Filed under: Top Tens

TOP TEN: Worst Movie Titles

Inspired by the latest Bond film I bring you the worst movie titles of all time

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

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. I am sure defenders of the title will say that it is, in fact, about traveling pants, but that just means it hits on the same stupidity level as Snakes on a Plane, a film that realized its absurdity while The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants does not and proves it with its upcoming sequel aptly titled The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Many a Star Wars fan will point to how Darth Sidious is the Phantom Menace referred to in the title of the first Star Wars prequel and as that certainly seems to be the case it doesn't change the fact that Phantom Menace was the first of three terrible titles for two terrible movies and one moderately decent one. George Lucas went for the cool effect with his titles rather than the appropriate one. For example, wouldn't have Attack of the Clones been more appropriate for the third installment considering that is when the clones actually attack? To argue the logic of it all is silly, as the real "Phantom Menace" in the Star Wars prequels was a qualified screenwriter and director.

Live Free or Die Hard

Die Hard 2: Die Harder was a bad title. Die Hard with a Vengeance was bad but I give it a pass just because I thought the movie itself was so good. However, Live Free or Die Hard is not only bad it is also cliché and hardly emotes the actual intensity of the franchise. It is strange to believe that a franchise filled with four films that are all watchable could pull off such a feat with such terrible titles, but I would much rather have terrible titles than terrible films.

Thir13en Ghosts

Substituting numbers for letters in a title is not cute, cool or scary. As a matter of fact one of my favorite films of all time is Seven and it bothers me to no end to see it spelled Se7en. My biggest beef with both Thir13en Ghosts (and even Se7en) is that the numbers actually aren't like the letters they are meant to represent. How does a "1" look like a "t"? How does a "7" look like a "v"? Why isn't it 1hir133n Ghos1s? Is it because that looks stupid? Ahhhh… now you catch on.

Lucky Number Slevin

Good God, Lucky Number Slevin? Really? This is another case of "chicken or the egg". What came first, a character named Slevin or a title called Lucky Number Slevin? It doesn't really matter either way as the title has nothing to do with a number and the fact that you are naming your characters in an attempt for a clever title is the worst case of marketing dominating. The title turns this film into a larger gimmick than Cloverfield… and don't even get me started on the lame use of the number 7 as the "L" in the picture above.

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Post #1
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Man that Indian Jones one is bugging me … I am getting really anoyyed at how long some titles are getting I always try to find a way to short for it like instead of saying Indian Jones and the Kindom of the Crystal Skull id say Indiana Jones. Then there are "those people" that have to come up with stupid abbreveations for every single movie. MAKE TITLES EASIER TO REMEMBER i believe that way it'll stick in our head and well go see it…Kinda like cloverfield, ever scince i saw the title of the movie i wanted to go see it.

- ranman14
( February 11th, 2008 | 1:43 pm )
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Post #2
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I'm so sick of hearing people complain about the title of the new James Bond flick. To call it the worst title in the history of film is absolutely ridiculous.

- exposed film
( February 12th, 2008 | 2:09 am )
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Post #3
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Yeah the 007 title is not that bad, I don't care for it, but calling it the worst ever is just plain silly… and dumb.

By the way, it is widely known that the worst movie title ever is BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER

- cdubya1971
( February 12th, 2008 | 12:29 pm )
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Post #4
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Come on, how can you say it is not the worst title? I have not seen a single discussion of the film that did not have to resort to the definitions for "quantum" and "solace" to explain it. This leads me to believe that no one knows what the title means without looking the words up. That alone is reason enough to call it a terrible title, let alone the fact that it sounds more like it is describing a Stephen Hawking speech rather than a British spy flick.

Quantum of Solace: A night at MIT with Mr. Hawking as the key note speaker.

I also like the comment "it is widely known that the worst movie title ever is BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER". Really? At least with that title I know what I am getting.

- bradbrevet
( February 12th, 2008 | 1:55 pm )
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Post #5
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I kind of have to agree about Ballistic, it is pretty bad, and while I don't think Quantum of Solace is the greatest title in the world it doesn't throw me into backflipping spasms of pain like it appears to be doing to you.

As for other truly heinous titles, what about last year's The Last Mimzy? That was pretty horrific. Or 1980's The Nude Bomb? Or 1982's The Call Me Bruce? Or Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone in 1983? Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling in 1986. Or how about Rambo: First Blood Part II? At least the next entry had the good sense to call itself Rambo III while the latest one just went with Rambo.

Other catchy sequels? Police Academy II: Their First Assignment, Breakin' II: Electric Boogaloo, Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (followed immediately by Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning), Poltergeist II: The Other Side (of which an "other side" wasn't seen let alone journeyed to), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise, and that's just the '80's. The 1990's were full of even more of them.

Besides, I still haven't even gotten to Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot!, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, On Deadly Ground, While You Were Sleeping, Happy, Texas, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, The Ghost and the Darkness, What Dreams May Come, Romeo Must Die, An Alan Smithee Movie, Mixed Nuts, What's the Worst that Could Happen?, Someone Like You, Riding in Cars with Boys, The Advenures of Pluto Nash, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, 40 Days and 40 Nights, K-19: The Widowmaker, The Banger Sisters, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Mona Lisa Smile, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Loyd, The Day After Tomorrow, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D, Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium or Perfect Stranger yet.

And this isn't even including some of the best (i.e. worst) titles of all time before the 1980's. Go back even further and you will really find some amazing ones.

- SaraMichelle
( February 12th, 2008 | 4:03 pm )
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Post #6
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I, for one think the james bond title is horrible, the worst ever? i dunno. but for the time being, yes…it is.

- kima
( February 14th, 2008 | 12:26 am )
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Post #7
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the movie isn't even out yet.
QofS will be as big as the last one.

- hughdreamz
( March 5th, 2008 | 10:51 am )
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Post #8
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The amount of money a film makes and its quality has nothing to with its title. The quality of its title has nothing to do with its release date.

- bradbrevet
( March 5th, 2008 | 11:02 am )
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Post #9
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Operation Dumbo Drop
Octopussy (arrghh!)
Gigli
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Freddy Got Fingered
Big Top Pee Wee

- Romin2003
( April 6th, 2008 | 5:37 am )
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Post #10
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You forgot:

Stir Of Echoes — O, I Am So Scared!

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon — Yawning Tiger, where's "One-Armed Swordsman Annihilates the Nine Disciples of Chu School" when you need it!

Octopussy — and you're complaining about Quantum Of Solace?!?!?

Smilla's Sense Of Snow — Dumb title for novel and movie!

Changeling — "That's Not My Son" would have been better!

White Hunter Black Heart — A misstep for Clint Eastwood. Did we need to know that Clint's character is white when he is in Africa?!?!?!

Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow – Loved the movie, disliked the title. "Sky Captain and Polly Perkins", or "The Perils Of Polly Perkins" would have been better! This title was warped by the need to start a Indiana Jones series.

Crimson Tide — They named this movie based on the fact that it took place on the U.S.N. Alabama. Other than that it had no relation to the movie plot!!!

Marathon Man — Another movie I love with a stupid, stupid title.

Well that's it for now…

- Art R
( November 25th, 2008 | 11:17 am )
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Post #11
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Heres four and a half words: MASSIVE SHARK VS GIANT OCTOPUS

- tom
( October 6th, 2009 | 10:53 am )
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