While I have about zero interest in seeing the movie, one thing is bugging the heck out of me. What the heck does the title mean? Eleven things that belong to the ocean? The ocean is eleven…something? Improper use of an apostrophe?
It refers to the main character, “Danny Ocean and his hand-picked crew of specialists” (from the website)
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I don’t think this counts as a spoiler, since (A) this is a remake of a Frank Sinatra film, and (B) you can find your answer in the trailer that’s currently playing in theatres.
The George Clooney character’s last name is Ocean. This may or may not have been the case in the Sinatra original – it’s been a while since I saw it. However, in the original the plot is different – it revolves around refitting a sunken WW2 submarine and using it to rob cruise ships.
Ah. So Danny Ocean’s crew of eleven criminal specialists. Got it. Now I can go back to ignoring those damn commercials.
OK, so what does The Dirty Dozen mean?
d&r
It means “Darned fine entertainment”!
Nope. It’s about robbing several Las Vegas casinos, Cap’n. You’re thinking of another movie, who’s name escapes me at the moment.
Are you sure? It’s been a long while since I’ve seen the original Ocean’s Eleven, but I seem to recall the oroginal’s plot being (and I’m trying to avoid a spoiler here) the planning and execution of a massive heist carried out on a number of Las Vegas casinos.
FWIW, in the original, Frank Sinatra’s character was indeed named Danny Ocean. The film starred many of his Rat Pack friends: Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin among them. And if you look carefully, one of the eleven gang members is played by Norman Fell–later to be Mr. Roper of Three’s Company fame.
You are thinking of the wrong movie. Neither the new or the old version has anything to do with submarines and robbing cruise ships.
Hm. Not only did Slip beat me to it, but I also misspelled “original.”
Well, to make this post worth something, I’ll add that The Dirty Dozen’s name comes from the fact that there were twelve of them (a dozen), and at one point, they decided not to shave as a protest of some sort. Because of their looks and their number, they became known as the Dirty Dozen.
From the IMDB the movie with the submarine and Sinatra was called “Assault on the Queen”
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0060135
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::wondering when this will get moved to Cafe Society::
Dang, Dang, DANG! “Assault on A Queen”
Sorry
45ACP
::wonders when he will learn to read::
The original Ocean’s 11 put me to sleep. probably cuz i am too young to care that all those people were in a movie together(and it was boring). the new one looks better, but still boring.
What could possibly be boring about the Rat Pack robbing casinos in Vegas?
Off to Cafe Society.
bibliophage
moderator GQ
From the book and the movie, after the group decided to quit bathing and shaving to protest having to build their guards’ quarters before their own, they were nicknamed “the Dirty Dozen” by one of the guards (in the movie the guard who did the nicknaming was Richard Jackle).
I’m sure someone will ask about “Robin and the Seven Hoods” any minute.
The original “Ocean’s 11” should put you to sleep. It’s one of those movies that looks like it should be good, but it really isn’t. The story goes on too long and has too many tangents.
It’s nice to look at, but it really drags after a while. I hope that Steven Soderbergh can come up with a livelier version.
Right – sorry, I was indeed mistaken. It occurs to me now that I never saw the original Ocean’s Eleven, in that case.
Man, how about that Robin and the Seven Hoods? Great flick, and Sammy really turns it loose in his solo song and dance near the end. I wonder if we could get Savion Glover to play him in the remake? 
Don’t even get me started on Von Ryan’s Express.
BTW, I was just in Montreal and “Ocean’s 11” translates to “L’(something weird and long) de Las Vegas” in French. I forget the exact word but it’s on the dasherboards at the Molson Centre so if you see a Habs game on TV you’ll see it.