|
|
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Movie Titles
|
Tom Ferreira
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 203
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 08-16-2000 07:59 AM
Looking over the thread on cinema owners using absolutely no imagination when naming their theatres made me think about one of my biggest pet peeves-film producers putting absolutely no thought into the titles of their films.
Who in the hell was the genius that thought a film called Disney's The Kid conveyed any sense of excitement and must-see for this film?
Any then there's the nonsense, forgettable titles that are just bland and boring:
Ex:Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Final Destination, Double Jeopardy, and the entire Steven Seagal body of work.
They're all just interchangable.
Exploitation film producers in the sixties and seventies knew that a good title was key to drawing them in before word of mouth got out as to the quality of a film. Whatever you think of the film, and it doesn't have a whole lot of defenders, I Spit On Your Grave is a great movie title-sure would make me curious, plus it looks great on a marquee. Massacre At Central High was far from a horror film; it was a pseudo political thriller, but who's going to know that before the opening weekend's grosses come in? Disney's The Kid makes me think of the bastard son of Walt. Sounds like the kind of cinematic crime that would piss off Cecil B. DeMented(the best title so far this year, by the way).
So, ladies and gentlemen, your thoughts please-what movie titles do you think went a long way towards selling a film, and which ones just plain suck?
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Tom Ferreira
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 203
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 08-16-2000 02:28 PM
Why, indeed it is, John, much like the films on Cinemax at 2 AM are, only the nature being studied is the female form.
I can only believe that Scary Movie was a satirical swipe at bad titles, much in the same way Wrongfully Accused was.
Another favorite was Johnny Dangerously("Do you know your last name's an adverb?"), and also, while I hate putting long titles on a marquee, What's Eating Gilbert Grape perfectly conveyed the tone of the film, while making you curious for more.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
|
posted 08-17-2000 12:12 PM
I think a couple of great titles that should be used for movies:"Closed for Repairs" and "Out of Business" Imagine a single-screen theatre advertising one of these! 
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays
Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999
|
posted 08-20-2000 08:55 PM
Here's a couple long-winded ones:
"The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies"
"Doctor Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"For quite some time now, many titles have shown no imagination; they just use phrases (or parts of phrases) and cliches: "The Whole Nine Yards", "Where the Heart Is", "The Next Best Thing", "Whatever It Takes", "As Good As It Gets", "Body Double", "Saving Grace", "Home Alone", "Fatal Attraction", "Lethal Weapon", "A Few Good Men", "Look Who's Talking", "You've Got Mail", "Total Recall", "Keeping the Faith", "The Straight Story", "Rules of Engagement" And the list goes on...
------------------
Better Projection Pays!
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic