Are These the Worst Movie Titles of All Time?
Filed under: New Releases, Lists
Included in this week's new releases is Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a film I was sure would be retitled before being introduced to the public. Alas, it was not, and if it fails at the box office, there's a high likelihood that the title will be blamed. Of course, it isn't the worst movie title in history. The contenders for that honor are featured in a list over at MSN Movies, written up to "celebrate" this week's addition to the bad name hall of fame. The MSN writer vows never to see Magorium simply because he or she refuses to say the title out loud (you could see it without stating the name, if you buy your tickets online). Personally, I wouldn't mind asking for a ticket to the movie, but I'm apt to accidentally call it Food Emporium, since that's what always comes up in my mind when I'm thinking about the Dustin Hoffman/Natalie Portman Willy Wonka rip-off. For some reason MSN's top ten worst film titles includes Octopussy, which I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking is in fact one of the BEST movie titles ever (and best title fonts ever). I also have a soft spot for titles Gigli, Operation Dumbo Drop and one of the runners-up, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I would probably substitute those with Ballistic Ecks vs. Sever, BlackMale, K-19 The Widowmaker and K-PAX (maybe I just hate K-titles, which now make me think of K-Fed), all of which were included in another bad-movie-title list on Retro Crush from 2003. No list is perfect, though, and for some reason Retro Crush actually hates on longtime favorite Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (it's bad, but it's also so good!). Other nominees for the worst title of all time can be found at Wanderlist (perfect example: The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain) and Mutant Reviews (more hatin' on Breakin' 2? pffft!). So, what is your pick for worst movie title ever?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-15-2007 @ 1:22PM
Screen Rant said...
How do you guys keep coming up with these interesting ideas for posts? :-)
Vic
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11-15-2007 @ 1:48PM
Cath said...
Can I safely assume that XXX films are out of the running? Because they tend to have the worst puns of all. In the softcore genre, there's Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
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11-15-2007 @ 2:20PM
Ian said...
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo?
How can anyone hate that! It's the defacto "go-to" sequel name. Look at how adding it to these movie titles makes it actually sound watchable:
The Da Vinci Code 2: Electric Boogaloo
Love in the Time of Cholera 2: Electric Boogaloo
Baby Geniuses 2: Electric Boogaloo
(okay, well nothing could make that last movie watchable)
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11-15-2007 @ 2:21PM
ML said...
I also dislike the trend toward "-ing" titles. They all sound so generic. Even "Finding Neverland" seems to make the film sound unfinished, as though its makers were still trying to figure out what they wanted to say even though I have the DVD in my hands.
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11-15-2007 @ 2:34PM
BondsBabe said...
To be fair to Octopussy, that was the title of the Fleming story, it's hand in cards. But anyway. . .
I think the worst title ever of any movie is a film that hasn't even come out yet. I saw it on the top priority pre-strike movie list here at Cinematical a couple months ago. I can't quite remember but I think it was called 'I want to **** your sister'. If it ever sees the light of day that will be the worst title ever.
I can't think of a actually made ultimate worst movie title just yet.
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11-15-2007 @ 2:40PM
Sam said...
you no like K-PAX?
please elaborate, because that was a fantastic sci-fi film.
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11-15-2007 @ 2:48PM
Christopher Campbell said...
Cath: you've gotta be kidding. porn pun titles are the best. I would name some here, but I'd rather not offend.
Sam: I dislike the title K-PAX. The movie, I didn't see it.
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11-15-2007 @ 4:24PM
Noam Sane said...
"tick...tick...tick".
"McLintock!"
"Becoming Jane".
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11-15-2007 @ 7:42PM
Nicole J said...
'Death Bed: The Bed That Eats'
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11-15-2007 @ 7:57PM
Chelsea said...
"K-PAX" sounded like it should be a documentary about the feminine hygiene industry.
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11-16-2007 @ 10:47AM
Richard von Busack said...
Walking and Talking (great movie, but ultimate chick flick title, oh so very hard to recommend to the guys.)
Scudda Hoo, Scudda Hey! (a '40s movie about some yokel who had a pair of mules, and that's what he used to yell at 'em: look this title up if you think I'm making it up).
Zontar, the Thing From Venus
Shoot Loud! Louder! I Don't Understand You
and everyone's favorite, The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies
Still, it's badly-translated foreign films that'll really ought to make these lists: the Chinese films Raped By An Angel or Don't Kill Me, Brother! for instance. And we just had an Arab film fest that came through town with a number of very odd titles including Soup Over Jerusalem, and this crowd-pleaser:
"I Am The One Who Brings Flowers To Her Grave."
Reply
11-16-2007 @ 12:18PM
Steve said...
Dude, "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead" has to take the cake 2007-wise.
Reply
11-18-2007 @ 10:12AM
mikelietz said...
I'm somewhat partial to "Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?"
I've never liked "Things to do in Denver when you're dead"
but it's nothing compared to "If... Dog... Rabbit..." (which, oddly enough, recommends "Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby" on its imdb page, another awful title)
And for the adolescent in all of us, there's a Bollywood movie titled "Jism"
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