I understand the need to do it. Honestly, I do. I understand that advertising executives and the heads of movie studios want their titles to look “clean.” I understand that, when thinking about internet searches, publishers look for titles that aren’t bogged down by commas, apostrophes, and other pesky punctuation. I understand that, when driving quickly past a billboard, it’s easier to absorb the title when it doesn’t look like a complete sentence.
But, damn it, as a writer with an interest in grammar – and the rules therein – I am personally irked to no end when a movie title leaves out a vital piece of punctuation.
I’m not talking about films that use colloquialisms or that deliberately misuse English for dramatic effects. Films like You Got Served, She Hate Me, Can’t Hardly Wait, Lilya 4-Ever, or, I dunno, Biker Boyz don’t bother me. I also don’t object to extreme stylization of titles like L!fe Happens or the editor’s nightmare that is I ❤ Huckabees – although I will always spell it “Seven,” and not the preferred “Se7en.”
I’m talking about the films that seem ignorant of the way punctuation works, and try to sell a deliberately incorrect title to the world. We brought up this topic on last week’s episode of The B-Movies Podcast and passions ran high. We needed to expand on the topic. Here are 18 movie titles that drive grammarians crazy.
17 Movie Titles With Embarrassing Grammar
Top Image: Touchstone
Witney Seibold is a longtime contributor to the CraveOnline Film Channel, and the co-host of The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon. He also contributes to Legion of Leia and to Blumhouse. You can follow him on “The Twitter” at @WitneySeibold, where he is slowly losing his mind.
Correcting Movie Titles' Grammar
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(500) Days of Summer
This, I think, goes beyond stylization. We all know those parentheses shouldn't be there, right? It should merely be 500 Days of Summer.
Image: Fox Searchlight
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A.I. Artificial Intelligence
No colon. Just an abbreviation followed by what it stands for. Pick one or the other, please. Or add a colon.
Image: Warner Bros.
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
No colon. Just an abbreviation followed by what it stands for. Pick one or the other please. Or add a colon. AND THEN CAPITALIZE "THE." ARGH!
Image: Universal
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AVPR: Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem
Also known, frustratingly, as AVP:R: Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem. I'm irked by films that have multiple subtitles. Drop that dumb abbreviation, please. Your film will still stink, but it will at least read correctly.
Image: 20th Century Fox
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Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
The lack of a comma may be a knowing prank by the impish director Werner Herzog.
Image: First Look
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Using a lower-case "v" to read as "versus" is usually reserved for court cases. If it's a fistfight, go ahead and use "vs."
Image: Warner Bros.
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Eight Legged Freaks
Without a hyphen the title looks like it's about eight freaks with legs instead of freakishly large spiders who, rather by definition, each have eight legs.
Image: Warner Bros.
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Grown Ups
"Grown-ups" is a hyphenated word.
Image: Columbia
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How Do You Know
There's no way to say this phrase without using a question mark.
Image: Columbia
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Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
While the title is technically correct as a subtitle, the name of the eventual sequel reveals that this colon should have always been a comma. Let's take a look...
Image: Paramount
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Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. It's like Paul Kersey, Architect. It's a description of what she is. Use a freakin' comma.
Image: Paramount
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Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
I'm only willing to accept the lack of a possessive apostrophe after the word "Scouts" only if the word "Guide" is meant to be a verb and not a noun. If they are guiding me toward the zombie apocalypse, it works.
Image: Paramount
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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
The most notorious double title in film history could have been corrected with the correct use of a comma. Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Done.
Image: 20th Century Fox
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Two Weeks Notice
If you mean the notice belonging to two weeks, then it should be Two Weeks' Notice. If you're using the business vernacular, which this film is doing, it should be Two-Weeks Notice.
Image: Warner Bros.
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What Just Happened
While the title could be an allusion to recent history, it's based on a book with a question mark in the title. It should be What Just Happened?.
Image: Magnolia
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Who Framed Roger Rabbit
With no question mark, the phrase only works as an independent clause, e.g. That Guy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Got Away.
Image: Touchstone
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You've Got Mail
I know this grammatical error was only carried over from AOL's e-mail program, but the contraction is redundant. You Have Got Mail is bad grammar. It should be either You Got Mail, or You Have Mail.
Image: Warner Bros.
