# Mis-named movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2006, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425 "2006-05-27T08:44:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/1 "2006-05-27T08:44:01Z")
What movies have a blatant error in the title? _Birdman Of Alcatraz_ except that Stroud spends most of the film in Leavenworth. And that’s where all his bird-keeping activity is done. He only tranferred to Alcatraz at the end of the film, and he’s not allowed to keep birds there. Why isn’t it called _Birdman Of Leavenworth_ then? _Krakatoa, East of Java_ erm, west, actually. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/2 "2006-05-27T09:03:57Z")
…The Attack Of **THE** **THE** Eye Creatures (1965) ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/3 "2006-05-27T11:19:01Z")
You’d think that a movie with the title \*\*Burnt Offerings \*\* would have at least one, uh, you know, burnt offering in it. Or someone burning. Or a human sacrifice or something. Alas, no. Nothing of the sort. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/4 "2006-05-27T11:32:09Z")
In defense of the film **Birdman of Alcatraz** , it was, iirc, the title of the (highly fictionalized) book (bio or autobio?) about Stroud which preceded the movie. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/5 "2006-05-27T13:34:56Z")
[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102511/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102511/)](Naked Lunch) I can think of at least two things wrong with that title. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/6 "2006-05-27T13:37:14Z")
[Naked Lunch](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102511/) I can think of at least two things wrong with that title. This time, I actually linked! ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/7 "2006-05-27T14:31:08Z")
In **Abbot and Costello go to Mars** Bud and Lou don’t go to Mars ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/8 "2006-05-27T15:27:25Z")
_Happiness_ - Decidedly not, from what I’ve heard… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/9 "2006-05-27T16:41:03Z")
All the wrigglers in _Snakes on a Plane_ are actually eels with prosthetics. OK, not really. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/10 "2006-05-27T16:41:50Z")
[QUOTE=GIGObuster] …The Attack Of **THE** **THE** Eye Creatures (1965) [/QUOTE] _**You’ll Swear It’s An An Optical Illusion… BUT IT’S REAL!!!**_ :eek: 😃 [Screenshot from MST3k Picture Archive](http://mst3k.booyaka.com/mstview.cgi?view=episodes/images/418%20-%20Attack%20of%20the%20The%20Eye%20Creatures/_418-11_dr_.jpg) ---
**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 27, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/11 "2006-05-27T16:51:06Z")
**Marx Brothers - Duck Soup.** Despite the title, this is not a movie about cooking. In fact, I don’t think there’s any mention of soup at all. Or ducks. **Marx Brothers - Horse Feathers.** OK, I’ve checked, and there are no feathers in it. No horses either, I believe. This one does have a duck, though. **Marx Brothers - Animal Crackers.** Nope, not a lot going on here related to crackers. Or animals. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/12 "2006-05-27T16:52:01Z")
“To Kill a Mockingbird” had no useful information on how to kill a mockingbird… ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/13 "2006-05-27T16:58:59Z")
[QUOTE=Peak Banana] **Marx Brothers - Duck Soup.** Despite the title, this is not a movie about cooking. In fact, I don’t think there’s any mention of soup at all. Or ducks. [/quote] Except in the [opening title shot](http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare7/ducksoup.htm). “Duck soup” used to mean “a piece of cake” or “like falling off a log,” ie: running a country was easy if done Marx Bros. style. I guess. Similarly, “horse feathers” was an expression of disbelief (see also “applesauce”). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/14 "2006-05-27T17:03:14Z")
**Sgt. York** – though closely adhering to the actual story of the WWI hero, York was actually a corporal at the time of his exploits. “Sgt.” _sounds_ better as a movie title, though. **The Omen** [trilogy] – you can have centuries’ worth of ominous portents and omens of the coming Antichrist without anything amounting from it. What the victims in these movies are dealing with aren’t any weak-ass omens, but the actual living Antichrist himself. The signifier has finally yielded to the signified, and he’s a total badass. (Omens of the Antichrist don’t kill; only the Antichrist and his evil minions kill…) \*\*Fight Club \*\* – 'cause they’re breaking Fight Club rules #s 1-3 to even call the movie “Fight Club,” as opposed to something like “The Soap Factory”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/15 "2006-05-27T17:19:44Z")
Jesse James actually meets Frankenstein’s _grand_-daughter! ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/16 "2006-05-27T17:24:22Z")
You could include **12 Angry Men** in this category. There are _eleven_ angry men. The Henry Fonda character (Mr Davis) is cool, calm, civil, polite and rational all the way through. Which is kinda the point. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/17 "2006-05-27T17:35:20Z")
\*The Greatest Show on Earth The Greatest Story Ever Told\* ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/18 "2006-05-27T18:18:51Z")
**Ready to Rumble** - clearly they were _not_ ready to rumble. **Can’t Stop the Music** - oh yes they could. **Mr. Skeffington** - been a while since I’ve seen it but IIRC it’s really about _Mrs_ Skeffington. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/19 "2006-05-27T19:15:27Z")
**Star Trek V** was named **Star Trek V** instead of **Shatner Takes a Huge Dump All Over the ST Franchise.** ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-named-movies/358425/20 "2006-05-27T19:34:59Z")
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