# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/41 "2016-05-20T15:15:52Z")
_History of the World, Part 1_ implies there’s a Part 2, but such is not the case. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/42 "2016-05-20T15:18:10Z")
Just among Best Picture winners… “Spotlight” sounds like a musical, or a movie about show biz. “Argo” sounds like a Steve Reeves Greek mythology flick. “The Departed” sounds like a ghost story. “Midnight Cowboy” ain’t a Western. “All About Eve” ain’t a Biblical epic. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/43 "2016-05-20T15:22:36Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 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_. You realize we’re having fun with this right? ---
**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, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/44 "2016-05-20T15:24:33Z")
And umm did you watch or read John Dies at the End? Because I have news for you… ---
**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, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/45 "2016-05-20T15:26:02Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > **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. I was expecting [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJSX0dSxw5s). ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/46 "2016-05-20T15:35:53Z")
> [@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. 🙂 > [@even\_sven](#): > > Huh. It’s also my favorite movie. You can stay there if you like, it’s an “interesting” location, although that might put you off the film. (Top Tip - inspect the room before handing over your Hong Kong dollars) ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/47 "2016-05-20T15:36:50Z")
_Windtalkers_ Sure it had some Navajo guys in it, but it was mostly about the character Nicolas Cage played. ---
**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, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/48 "2016-05-20T15:39:01Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Typical SD pedantic nit pickery. This might equally well be called typical pedantic (and predictably tedious) thread shittery. 😉 Yeah, I’m well aware that the titles in fact have something to do with the movie, and some in fact are excellent titles. The point of this thread is that you can’t tell anything about what the movie is about from the title alone. If you don’t like the premise, you’re not required to participate. Pointing out that the titles are appropriate _after one has seen the movie_ misses the entire point of the thread. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/49 "2016-05-20T15:49:44Z")
Pulp Fiction - I saw no pretend wood mill One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - not a single bird or airborne character The Usual Suspects - was completely 180 degrees wrong at the end American History X - this gave the illusion of a very long-running series of sequels Modern Times - not futuristic or even contemporary Whiplash - I was expecting a documentary on injuries sustained in car accidents A Clockwork Orange - absolutely zero fruit _or_ timepieces Good Will Hunting - not one second of hunting footage, lawyers, beneficiaries or executors The Breakfast Club - no scene in a restaurant or mention of the culinary arts ---
**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, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/50 "2016-05-20T16:07:18Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Typical SD pedantic nit pickery. You’re right. It’s a terrible mistake to take what people write absolutely literally. ---
**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, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/51 "2016-05-20T16:09:14Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > The Breakfast Club - no scene in a restaurant or mention of the culinary arts Yes this is a real good one for me personally - the film was very different to what the title made me expect. ---
**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, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/52 "2016-05-20T16:10:23Z")
VANILLA SKY. Heist movie? Slapstick comedy? Courtroom drama? Musical with dance numbers? Bleak look at life in a concentration camp? Look, you’re not going to get it from the title. Wait, did you say _wizard’s apprentice saves the town from a dragon?_ No, that’s not right. Gunslingers in the Old West? We could be here all day. And don’t say _something about ice cream_. It’s not something about ice cream. (No, it’s not about a pilot, either.) ---
**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, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/53 "2016-05-20T17:53:30Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > This might equally well be called typical pedantic (and predictably tedious) thread shittery. 😉 > > Yeah, I’m well aware that the titles in fact have something to do with the movie, and some in fact are excellent titles. The point of this thread is that you can’t tell anything about what the movie is about from the title alone. If you don’t like the premise, you’re not required to participate. Pointing out that the titles are appropriate _after one has seen the movie_ misses the entire point of the thread. Well pardon me all to hell. I thought “the entire point” was that it was a serious-ish thread. There are a lot of misleading titles out there, some even mentioned in this thread. But mentioning 12 Monkeys as misleading, when the poster itself shows said monkeys, is a bit too much. But hey, I’ll play. _Citizen Kane_ is not a story about a guy in post-revolution France. Vanishing Point is not about drawing school. _The Martian_ does not show any actual Martians. _Bridge of Spies_ has one spy and almost no bridge. ---
**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, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/54 "2016-05-20T18:01:20Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Well pardon me all to hell. I thought “the entire point” was that it was a serious-ish thread. You clearly misread the intent of the thread. And the preceding posts should have been some kind of clue of what was being discussed. > [@](#): > > There are a lot of misleading titles out there, some even mentioned in this thread. But mentioning 12 Monkeys as misleading, when the poster itself shows said monkeys, is a bit too much. We’re talking about titles, not other clues to the content. And even from the poster you have absolutely no idea what the movie is going to be about. > [@](#): > > But hey, I’ll play. _Citizen Kane_ is not a story about a guy in post-revolution France. Vanishing Point is not about drawing school. _The Martian_ does not show any actual Martians. _Bridge of Spies_ has one spy and almost no bridge. Like I said, if you don’t like the premise of the thread you’re not under any compulsion to participate. Continuing to threadshit is not really the best strategy. ---
**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, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/55 "2016-05-20T19:43:02Z")
Neither _Seven Beauties_ nor _Life is Beautiful_ nor _The Pianist_ nor _The Boy in Striped Pajamas_ suggest you’re in for a harrowing look at concentration camps or the Holocaust. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/56 "2016-05-20T19:52:38Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 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_. Point of order: John doesn’t actually die at the end. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/57 "2016-05-20T20:00:29Z")
Also, legend has it that the Weinstein brothers, founders of Miramax, were inspired to get into filmmaking after watching François Truffaut’s _The 400 Blows_ – which they went to see because they thought it was a porn flick. ---
**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, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/58 "2016-05-20T20:11:31Z")
“Jupiter Ascending.” Although much of the action is set “on” the planet, title refers to the Mila Kunis’s character named Jupiter Jones (but her family pronounces it ‘YOO-pi-ter.’ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/59 "2016-05-20T20:22:56Z")
_A Boy And His Dog_-I don’t know how many times I found that in the children’s section in video stores and libraries. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/60 "2016-05-20T20:29:00Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 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? Just so you know, spoiling their fun like this can get you a warning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198.md?page=4)