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Worst movie titles ever

Brad Brevet of RopeOfSilicon.com recently compiled a list of the worst movie titles of all time. Of all time? That's ambitious. It actually seems to be just of the last 10 years or so. Here are some of his choices (he didn't really specify any criteria) and some of my additions.

1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

Here's Brevet's take: "I realize how much little girls seem to love this film, and even some older girls as well, but to deny the fact that The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is an awful title demands a smidge of insanity."

Nah, it's a great title! There are pants. And a sisterhood. And traveling. What could be more appealing? And all you have to do is see "America Ferrera" on the poster and the rest of the words disappear anyway. (Although I will admit that this is an easy title to pornify, which to me is an important consideration for titles. Don't call your movie Eyes Wide Shut if you don't want it to inspire Legs Wide Open.)

2. Thir13en Ghosts (2001)

Brevet says, "Substituting numbers for letters in a title is not cute, cool or scary." I totally concur. In fact, it's ugly, lame and off-putting.

3. Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Sigh. Don't even get me started, as Molly Shannon's lesbian comedian character Jeannie Darcy would say.

4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Word. Rather, way too many of them.

5. I Heart Huckabees (2004)

Well, maybe the title is weird — especially now that the name Huckabee will evermore be associated with Republicans — but the movie's pretty great, mostly because of Lily Tomlin. (And it's on IFC this Saturday, as it happens.)

Here are some additions from me — trying to expand the scope a little beyond recent movies:

1. C.H.U.D. (1984)

It just sounds gross. But I guess that's the point, since it stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers.

2. What Dreams May Come (1998)

This was my girlfriend's immediate response when I told her about this post. And talk about easy to pornify — I remember everyone calling it Wet Dreams May Come. Because how can you not?

3. The People Under the Stairs (1991)

It seems like a placeholder title. Like "The One About the People Under the Stairs."

4. Female Perversions (1996)

I like the movie, but the title is just asking for trouble.

5. The Brown Bunny (2003)

It sounds kind of sweet. Not digusting, like it actually is. Vincent Gallo and Chloe Sevigny are not anything like a cuddly child's toy in this movie. And then once you know what happens in the film, the whole concept of a brown bunny is forever tainted.

6. Relax ... It's Just Sex! (1998)

Again, I kinda liked the movie, but way to guarantee that nobody will take you seriously. And you don't even need to pornify it — it's already pornified!

7. The Upside of Anger (2005)

The downside of trying to seem poetic and deep.

8. Everybody Gets It in the End (1982)

Sadly, it was just what you thought it would be. Again, no pornification necessary. (Apparently it was also called Tag: The Assassination Game, which isn't better. My hometown movie theater went with the first option, and I can't believe my parents actually let me see this movie.)

9. Maggie and Annie (2002)

Oh, wait; that's not the worst title ever — it's the worst movie ever. It should have been called Don't Watch This Unless You're Seeking a Lobotomy via Movie.

I seem to be thinking of bad movies rather than bad titles, so I'll stop now!

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  • Clonchi's picture

    lol

    awesome as always scribe... I laughed a lot with these titles!

    but how about "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind"?? I liked the movie a lot, I just think it is an unnecessary long title!

    Shan D's picture

    I find "The Assassination of

    I find "The Assassination of Jesse etc" to be an intriguing title. It's like really really really long-ass books. I can't help getting curious. Then again, maybe not that curious, since I haven't actually seen it yet. Also, "Jumper" is a horrible title for a movie. What do you mean it's not about a suicidal person with bad taste in sweaters?
    Nessie2000's picture

    How about.....

    'Snakes On A Plane'?

    Bad, bad bad!

     

    Oops! Hadn't actually looked at the list before making this suggestion - it's up there already! Oops!

    Leibug67's picture

    Bad movie titles

    I love the actresses (Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon).  I even thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  The title, however, had much to be desired.  I give you:

    "The Banger Sisters"

     

     

    carolinagrrrl's picture

    my first thought...

    Little Hound Dog's picture

    Pants on a Plane...

    The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants particularly doesn't work in Britain, where pants means underpants, and also things which are rubbish, ie "This movie is pants!" At least the warning was in the title.

