# Films with somewhat misleading titles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 20, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198 "2016-05-20T00:38:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/21 "2016-05-20T04:10:31Z")
In _Trainspotting_ no trains are spotted. _The Silence of the Lambs_: No lambs. _Heavenly Creatures_ aren’t. _12 Monkeys_ isn’t about small primates. _Rain Man_ isn’t about a meteorologist. _The Ghost and the Darkness_ is about man-eating lions. _A Clockwork Orange_ involves neither fruit nor clocks. _Straw Dogs_ doesn’t have much to do with canines. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/22 "2016-05-20T04:40:11Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > In _Trainspotting_ no trains are spotted. [Trains](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUb39vSVMco) and more [trains](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2iSUQvKPA4/Uh-lF1Qm3LI/AAAAAAAAAC8/avHz0vH6oGY/s1600/Trainspotting8Rehab.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/23 "2016-05-20T04:40:29Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > “I can think of two things wrong with that title.” > > - Nelson Even better, it’s “I can think of **at least** two things wrong with that title.” [Today’s Cracked](http://www.cracked.com/blog/10-movie-titles-that-only-make-sense-if-you-read-book/) is very relevant. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/24 "2016-05-20T04:51:30Z")
Wait, isn’t “Howard’s End” a geographic name? I’ve never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/25 "2016-05-20T05:05:44Z")
The title “The Conversation” makes it seem like the movie would consist mostly of people sitting around talking to each other. “Bringing Up Baby” isn’t about child-rearing. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/26 "2016-05-20T05:08:48Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > _They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?_ has no horses. At the end, Sarazin’s character remembers a horse from his childhood getting put down, with accompanying footage of a horse getting shot and falling. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/27 "2016-05-20T05:10:43Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > [Trains](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUb39vSVMco) and more [trains](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2iSUQvKPA4/Uh-lF1Qm3LI/AAAAAAAAAC8/avHz0vH6oGY/s1600/Trainspotting8Rehab.jpg). ["Trainspotting"](http://www.tripbase.com/c/trainspotting/)is a hobby, like bird watching, where you try to spot particular trains and keep a list. The title ironically compares drug addiction to a pointless hobby. The characters don’t actually spot trains. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/28 "2016-05-20T05:11:10Z")
Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/29 "2016-05-20T05:56:34Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > [Quick Change.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100449/) The name doesn’t hint that it’s a comedy caper flick. And one of my favorite under-appreciated films. I love it. Saw it 3-4 times in the theater. A musician friend of mine wrote a song inspired by the movie, and included the “muerto” wailing at the beginning of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/30 "2016-05-20T05:56:37Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > One of my favorite movies is _Chungking Express_. It sounds like it’s a story set in one of an American chain of bad Chinese restaurants. In fact, it’s a very romantic film set in Hong Kong which has an 8.1 rating on the IMDb and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. I think a better name for the movie would have been _California Dreamin’_ for reasons that you’ll realize if you see the film. Well, the first part of the movie features the [Chungking Mansions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chungking_Mansions) prominently, and the “Express” part of the title references the fast food place that is an important location in the second and longer part. I think the idea is to have a title that combines elements the two stories, sort of reflecting the film’s structure. Although the original Chinese title translates as “Chungking Jungle” (as in “urban jungle”, I suppose), so… I dunno. Anyway, I think the title is fine. Mostly I just wanted to pop in here to say that _Chungking Expres_s is one of my favorite movies, too, and I’m super happy to see that someone else also likes it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/31 "2016-05-20T06:06:27Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Well, the first part of the movie features the [Chungking Mansions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chungking_Mansions) prominently, and the “Express” part of the title references the fast food place that is an important location in the second and longer part. I think the idea is to have a title that combines elements the two stories, sort of reflecting the film’s structure. Although the original Chinese title translates as “Chungking Jungle” (as in “urban jungle”, I suppose), so… I dunno. Anyway, I think the title is fine. > > Mostly I just wanted to pop in here to say that _Chungking Expres_s is one of my favorite movies, too, and I’m super happy to see that someone else also likes it. 🙂 Huh. It’s also my favorite movie. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/32 "2016-05-20T07:25:47Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > ["Trainspotting"](http://www.tripbase.com/c/trainspotting/)is a hobby, like bird watching, where you try to spot particular trains and keep a list. The title ironically compares drug addiction to a pointless hobby. The characters don’t actually spot trains. In the novel, the father of one of the characters (who is himself an alcoholic) amuses himself greatly by saying that they’re all “trainspotting at Leith Station” - the joke being that [Leith Station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leith_Central_railway_station) has been disused for decades. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/33 "2016-05-20T11:35:44Z")
“Fantasia” I didn’t see her ONCE in the entire film. Did I go out for popcorn too many times? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/34 "2016-05-20T11:43:00Z")
I still feel the worst superhero movie of all time would be titled **Cinderella Man**. ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/35 "2016-05-20T12:20:13Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I still feel the worst superhero movie of all time would be titled **Cinderella Man**. Nice one! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/36 "2016-05-20T13:49:47Z")
**Reindeer Games**. IMDb plot summary: “After assuming his dead cellmate’s identity to get with his girlfriend, an ex-con finds himself the reluctant participant in a casino heist.” And I guess there’s deer, somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/37 "2016-05-20T14:23:36Z")
_The Spanish Prisoner_ ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/38 "2016-05-20T14:28:08Z")
(Yes, if you know your confidence scam typologies, it makes sense – but not to the casual viewer.) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/39 "2016-05-20T14:47:16Z")
“Abbott and Costello go to Mars” The spaceship actually lands in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and then Venus. But not Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/40 "2016-05-20T15:14:28Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > In _Trainspotting_ no trains are spotted. > > _The Silence of the Lambs_: No lambs. > > _Heavenly Creatures_ aren’t. > > _12 Monkeys_ isn’t about small primates. > > _Rain Man_ isn’t about a meteorologist. > > _The Ghost and the Darkness_ is about man-eating lions. > > _A Clockwork Orange_ involves neither fruit nor clocks. > > _Straw Dogs_ doesn’t have much to do with canines. > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The title “The Conversation” makes it seem like the movie would consist mostly of people sitting around talking to each other. > > “Bringing Up Baby” isn’t about child-rearing. Typical SD pedantic nit pickery. Does every movie title need to be 100% literal? If so, you’re going to be sorely disappointed in life. You’re left with \*Zack and Miri Make a Porno \*and _John Dies at the End_. Next you’re going to be complaining that\* Star Wars\* and _Star Trek_ are not good titles because the stars aren’t actually warring nor going anywhere. The “silence of the lambs” is a plot point (“have the lambs stopped screaming, Clarice?”), 12 Monkeys is about an organization called 12 Monkeys, The Ghost and the Darkness are the names of the lions (are you going to complain that there is no such type of dancing as (The Man Who Loved) Cat Dancing?). And The Conversation most definitely hinges around a conversation. It’s the whole point - what was said, and what does it mean? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198.md?page=3)