I thought of Tarantino's movie, too. I think it's a pretty poor title. Especially the mispelling of it. Good call.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-54778038794163997652009-09-28T18:59:36.220-07:002009-09-28T18:59:36.220-07:00Jason:
Oh boy. Riding in Cars With Boys. Yuck. ...Jason:<br /><br />Oh boy. <i>Riding in Cars With Boys</i>. Yuck. I'm with ya on <i>Eyes Wide Shut</i>...brilliant title.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-57145117120353891922009-09-28T18:58:47.746-07:002009-09-28T18:58:47.746-07:00Krauthammer:
Yes...you're right about Fassbin...Krauthammer:<br /><br />Yes...you're right about Fassbinder. <i>Ali: Fear Eats the Soul</i> is one of my favorite movie titles. I remember wanting to check the movie out because of the title alone...kind of like <i>Gummo</i>. How could you NOT want to see a movie called <i>Gummo</i>.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-78562692273051498292009-09-28T18:57:22.265-07:002009-09-28T18:57:22.265-07:00Bill:
I'm with ya on crap like Blood, Guts, B...Bill:<br /><br />I'm with ya on crap like <i>Blood, Guts, Bullets, and Octane</i>...ugh. And I agree with you and Krauthammer...Fassbinder has great titles.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-77084151716906692842009-09-28T18:56:35.090-07:002009-09-28T18:56:35.090-07:00J.D.
But I loved Robot Jox as a kid! Hehe.J.D.<br /><br />But I loved <i>Robot Jox</i> as a kid! Hehe.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-30795426754828034042009-09-28T17:02:51.780-07:002009-09-28T17:02:51.780-07:00Thought of another one: When the awesome title of ...Thought of another one: When the awesome title of David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" became (wait for it) "About Last Night...."Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-22290263216861926132009-09-28T16:58:41.318-07:002009-09-28T16:58:41.318-07:00What I can't stand are generic titles that are...What I can't stand are generic titles that are instantly forgettable and could apply to anything. We discussed one a few weeks ago, when "It Could Happen to You" replaced "Cop Gives Waitress $2 Million Tip." There's also a little-seen William Hurt movie from several years back, which got its title changed from the not-bad "Destiny" to "A Time of Destiny." Um, why?<br /><br />On the face of it, several Coen Bros. films have awful titles: "Barton Fink," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "The Hudsucker Proxy." Yet coming from the Coens, somehow they work.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-65186199365397893572009-09-28T16:45:46.143-07:002009-09-28T16:45:46.143-07:00Just to show that there's no necessary correla...Just to show that there's no necessary correlation between bad titles and bad movies, might I suggest <i>Inglourious Basterds?</i> Or would that be pedantic of me?<br /><br />On the other hand, I've never seen <i>Out For A Kill</i> but that title wouldn't make me particularly confident about it.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-9229349848506292482009-09-28T16:28:17.023-07:002009-09-28T16:28:17.023-07:00How could we forget about I Still Know What You Di...How could we forget about <i>I Still Know What You Did Last Summer</i>, a title that's stupid enough in its own right, but made even stupider when you consider the chronological error implicit in it (it should be I Still Know What You Did The Summer Before Last or Two Summers Ago).Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-42883905105304892512009-09-28T16:06:43.299-07:002009-09-28T16:06:43.299-07:00Fun question. I'm actually going to argue that...Fun question. I'm actually going to argue that <i>Law Abiding Citizen</i> is a good title, because it sounds like exactly what it is: the title for an empty Hollywood-factory movie with a fresh coat of paint on old cliches.<br /><br />Worst title? Gosh, there have been so many. <i>Bangkok Dangerous</i> has to be right up there, and that's even before it's paired with Nicolas Cage and a terrible hairdo. Others from the past 10 years or so: <i>What Planet Are You From?</i> (just rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?), <i>Seven</i> when it's written like <i>Se7en</i>, <i>Riding In Cars With Boys</i> (unless you only want women to attend), <i>Meet the Fockers</i>, <i>Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow</i> and <i>When Will I Be Loved</i>. <br /><br />A few titles I like off the top of my head: <i>Psycho</i>, <i>The Alamo</i> (I mean, really, doesn't anything called <i>The Alamo</i> sound like something that just kicks ass?) and <i>Eyes Wide Shut</i>.<br /><br />Can't decide: <i>Apocalypto</i>.Jason Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150199580478147196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-68062209931560375492009-09-28T16:03:30.877-07:002009-09-28T16:03:30.877-07:00Fassbinder was just a factory of great titles.Fassbinder was just a factory of great titles.