“What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."
So wrote the indelible William Shakespeare in one of his most beloved plays… Romeo and Juliet. But the real question is... if the rose’s name had actually been Catpoop Weed or the rare and beautiful Blooming Tickfart would you really want to smell it in the first place. It would certainly smell the same, to be true, but the allure would most likely be lost.
The same could be said when coming up with a title for a movie or a book or even a simple little blog. Despite the content, the title has the power to draw people in or push them away. I read a neat little quote from Suite101.com that said “The title should reflect the subject of your story, without giving everything away. It is the ultimate tease. It is the ultimate promise.”
Think back to some of those movie titles that just grabbed you… regardless of the quality of the movie itself.
Here are some of mine:
Blade Runner
City of Lost Children
Rhapsody in August
Die Hard (It just sounds so final.)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Mysterious)
Slumdog Millionaire
12 Monkeys
My Blueberry Nights (Huh?)
Amores Perros
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Requiem for a Dream (Poetic)
Wicked City
Dark City (I guess I have a thing for titles with the word “city” in them)
O’ Brother Where Art Thou?... and many, many more.
Feel free to add your favorite titles in the comment box below:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
ReplyDeleteEvery Thing You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
African Queen
Cutthroat Island
Into the Wild
Fantastic Voyage
Galante said:
ReplyDeleteSuddenly Last Summer
The Taking of Pelham 123- the original of course
Apocalypse Now
ps- when should i prune my Blooming Tickfart?
ReplyDeleteGalante
I remember being really intrigued when I heard The Darjeeling Limited, maybe just because I didn't know what it was. But then again, all of Wes Anderson's movies have catchy titles. Oh, and Children of Men. The title caught my eye right away.
ReplyDeleteThe Unbearable Lightness of Being
ReplyDeleteThe Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain
La Guaracha del Macho Camacho (todavía existe la posibilidad de que lo conviertan en película)
Shakespeare in Love
Like Water for Chocolate
Jesus of Montreal
Memento
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios
“El lado oscuro del corazón” was an intriguing title
ReplyDeletethat delivered. Hmm… I wonder if I´d still like the movie now.