# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/61 "2016-05-20T20:32:04Z")
This is a fascinating thread. I always avoided Fight Club because I had no desire to see a film about people joining a club to fight each other (or someone else, I really have no idea). Now I guess I have to avoid it because it has a misleading title. 😉 ---
**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, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/62 "2016-05-20T20:32:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Just so you know, spoiling their fun like this can get you a warning. So can junior modding. 😉 ---
**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, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/63 "2016-05-20T21:04:12Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > So can junior modding. 😉 Fair enuf! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/64 "2016-05-20T21:42:14Z")
I agree that people are pushing things here. _Silence of the Lambs_, in particular, is not at all misleading if you’ve seen the movie. I wanted to see some titles at random, and since _A Clockwork Orange_ was mentioned, I went to Kubrick’s IMDb page. His last 3 films: _Eyes Wide Shut_: How can they be shut and wide at the same time? _Full Metal Jacket_: You mean like a suit of armor? _The Shining_: Like the Sun? And on and on. Yet if you have seen those films or have read a good synopsis, they fit quite well. Last but not least: _Star Wars_: So, big blobs of fusioning gas battle each other? These kind of title nitpickings are silly and waaay too common. OTOH, _Blade Runner_ _does_ have a nonsense title. Although the phrase “blade runner” is used in the movie, it isn’t explained (since it really can’t be) and it makes no sense. Ditto the cite of _Brazil_. But note that the song “Brazil” is played during the “happy ending”. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/65 "2016-05-20T22:06:33Z")
_Reservoir Dogs_ (neither reservoir nor dogs) _The Plague Dogs_ (yes, there are dogs, but no plague) _The Dogs of War_ ---
**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, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/66 "2016-05-20T22:09:11Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Yet if you have seen those films or have read a good synopsis, they fit quite well. Again, I think you’re missing the point. Nearly all the titles mentioned make sense _after_ you’ve seen the movie, or even if you know something about it in advance. Both examples mentioned in the OP make sense once you’ve seen the film. But some titles are particularly enigmatic if you don’t know anything in advance. Those are the ones we’re interested in here. ---
**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, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/67 "2016-05-20T22:17:44Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > _Reservoir Dogs_ (neither reservoir nor dogs) > _The Plague Dogs_ (yes, there are dogs, but no plague) > _The Dogs of War_ _Wag the Dog_ sounds like it might be about a friendly pet. _Straw Dogs_ ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/68 "2016-05-20T22:27:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > _Wag the Dog_ sounds like it might be about a friendly pet. > _Straw Dogs_ _Dog Soldiers_ ---
**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, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/69 "2016-05-20T22:37:46Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > OTOH, _Blade Runner_ _does_ have a nonsense title. Although the phrase “blade runner” is used in the movie, it isn’t explained (since it really can’t be) and it makes no sense. What “blade runners” are is explained in the [opening crawl.](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JfOMwwE60aI/UwLsC0kcxUI/AAAAAAAAoX4/BiWVjKBoufo/s1600/Blade_Runner_(PC)_02.png) It doesn’t explain exactly why the name was chosen, but it seems appropriate enough for a unit designed to chase down and kill renegade replicants. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/70 "2016-05-21T01:11:07Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > “Abbott and Costello go to Mars” The spaceship actually lands in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and then Venus. But not Mars. And in “Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff,” Boris Karloff is not actually the killer. More in line with the OP: “The Squid and the Whale” doesn’t exactly suggest a film about two intellectuals divorcing and the effect it has on their kids ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/71 "2016-05-21T01:59:44Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - not a single bird or airborne character I came here to mention this, but you beat me to it. Note that the title is explained in the book, but even there it’s totally contrived and has nothing much to do with the story. (It seems to be a hallucinatory recollection of a childhood nursery rhyme that pops into McMurphy’s mind when he gets his first electroshock treatment. Or was it something that happened to Chief Bromden?) Anyway, the detail was totally lost in the movie. ---
**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 21, 2016, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/72 "2016-05-21T06:16:02Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > This is a fascinating thread. I always avoided Fight Club because I had no desire to see a film about people joining a club to fight each other (or someone else, I really have no idea). Now I guess I have to avoid it because it has a misleading title. 😉 Well, that’s part of the movie. There are about three distinct acts to the movie as I recall, maybe four. The fight clubs are in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/73 "2016-05-21T06:49:51Z")
**Get Him to the Greek** , while actually a very literal title given the plot, does not suggest the movie will be as funny, clever, and overall full of heart as it is. In fact, I’ve always said if this movie had gotten a title like “Aldous Snow: Live at the Greek” or something it would’ve done much better. ---
**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 21, 2016, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/74 "2016-05-21T12:12:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > _The Martian_ does not show any actual Martians. (my editing) Ah, but there is one Martian in **The Martian** , played by Matt Damon. He says something about planting crops means he’s populated the land which makes him a Martian, then says “In your face, Neil Armstrong!” Although he also reckons he’s a space pirate so I can’t be sure he’s factually correct and not just losing his mind. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/75 "2016-05-21T12:24:11Z")
_The Virgin Machine_. It is not about a machine that manufactures virgins. The original German title is _Die Jungfrauen Maschine_, so the translation seems pretty literal. I have no idea whether the implication is more obvious in German or not. It probably is, because German is declined. If it had been called “My First Movie,” no one would have seen it; _The Virgin Machine_ is so much more provocative, but the idea is that the machine, or camera, is a virgin, because it’s the filmmaker’s first film. The emphasis should be on the word “machine,” not “virgin.” ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/76 "2016-05-21T15:04:49Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > \*\*The Last King of Scotland > > Sorceror > > Vision Quest\*\* As for _Sorceror_, one of my faves, did you see the title referenced in the flick? It’s the name of one of the trucks and is printed on the side of it, visible, as I remember, for only a few seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/77 "2016-05-21T16:05:08Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > As for _Sorceror_, one of my faves, did you see the title referenced in the flick? It’s the name of one of the trucks and is printed on the side of it, visible, as I remember, for only a few seconds. Yeah, but the title makes it sound like a fantasy centered on a magician. 😉 ---
**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 21, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/78 "2016-05-21T16:26:52Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > And in “Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff,” Boris Karloff is not actually the killer. BORIS KARLOFF: “What do Abbott and Costello do in this movie?” ACCURATE MAN: “Abbott and Costello meet the killer, Boris Karloff.” BORIS KARLOFF: “Thanks ever so much for your polite and grammatical answer.” ACCURATE MAN: “It was my pleasure, Boris Karloff!” ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/79 "2016-05-21T16:41:58Z")
The Naked Gun Die Hard (Isn’t that a battery?) Kentucky Fried Movie American Graffiti The Green Mile Gods and Monsters Birdman Octopussy ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198/80 "2016-05-21T16:47:48Z")
_Hancock_ might have got plenty of Brits of a certain age thinking of the comedian Tony Hancock. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-with-somewhat-misleading-titles/755198.md?page=5)