Selling a movie is hard work. The challenge becomes exponentially more difficult if the title is spoiled.
And by "ruin," I don't mean a "bad" title. The "good," the "bad," and the artistic merit of the title are secondary concerns. What it shouldn't be, at any cost, is stupid .
Precious, the film based on Sapphire's novel, is an atrocious title, but you know what? It's memorable, and it has remained so to this day.
You don't want it to be a bland title, but you also don't want it to be over the top. For example, " Birds of Prey," originally known in English as " Birds of Prey : And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn."
So avoiding foolishness is incredibly important. And as far as I'm concerned, the next feature is equally essential.
There's no proper name for it, but in short, here's the deal: if your movie has an X-factor element that sets it apart from the pack, make sure it's in the title.
How many movies set on Mars are made each year? Not many.
Now, imagine for just a moment that you're not just anyone, you're Disney.
You're sitting on a potentially multi-billion dollar franchise. An epic science fiction adventure saga set almost entirely in a futuristic, Martian landscape and society.
And they call him John Carter.
But who is John Carter? Why should I care?
I'm not going to pay money to watch a silly Brit carefully sip tea and elaborate on the virtues of chivalry. Because that's what " John Carter " sounds like, let's be honest.
You could have called it John Carter of Mars , or The Princess of Mars , or The Tales of Barsoom… Literally anything but John Carter .
Of course, the title was just the tip of the iceberg. The film's marketing campaign was a complete disaster.
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. They might as well have called the movie Murphy's Law ( of Mars ).
And if you're wondering, it's worth clarifying that John Carter , despite its atrocious title, is a perfectly enjoyable box office hit.
Eight minutes before dying (Source Code) and Edge of Tomorrow are clearly guilty of committing similar sins.