What's the greatest title of all time?

ahalpert

ahalpert

Major Contributor
A great title has to stand on its own and IMO should be surprising, intriguing, unique, poetic, and memorable.

What do you guys think is the greatest title of all time?

I think it might be The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

But here's my list of candidates so far:
The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Back to the Future

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Deep Throat
Blade Runner
Paradise Lost
Reservoir Dogs

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
The Silence of the Lambs
Rebel Without a Cause

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

All the Light We Cannot See
Snow Falling on Cedars
The City on the Edge of Forever

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Being John Malkovich
Eating Raoul

Sleepless in Seattle
Desperately Seeking Susan
Love in the Time of Cholera

Pride and Prejudice
The Master and Margarita
Desire and Delusion

Breaking Bad
Jaws
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The greatest of all time will always depend on the impact they've had on you.

But I think Jaws is pretty memorable and respectable for conveying so much with so little.
 
Let's say it has to spark your imagination even if you knew nothing else about the story, and fill you with the desire to know more
 
Hmm...then I think a lot more would come to mind because people have a way with words and create titles that are poetic and curious.
 
NorBro said:
Hmm...then I think a lot more would come to mind because people have a way with words and create titles that are poetic and curious.
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Yeah, there are many, many good titles in the world. I try to battle them together in my head to see what deserves to make the list. A few that I thought of but excluded were An Affair to Remember, It Happened One Night, and Gone With the Wind. They're good titles, but also kind of sensationalist or melodramatic. Sort of what you would expect from a title.

I was also thinking of The Beatles. Such an underwhelming name for such a great band.
 
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Doesn't one of your favorite shows get to be on there? Breaking Bad :engel017:

Or Treking through Stars.
 
NorBro said:
Doesn't one of your favorite shows get to be on there? Breaking Bad :engel017:

Or Treking through Stars.
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Breaking Bad is pretty good. I'll put it on.

I'd put Star Wars and Star Trek in the same category...good titles, but not enough of an intriguing relationship between the words or between the words and some other entity is developed. It's more just like a topic, in my mind. Lord of the Rings has more of a relationship dynamic going on, but I still wouldn't put it on the list.

I was considering Deep Space Nine or The Trouble with Tribbles. Deep Space Nine is a Trek show from the 90s, and The Trouble with Tribbles is an episode from the Original Series. But not enough of an intriguing relationship in the former. The latter is similar to The Trouble with Harry but I think that one's better. And clearly they coined the word Tribble to sound like Trouble. Makes for a nice title, but it's a bit of a cheat.

I think I'll remove Clear and Present Danger....not enough intrigue. Sort of just Danger but moreso

I think Lord of the Flies is a better title than Lord of the rings, just as far as titles go. But the thing about both of those as well as Star wars and Star Trek is that they're kind of exciting in their own right as topics. That's not a heavy lift for getting the audience excited. And with that in mind, I think I'll remove The Exorcist and Body Heat from the list. Too easy and not surprising enough
 
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Run&Gun said:
I’ll second Back to the Future.
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I'll move it up the list.

I think I'm going to remove The Once and Future King and Getting Even with Dad. They're good titles, but they lack that surprise element. The whole phrase is kind of rowing in the same direction.
 
I got the answer:

Deep Throat


Millions who know nothing at all about XXX films know that title. The title went on to become a code-name for the informant in one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history.


“ Let's say it has to spark your imagination even if you knew nothing else about the story, and fill you with the desire to know more.”

Well, I think Deep Throat certainly does that. The title produces a “what the heck does that mean??” response. It generates intrigue. And as was said above about the title Jaws, Deep Throat conveys so much with so little. It is more than just a title. It is what takes place in the film. In fact, the title pretty much is the entire film in a sense in that the title is an act that is the entire purpose of watching the film.

Sorry if this submission is edgy or even politically incorrect. But I think it meets the criteria very well and is without a doubt an iconic title in Western culture. Few film titles have crossed over into political language. The title has near become a synonym. Most of the titles mentioned thus far are only the film title, never becoming anything larger. Another unique aspect is that the gulf between the number familiar with the title and the number who have seen the film is vast, because of the nature of the film.

Another controversial candidate for greatest title might be “Faces of Death”. The title isn’t being poetic or literary but literal. The film is literally faces of death. And it too is a title for which the number who are familiar with the title is exponentially greater than the number who have actually seen it. “Blade Runner” doesn’t tell one much about what happens in the film. Is it about people racing with knives?? But Faces of Death is what happens in the film. Again, it is literally the content in the film.
 
QuickHitRecord said:
Some good ones above. Here are a few more that come to mind:

All the Light We Cannot See
Friday Night Lights
Snow Falling on Cedars
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I'll add All the Light we Cannot See and Snow Falling on Cedars. Friday Night Lights is a good title but it also just sounds kind of exciting, not surprising. Like Saturday Night Fever. It excites me but doesn't make me ask questions.

All the Light we Cannot See makes me ask questions. Snow Falling on Cedars less so, but...that's just a very, very pretty title. Reminds me a bit of The Place Beyond the Pines but I think Snow Falling on Cedars is better
 
JPNola said:
I got the answer:

Deep Throat


Millions who know nothing at all about XXX films know that title. The title went on to become a code-name for the informant in one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history.