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-17091627414280471272009-09-28T15:54:14.741-07:002009-09-28T15:54:14.741-07:00I kinda think the title Law Abiding Citizen is del...I kinda think the title <i>Law Abiding Citizen</i> is deliciously unsexy. It would be a perfect title for something like a new version of <i>Man Bites Dog</i>. I know that's not what it's going toward but oh well.<br /><br /><i>Jungle 2 Jungle</i> is pretty horrible off the top of my head. Although I have no idea what <i>Jungle 2 Jungle</i> is doing anywhere near to the top of my head. <br /><br />I've always loved Fassbinder's titles, at least as translated into English, <i>The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant</i>, <i>Ali: Fear Eats the Soul</i>, <i>Love is Colder than Death</i>, etc.Krauthammerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14426806666095796310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-23823670617863115132009-09-28T15:02:20.095-07:002009-09-28T15:02:20.095-07:00Titles I hate:
Self-consciously tough-guy titles ...Titles I hate:<br /><br />Self-consciously tough-guy titles for crime films, like <b>Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane</b> (seriously, what the hell!?) and <b>When the Bullet Hits the Bone</b>. I think the filmmakers behind those titles are interested in the crime genre for all the wrong reasons.<br /><br />A title I love:<br /><br /><b>Brazil</b><br /><br />Perfect.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-70940745647053823282009-09-28T13:18:57.399-07:002009-09-28T13:18:57.399-07:00Worst? I'd say it's a tie between SOLARBAB...Worst? I'd say it's a tie between SOLARBABIES and ROBOT JOX.<br /><br />Best? Hands down, BREAKIN' 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-25168896013379035242009-09-28T12:55:05.298-07:002009-09-28T12:55:05.298-07:00Troy:
Ah, Boat Trip...what a great politically co...Troy:<br /><br />Ah, <i>Boat Trip</i>...what a great politically correct movie! <br /><br />And yes, <i>Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever</i> may be one of the worst titles ever for a movie. It was also directed by a man named who goes by Kaos. Awesome.<br /><br />Wow, I had totally forgotten about <i>Leonard Part 6.</i>...everything about that title makes me want to scream...at least the Coz redeemed himself with <i>Ghost Dad</i>.<br /><br />Your Simpsons comment got me thinking...why doesn't Swartzwelder write a movie script?Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-63379214520664898672009-09-28T12:51:36.793-07:002009-09-28T12:51:36.793-07:00Adam:
Yes, A Time to Kill is an awful movie. It&...Adam:<br /><br />Yes, <i>A Time to Kill</i> is an awful movie. It's odd to think back and see that McConaghey was trying to be taken as a serious actor.<br /><br />I thought of <i>Snakes on a Plane</i>, too, but also felt it was too easy. <i>Pay it Forward</i> just makes me want to punch something when I hear the title. <br /><br />I worked at a video store for many years, so I also have bad associations with the cover art to some of these movies, and that was one of them, hehe.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-50824219308619914892009-09-28T12:41:14.556-07:002009-09-28T12:41:14.556-07:00If only it were real, I'd say Police Cops, but...If only it were real, I'd say <i>Police Cops</i>, but alas it's only real in the world of <i>The Simpsons</i>.<br /><br />But beyond that I came up with <i>Boat Trip</i>, which accurately and boringly tells you exactly what the movie is going to be about (too bad it doesn't warn you about the high content of Cuba Gooding and Horatio Sans, though).<br /><br />Another one I always thought was ridiculous was <i>Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever</i>, which sounds like a tennis video game. Why not just <i>Ballistic</i> or <i>Ecks vs. Sever</i>?<br /><br />Finally, one that always bothered me as a kid was <i>Leonard Part 6</i>. I spent a long time trying to figure out where one could rent parts 1 through 5, with no luck.Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8785859730868628316.post-40172000374202761192009-09-28T12:36:47.333-07:002009-09-28T12:36:47.333-07:00Yes, Synecdoche, New York had a deliciously bold t...Yes, <i>Synecdoche, New York</i> had a deliciously bold title, and it was my favorite movie of 2008. I like what Ebert said: "What does the title mean? It means it's the title. Get over it."<br /><br />Back to bad titles, though. A movie I intensley dislike is <i>A Time to Kill</i>, not just for its disgusting vigilante message (it encourages the fathers of rape victims to murder the rapists in trial), but because of that damn title. Grisham and Schumacher honestly believe that it's the right "time to kill" someone. Actually, the offensive title and plot content are presumably not unlike this upcoming <i>Law Abiding Citizen</i> filth.<br /><br /><i>Pay it Forward</i>? Another retarded message movie that is all the more pathetic because its message is right there in the title. I hate the title for <i>Pearl Harbor</i>, too, because the movie just plain doesn't deserve that title. Same with Wolfgang Petersen's <i>Troy</i>.<br /><br />I could also add <i>Snakes on A Plane</i>, but that's too obvious.Adam Zanziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14524618281515322239noreply@blogger.com