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Films with honkingly-bad titles

Started by thecuriousorange, June 27, 2019, 04:46:23 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Mister Six

Quote from: Billy on June 29, 2019, 12:33:25 PM
I worked at a cinema when TGL&PPPS came out and customers would always ask for tickets to "The Guernsey..." and trail off. See also "Alexander And The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day" from a few years earlier.

I'm trying to figure out what it is, and I think it's that the placement of the ampersand throws off the natural cadence that comes with those syllables. It doesn't made sense, but "The Guernsey Literary Potato & Peel Pie Society" somehow works better. Or is that just me?

Elderly Sumo Prophecy

Is a potato peel pie even a real thing? It sounds fucking rubbish.

greenman

Quote from: Elderly Sumo Prophecy on June 30, 2019, 03:07:07 PM
Is a potato peel pie even a real thing? It sounds fucking rubbish.

Seems standard pratice for bland drama fluff, trying for an unconventional title to make it sound a bit more interesting ala The Englishmen Who Went Up A Hill and Came Down A Mountain but failing miserably.

Tokyo van Ramming

Gleaming The Cube - what does that title conjure to you?

alan nagsworth

Quote from: Blumf on June 28, 2019, 04:55:28 PM
Bulletproof Monk

Remember being in a cinema when a trailer for this came on and the whole audience laughing at the title.

"Argh, monkproof bullets! My one *cough* weakness!"

Blumf

The sequel, Dishwasher Safe Cleric, was much better.

mjwilson

Quote from: McChesney Duntz on June 28, 2019, 08:56:44 PM
Now, see, I think ... would be a great film title. Imagine the fun one could have trying to Google it.

There was an episode of Lost just titled ?

Quote from: Billy on June 29, 2019, 12:33:25 PM
I worked at a cinema when TGL&PPPS came out and customers would always ask for tickets to "The Guernsey..." and trail off. See also "Alexander And The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day" from a few years earlier.

I seem to remember giving up halfway through asking for a ticket for Martha Marcy May Marlene (although I can get that title right today without looking it up so the film must have done alright).

Gerald Fjord

Quote from: Mister Six on June 30, 2019, 02:59:05 PM
I'm trying to figure out what it is, and I think it's that the placement of the ampersand throws off the natural cadence that comes with those syllables. It doesn't made sense, but "The Guernsey Literary Potato & Peel Pie Society" somehow works better. Or is that just me?

Spot on, the cadence is fucked.

Piggyoioi

took me a couple posts before i realized the title wasn't 'Films with honkingly-bad titties'

beanheadmcginty


beanheadmcginty

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

gilbertharding

Quote from: Mister Six on June 30, 2019, 02:59:05 PM
I'm trying to figure out what it is, and I think it's that the placement of the ampersand throws off the natural cadence that comes with those syllables. It doesn't made sense, but "The Guernsey Literary Potato & Peel Pie Society" somehow works better. Or is that just me?

Did this sort of thing start with Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe? At least that title was usually abbreviated.

I haven't watched it, but understand potato peel pie *is* pretty horrible, but existed due to the lack of anything much better to eat in German occupied Guernsey which is where the film is set.

Blumf

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies?

Keebleman

#73
The Favour, The Watch and the Very Big Fish, a flop from 1991.  (Actually, A Flop from 1991 is a much better title.)  It's trying so hard to be cute and quirky but is just clumsy and dull instead.


Blumf

Quote from: gib on July 05, 2019, 12:16:16 AM
Star Wars

huh?

It's pretty obvious; several large stellar objects have at it with each other. I think it's a metaphor for divorce.

non capisco

Quote from: beanheadmcginty on July 03, 2019, 11:05:40 PM
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Up until the very last minute this Nickelodeon film for pre-teens was called Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging. Presumably hurriedly changed at the eleventh hour when someone realised it sounded like one of the films that Herr Lipp lookalike "In myyy shop?" guy might have been selling under the counter before Roger Cook bust in on him.

a duncandisorderly

I put off watching "glengarry glenross" for years because it had a shit title, & because people kept on about what a great stage-play it had been. shit title, & all the action in a confined space?
no thanks. but yes, it's nowhere near as bad as that we're so quirky & arty fried green potato peel dead poets snogging shite. I'd rather sit through 'terminator 3' again.

Panbaams

Another attempt to cash in on Four Weddings' success that failed miserably: Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel & Laurence.

I have a feeling that none of these cutesy names for British romcoms would have happened if the makers of Four Weddings and a Funeral had stuck with their original title: The Best Man.

Blue Jam

Quote from: Blumf on June 28, 2019, 04:55:28 PM
Bulletproof Monk

"A monk. A punk. A chick. In a kickass flick."

FUCK OFF. I remember when that seemed to be on the side of every bus in London, a tagline that was crap but also incredibly pleased with itself.

Blue Jam

The Kid Who Would Be King

I think this has been discussed here before, but "The Boy Who Would Be King" and "The Child Who Would Be King" both work better than "The Kid..." Urggh.

Panbaams


EOLAN

Quote from: Panbaams on July 05, 2019, 10:07:24 AM
Another attempt to cash in on Four Weddings' success that failed miserably: Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel & Laurence.

I have a feeling that none of these cutesy names for British romcoms would have happened if the makers of Four Weddings and a Funeral had stuck with their original title: The Best Man.


My grammar isn't always the best; but should it not be a semi-colon after Martha? (Just to clarify; that Panbaams has copied the title exactly).

St_Eddie

Quote from: EOLAN on July 05, 2019, 11:51:07 AM
My grammar isn't always the best; but should it not be a semi-colon after Martha? (Just to clarify; that Panbaams has copied the title exactly).

Yeah, it's not grammatically correct (or at the very least; it's clumsy, unwieldy and doesn't scan well).

popcorn

Quote from: Blue Jam on July 05, 2019, 11:28:29 AM
The Kid Who Would Be King

I think this has been discussed here before, but "The Boy Who Would Be King" and "The Child Who Would Be King" both work better than "The Kid..." Urggh.

This is bananas! "The boy" and "the child" are identical but without the alliteration. Without it it'd be a terribly portentous title and it wouldn't capture the film's sense of fun.

Of course it's a terrible film but that's incidental.

Piggyoioi

While we're talking about Joe Cornish's poorly titled film, here he is taking the piss out of another poorly titled film -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6CoNUE5Zho

Icehaven

Quote from: Panbaams on July 05, 2019, 10:07:24 AM
Another attempt to cash in on Four Weddings' success that failed miserably: Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel & Laurence.


A friend of mine at Uni loved that film but just called it "Martha, Meet Lots of Men."

mothman

Quote from: icehaven on July 05, 2019, 06:11:25 PM
A friend of mine at Uni loved that film but just called it "Martha, Meet Lots of Men."

Well, that's a title writing a cheque the film won't be able to cash.

Custard

I've never quite decided if Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a great title or a shit one

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Jerzy Bondov

MICHAEL CLAYTON
JERRY MAGUIRE
ANNIE HALL
BILLY ELLIOT
HARRY BROWN
CHARLIE BARTLETT

Who the fuck are these cunts?