“ Let's say it has to spark your imagination even if you knew nothing else about the story, and fill you with the desire to know more.”

Well, I think Deep Throat certainly does that. The title produces a “what the heck does that mean??” response. It generates intrigue. And as was said above about the title Jaws, Deep Throat conveys so much with so little. It is more than just a title. It is what takes place in the film. In fact, the title pretty much is the entire film in a sense in that the title is an act that is the entire purpose of watching the film.

Sorry if this submission is edgy or even politically incorrect. But I think it meets the criteria very well and is without a doubt an iconic title in Western culture. Few film titles have crossed over into political language. The title has near become a synonym. Most of the titles mentioned thus far are only the film title, never becoming anything larger. Another unique aspect is that the gulf between the number familiar with the title and the number who have seen the film is vast, because of the nature of the film.

Another controversial candidate for greatest title might be “Faces of Death”. The title isn’t being poetic or literary but literal. The film is literally faces of death. And it too is a title for which the number who are familiar with the title is exponentially greater than the number who have actually seen it. “Blade Runner” doesn’t tell one much about what happens in the film. Is it about people racing with knives?? But Faces of Death is what happens in the film. Again, it is literally the content in the film.
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You make a strong case. I'd give you 2 upvotes if I could. I'll add Deep Throat.

Faces of Death is good, too, but doesn't catch me off guard as much as Deep Throat.

"Blade Runner" was actually the title of a sci-fi story about a society where medical supplies were rationed. So, a blade runner was literally a razor smuggler (and smuggler of other medical supplies). Ridley Scott heard it and decided to appropriate it for his movie even though it had nothing to do with it. The book Blade Runner is based on was titled "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" which I think is also a good title, but less mysterious. The book is now printed and sold as "Blade Runner: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" because the movie became so famous.
 
To live and die in LA
Snakes on the Plane
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Bang the Drum Slowly.
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
Along Came Spider
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
This Film is Not Yet Rated (documentary)
I'm Gonna Get You Sucka
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Silence of the Lambs
Slumdog Millionaire
There Will Be Blood
No Country for Old Men
Cool Hand Luke
Last Tango in Paris
Confessions of a Police Commissioner to the District Attorney (better in its native Italian - Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della repubblica)
A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (Un genio, due compari, un pollo)
How to Kill a Judge (Italian: Perché si uccide un magistrato)
O, Lucky Man
Das Boot (because it's a boat, not boot)
Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
PHFFFT
8 Heads in a Duffel Bag
Freddy Got Fingered
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
The Hottie & the Nottie
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

and to top it off -

Surf Nazis Must Die

and

"Dude, Where's My Car?'
 
Thanks DLD, I'll have to mull that over. For now, I added The Good, The Bad and the Ugly; The Silence of the Lambs; Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead; and "Dude, Where's My Car?"

It's always hard for me to separate my feelings about the movie from my feelings about the title and decide if it's the title I actually like or just the movie. I never heard of Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, though.

On second thought, I think I'll remove Dude, Where's My Car? It's an unusual title but not a contradictory or surprising idea within it

Along similar lines, I think I'll remove The Trouble with Harry as well as What About Bob? Good titles, a little bit surprising, but not enough of an inherent contradiction to really confuse and captivate me
 
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If you're going to mention Star Trek then certainly "The City on the Edge of Forever" deserves a nod. It actually has a double meaning within the story (the planet with the portal and the version of New York they visit where history will change if they don't fix it) and it's certainly both poetic and intriguing. Classic Harlan Ellison and definitely the best episode of the original series. Star Trek had a number of great episode titles and unlike most shows these titles were featured onscreen, after the cold open teaser. Some nice examples are "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky".

Double meaning titles are fun, but how about a triple? "Trading Spaces" refers to (1) Eddie Murphy & Dan Akyroyd, (2) the two leads and bad guys Don Ameche & Ralph Bellamy, and (3) the physical location at the climax of the film. Pretty clever.

I also think "Rebel Without a Cause" is a damn fine title.
 
Mitch Gross said:
If you're going to mention Star Trek then certainly "The City on the Edge of Forever" deserves a nod. It actually has a double meaning within the story (the planet with the portal and the version of New York they visit where history will change if they don't fix it) and it's certainly both poetic and intriguing. Classic Harlan Ellison and definitely the best episode of the original series. Star Trek had a number of great episode titles and unlike most shows these titles were featured onscreen, after the cold open teaser. Some nice examples are "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky".

Double meaning titles are fun, but how about a triple? "Trading Spaces" refers to (1) Eddie Murphy & Dan Akyroyd, (2) the two leads and bad guys Don Ameche & Ralph Bellamy, and (3) the physical location at the climax of the film. Pretty clever.

I also think "Rebel Without a Cause" is a damn fine title.
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I think I'll give the nod to City on the Edge of Forever and Rebel Without a Cause.

Rebel Without a Cause is a real title of a title, isn't it? Like what one thinks of when one thinks about "titles". I still actually don't know what that movie's about, except what the title says.

The City on the Edge of Forever reminds me of Snow Falling on Cedars - it's poetic and evocative.

Good point about the 3rd meaning of Trading Places. I actually missed that pun about stock trading. But I think that the title by itself - if you don't know the movie - doesn't stick out more than a typical Hollywood title.
 
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