I agree. The OP isn’t asking for titles that describe some element of the movie. That would be all of them. He’s asking for movies whose titles give away the resolution or some other supposedly unanswered plot question. (I think the OP’s second example is a fail, too.)
How about Death of a Salesman? (It was a 1951 film.)
Saving Private Ryan?
I saw the movie last night. Not a great movie, but fun in an 80s B-movie kinda way. I don’t know about the book, but Johh…
…is alive at the end. He was dead at the beginning, though…I think.
Now, “Wrath of Khan” - I’ll grant you - not very spoilerish other than the fact that it reveals the villian AND you know he’s going to get some serious Wrath going.
“The Search for Spock” was directly after his death due to the ‘Wrath’ of Khan - unless he was coming back, wasn’t a whole hell of a lot to go searching for, now was it?
THe “Voyage Home” was directly after the events of ‘Search’ - where at the end they were essentially fugitives - tells you they are going home - one way or the other - lessens the mystery at the least and pre-supposes a successful voyage.
“Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat” (1896, the Lumiere brothers) was probably the first title to fit this category.
An often-told “artistic integrity” story is that financial backers knew that the word “death” in a title turned away audiences, and wanted to call the play Free and Clear. But Arthur Miller stood firm.
I think Free and Clear is about 10,000 times better a title, myself!
Am I really the first person to mention Snakes on a Plane?
At one point it was going to be renamed to something less obvious (Pacific Air 121 IIRC) but Samuel L. Jackson demanded they change the title back.
Regarding “The Search for Spock” I think the title presupposes a happy ending. It wouldn’t be logical for Kirk and Co. to fly around in space for two hours and at the end turn to the screen, shrug and say “Guess we can’t find him!”
It’s not the title, but Dumbo is referred to as “The Flying Elephant”, but that’s actually not until the climax of the film. In fact, you can see that the way the film was constructed, this was actually supposed to be a surprise and revelation. I was tremendously disappointed when I first saw the film, because I thought there would be more about this elephant flying.
How about “Death of a Salesman”?
Downfall? I guess plenty of Americans know a little about Hitler, but probably don’t know the details of how the Third Reich came to an end.
You don’t think the title “Kill Bill” gives away that someone will kill Bill?
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back?
Return of the Jedi
Since they escape at the very beginning of the film, it’s not exactly a spoiler.
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle would fit the OP better, but since the movie is about what happens en route its not really a spoiler either.
I respectfully disagree. It certainly does state the obvious fact that Liberty gets shot, but throughout the movie,
“the man who shot Liberty Valance” is used as high praise for Jimmy Stewart’s character, and there’s no suggestion that it’s ironic until the end of the film. … and a GREAT movie, by the way.
Kill Bill, if it’s anything, is a command or a statement of intent. Bill gets killed is a plot revelation.
I know some people get annoyed at the translation of Ladri di biciclette as The Bicycle Thieves, feeling that it creates a spoiler.
“The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?”
You mean the film universally known in English as “The Bicycle Thief”? Now THAT’S annoying…
Eating Raoul