    B1T's picture

    Too long titles doesn't work

    Like "The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love"

    Never heard about that "Travelling pants" movie, but then again it was probably translatet to something totaly different in Norwegian. As usual.

    frammie's picture

    Link to Saturday Night Live doesn't work...

    "The requested video can not be displayed in your region."

    I'm only in Europe, not Timbloodybuktu...

    AndThisIsMyLoverCindy's picture

    Bad grammar=bad movie

    Bad grammar and spelling make for bad titles. Examples: She Hate Me and Pursuit of Happyness.
    mariskaSVU's picture

    how about these:

    BE COOL and DIE ANOTHER DAY. and awful lesbian title: THE INCREDIBLY TRUE ADVENTURE OF TWO GIRLS IN LOVE. hideous. www.eyeslikealeopard.com
    chanticorae's picture

    pootie tang

    enough said.
    Tito's picture

    they forgot Snakes on a

    they forgot Snakes on a Plane and The Lady In the Water. Those are THE WORST movie titles I have ever heard!

    gejino's picture

    someone mentioned

    on the other page 'Riding in Cars with Boys' which I totally agree with.

    Some of my own picks would be: 'Howling II: ... Your Sister is a Werewolf', '12 Angry Men', 'Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans', 'The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension', 'Death Race 2000', 'My Stepmother is an Alien', 'The Human Stain', 'Freddy Got Fingered', and possibly the worst: 'Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song'.

    I always thought 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' was a terrible name until I actually saw the tv series and became a fangirl, which led me to watch the movie (which was indeed terrible).

     

    Omega II's picture

    Snake on a Plane..

    is a GREAT title. It perfectly represents what the film is about. CHUD as well. Titles should tell you about the film/show/book.

     

    "Bad jokes are us, ur me."

    Na's picture

    Everybody gets it in the

    Everybody gets it in the end is also a strong contender for the worst movie poster list.

    cosmiccowgirl's picture

    The pedant in me has to

    The pedant in me has to point out that "What dreams may come" is from Shakespeare (Hamlet's "to be or not to be" speech), though I guess that doesn't necessarily take away from its porn implications.

    The title "Snakes on a Plane" is supposed to be funny, no? Saying it's a bad title seems akin to saying Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a bad title. If you get the show, you get the title.

    I've always hated "Dangerous Beauty." It's like they were trying to come up with the most generic phrase they could think of.

    katied's picture

    hmmm...

    probably 'cloverfield' wot a dull and unattractive title for a film!!
    sami_kaye's picture

    Surprised

    I'm surprised nobody mentioned Love In The Time Of Cholera.

    I only saw that movie because Javier Bardem *swoon* is in it. Too bad it really sucked.

    LilyJadeRose's picture

    bad title, bad movie

    a bad title and a not so good movie:

    In Too Deep

    ~i am bisexual.  you are confused.~

    pancreas's picture

    The Itty Bitty Titty

    The Itty Bitty Titty Committee!

    Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
    There’s a Girl in My Soup
    Stop or My Mom Will Shoot
    I Capture the Castle
    Gone in 60 Seconds
    Everyone Says I Love You
    The Cider House Rules

    Natazzz's picture

    It must be me...

    ...but I actually like most of those titles. 

    - - - - - - - - - -

    -Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

    Who doesn't blog these days?

     

    not only but also's picture

    I once saw some porn titles

    I once saw some porn titles (on a hotel TV menu, I swear!) called "Edward Penis Hands" and "Going Down on the Titanic". Actaully, they aren't bad titles....

    Not Only But Also

    katemc39's picture

    Pretend Movie Titles Count too?

    The Rural Juror!!!!
    danidanidani's picture

    The worst movie and title

    is Gigli. Clearly.

     

    oh-by the way 'what dreams may come' is a line from Hamlet and 'eternal sunshine of the spotless mind' is from a poem by Alexander Pope. Kirsten Dunst's character actually reads that part the poem in the film and she says the writers name backwards accidentally.

    KGM5's picture

    Maggie and Annie

    I agree 100 percent with your assessment of this movie. The story is HORRIBLE.

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