Lame titles?

[Jake Schuster]

This was just emailed to me via Moviebytes. Am I the only one who finds Weinberg's ideas of brilliant titles this side of deeply and truly lame...?

"Assets of the screenplay that help pique interest are myriad,"
says Summit Talent and Literary Agent Sandy Weinberg. "It depends
on the marketplace. For example, a true story that is dramatic is
often appealing to television. Longform television produces true
stories as a staple of programming. In features, the true story
basis could be deemed attractive as a means of promoting or
marketing a film based on the screenplay."

Weinberg emphasizes, "The title is very important in features.
The title of the screenplay should interest readers and urge them
to want to read the screenplay. Sometimes, a title can connote
the theme of the film, the tone of the film, the lead character,
the genre of the film, or any combination thereof. We sold a spec
last year called 'Heckled,' a revenge comedy about a basketball
player and a heckler. Another well titled project we sold was
'The Scared Guys,' about two agoraphobics on the run. We sold a
screenplay last year called 'Final Disappearance,' a thriller
about two people who have 24 hours to get out of the country
before they are discovered and killed. The title will pique
interest when it is original and also suitable for a one-sheet
(the poster you see in theatres and on billboards)."

[Architeuthis Dux]

No, you're not. Those sound like the titles of the scripts shoved under the corner of a leaky water heater in offices formerly occupied by Golan and Globus.

[Biohazard]

Horrible titles. The Scared Guys? I don't even know what it's about and I already don't want to see it.

[BottomlessCup]

I read this thread, then went out to have a smoke and there's a metallic-purple, late-model Camaro parked in front of my hotel room with plates that say, "RADMOBL."

Obviously, it had t-tops.

I think, most of the time, when someone talks about what's cool (especially in an article), they're dead wrong. If they're talking about themselves or something they're involved in, multiply that by a thousand.

That said, Mr. RADMOBL probably has a kick-ass, tongue-in-cheek thing going on and is probably the coolest person there, everywhere he goes.

[Slappynipsy]

"Snakes On A Plane" has a horrible title and I still can't wait to see it because of its horrible title...

[Cheese]

If only they put this much thought into the pages following the title page ...

[habronic]

We sold a screenplay last year called 'Final Disappearance,'

this is the sequel to penultimate disappearance

[whistlelock]

this is the sequel to penultimate disappearance no, that would be correct. What they'd actually do: Final Dissapearance II: the last run.

Hollywood assumes that people are too stupid to catch on to things like that.

[Jake Schuster]

When Alan Bennet's play "The Madness of King George III" was produced as a movie, it was decided by the studio to amend the title to "The Madness of King George", because Americans would automatically assume they were seeing a sequel to a sequel.

[Biohazard]

no, that would be correct. What they'd actually do: Final Dissapearance II: the last run.

Hollywood assumes that people are too stupid to catch on to things like that.

So if Final Disappearance gets a sequel, can we sue for false advertising?

[dclary]

Someone pitched SNOWSHARK! to me this week. I think that's the most brilliant movie title I've heard in a coon's age.

[cmmora]

Some titles for 2006!

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/fs/20050825/112500205700.html

[BottomlessCup]

Someone pitched SNOWSHARK! to me this week. I think that's the most brilliant movie title I've heard in a coon's age.

So, where's my option check?

And it's "SNOWSHARK! 2: Jonah's Revenge" , by the way.

"SNOWSHARK!" is going to be the prequel. It will be made sometime around 2025 and will lack all the scrappy charm of the first film.

[dclary]

I Like It!

[BottomlessCup]

I Like It!

And I knew you would.

See, kids? Targeted querying WORKS!

[Pencey]

How about SwimFan... That one sucked donkey.

[Bad Liver]

this is the sequel to penultimate disappearance


:rolling:

[Mac H.]

This was just emailed to me via Moviebytes. Am I the only one who finds Weinberg's ideas of brilliant titles this side of deeply and truly lame...?
Thank goodness it wasn't just me.

'Heckled' seemed OK. Not a rave-worthy title, but reasonable.

But 'The Scared Guys'? And Sandy's proud of that title?

As titles go, I always liked 'Dumb & Dumber'. Nobody could complain that the movie was, well, dumb. After all, they did warn everyone.

Mac

[Biohazard]

I like the movie, but I think Heat is a very stupid title.

[flyingcactus]

I like "Untitled Teenage Sex Comedy Which Readers Will Most Likely Hate But We Think You Will Love"

or something on that order.


It worked, too.

[whitenavel]

Worst title ever:

Ballistic Ecks vs. Sever.

WTF??

[dclary]

Yeah. Even I had trouble with that one.

[Pencey]

I like "Untitled Teenage Sex Comedy Which Readers Will Most Likely Hate But We Think You Will Love"

or something on that order.


It worked, too.

That was American Pie, was it not?

[wcmartell]

Those titles suck. Why not use tites that prove the point... and became successful films?

- Bill

[Biohazard]

I always loved the title Silence of the Lambs. I don't know why, either. It can't apply to anything other than that film, but it doesn't really explain anything about the plot at all. Same with One Flew Over The Cockoo's Nest.