# Good and Bad Movies Titles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226 "2013-07-11T14:30:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/1 "2013-07-11T14:30:44Z")
A recent thread on the movie “Pacific Rim” includes commentary that the movie is not stirring up as much buzz as they might like. It seems obvious to me what that is; bad title. “Pacific Rim” tells you absolutely nothing about the movie, which is about giant robots fighting monsters. There’s nothing appealing about “Pacific Rim.” A lot of people don’t even know what the Pacific Rim is, and those that do would not connect that term with super fun times. Another example would be “John Carter,” a movie that lost approximately fifty trillion dollars in part (not entirely, but in part) because the title did not in any way suggest it was a big budget Mars-based sci-fi epic. It seems to be a good movie title should be one of three things: 1. PERFECTLY DESCRIPTIVE: Aliens Star Wars Bonnie & Clyde 1. PUNCHY, SOUNDS GOOD, AND/OR INTRIGUING: Die Hard World War Z Back to the Future 1. NAMED AFTER A KNOWN FRANCHISE, SOURCE MATERIAL, HISTORICAL THING: Lincoln Star Trek Gone with the Wind The Godfather Batman, Iron Man, and all superhero/comic book flicks Or a combination of all three. “The Wizard of Oz” was based on a popular book, but it’s also descriptive (but in a clever, deceptive way, too) and a punchy, intriguing title. What are the best movie titles? What are the worst? What do you think the most popular movie is with the worst title? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/2 "2013-07-11T14:34:20Z")
One of the ultimate best sequel titles of all time… _House II: The Second Story_ ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/3 "2013-07-11T14:34:59Z")
_Cloverfield_ is a bad title. It has nothing to do with the movie at all, as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/4 "2013-07-11T14:45:14Z")
K-Pax is one of the worst movie titles I can remember - and yet it was named after the original book. It’s a film starring Kevin Spacey about an alien who stays at a mental asylum (or a crazy guy at a mental asylum who’s very good at pretending to be an alien). “K-Pax” is the planet where this guy supposedly comes from, but it makes for a really crappy title. I have trouble picking particularly good movie titles, as I think that’s highly subjective. But some I like include: - Johnny got his Gun (makes you wonder WHO Johnny is and WHY he got his gun) - Memento - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (it tells you what’s going to happen in the film, which means that you can sit back and enjoy the **how** , by far the most important aspect of the film) -Buried (yep, the main character is buried for the entirety of the film. The same way you’ll feel if you watch it) ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/5 "2013-07-11T14:51:34Z")
I just hate titles that contain a characters name with a twist. . . but, dang I can’t think of a good example. . . Like the movie will be called “Take it to Hart” and it’s about a guy named Jimmy Hart that’s searching for love. Stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/6 "2013-07-11T14:52:16Z")
_Despicable Me_ is a good title, as is _Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs_. _Epic_ is a bad title. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/7 "2013-07-11T14:55:33Z")
\*The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly \*is one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/8 "2013-07-11T14:55:46Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > I just hate titles that contain a characters name with a twist. . . but, dang I can’t think of a good example. . . Like the movie will be called “Take it to Hart” and it’s about a guy named Jimmy Hart that’s searching for love. Stuff like that. Lucky Number Slevin…grrrrrr I am gnashing my teeth just at repeating this. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/9 "2013-07-11T14:56:59Z")
True Romance. Great movie with a terrible title. When it came out I thought it was a sappy love story. Instead it’s one of the most violent movies of all time. I’m sure the contradiction was intentional, but I think it may have cost some money at the box office. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/10 "2013-07-11T14:57:32Z")
Really, really good title. You know just what you’re going to see. [The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredibly_Strange_Creatures_Who_Stopped_Living_and_Became_Mixed-Up_Zombies) ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/11 "2013-07-11T15:05:18Z")
[Unknown](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1401152/) – I’m amazed someone thought that this was a good idea for a movie title. [Larry Crowne](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1583420/) – OK, some guy that I have never heard of. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/12 "2013-07-11T15:06:01Z")
_Serial._ From that title would you guess it was a hilarious Martin Mull send-up of life in L.A.? I almost missed it completely. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/13 "2013-07-11T15:07:22Z")
Just FYI, “Johnny Got His Gun” is a play on some lyrics from the WW1 George M. Cohan song “Over There”. > [@](#): > > Johnnie get your gun, get your gun, get your gun > Take it on the run, on the run, on the run > Hear them calling you and me > Every son of liberty > > Hurry right away, no delay, go today > Make your daddy glad to have had such a lad > Tell your sweetheart not to pine > To be proud her boy’s in line. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/14 "2013-07-11T15:12:05Z")
I think [The Heat](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404463/) is awfully generic. I saw it on a marquee and thought, bleah, cop movie. Which it is, but later on I saw a commercial for it and said, Oh yeah! That one that looked like it might be funny! I haven’t actually seen it, and probably won’t until it comes on TV some lazy Sunday afternoon, so I can’t suggest a better title yet. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/15 "2013-07-11T15:17:20Z")
_Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever_ is just about as bad as a title can get - opaque, meaningless, awkward, ugly and confusing. There is a reason to use an understated title. It may work against marketing efforts, but I’d rather think of _Witness_ as, well, Witness rather than _Hiding Out Among the Amish_ or _A Bad-Ass Cop Finds Religion_ or _The Boy Who Was Almost Corrupted_. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/16 "2013-07-11T16:32:23Z")
**John Dies in the End** You decide. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/17 "2013-07-11T16:38:25Z")
Disney’s putting more thought to this than they used to: they released _Tangled_, not _Rapunzel_, and, coming this winter, _Frozen_, not _The Snow Queen_. In both cases the idea is supposedly to attract boys who might not be interested in a “Disney princess” movie. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/18 "2013-07-11T16:40:12Z")
[Sorcerer](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076740/) was one of my favourite movies but unless you knew that “Sorcerer” was a nickname for a truck, you’d likely get a pretty inaccurate picture from the title. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/19 "2013-07-11T16:49:10Z")
Top Gun. Frankly, it could have been titled “Fuck Off” and I still would have gone to see it. The movie poster alone was all that was necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226/20 "2013-07-11T16:54:10Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > _Epic_ is a bad title. \*Epic \*is such a bad title. There’s also another animated movie coming out this summer called _Turbo_. I’m wondering how often the two are confused. Or ignored, since the titles ar so generic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-movies-titles/663226.md?page=2)