Feel Entitled to Judge a Movie by Its Title

Our inner voice, that gut feeling, often warns us very accurately. We usually can sense that something is off. But our mind's voice will say "Wait up, OK? Let's see how it goes first......."

But why don't we listen closely, and reflect on that intuitive reason? Perhaps it will be a prophetic omen. Maybe your friends will forever praise your footsteps. Because many times, there is truth there. It happens a lot in day-to-day life, and entertainment is no exception. We have lots of choices in how we have fun. Why should we have regretful fun? We should shun such "fun."

I've noticed recently that with movies, you can sometimes gauge the movie's quality based on its title. I know to some it may seem ridiculous, but wait!! Think of this - don't Hollywood producers know about the importance of a movie's name? Definitely! So why would people who invest millions of dollars into a movie skimp on its name? They wouldn't unless they're slacking off! And do rich writers, producers, and stars with barely anything to lose ever slack off? Yep yep indeed.

One of the best movies I've seen was Shawshank Redemption. And even before seeing it, I remember the name being memorable, and sometimes it would pop up as a movie I should see. So I eventually watched it, and I really liked it, like most everyone else. Even though it was over two hours!

Another movie that was excellent was Con Air - a simple title, but intriguing nonetheless(although on second thought it sounds air-condition-ish). Some movies have unusual titles, such as Spirited Away, one of the most amazing animated movies you can see. But those names are elegant.

Some movies have bizarre titles, like Mrs. Doubtfire - which turned out to be hilarious! It wasn't a classic of course, but worth the seven bucks! And who can forget Forrest Gump? The titles here were funny too!

Some names clearly pander to a certain sex. 2 Fast 2 Furious is a guy's type of movie(teens mostly), and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a gal's movie(perhaps even postmenopausal gal? but I'm digressing). Both had their moments, but overall were forgettable.

Let's see the flip side, the movie flops. Does Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 inspire any confidence in you? Maybe. How about the subtly titled Disaster Movie? What do you think about Kazaam or Ed? In case brevity is the sign of a lame name, what about Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000? So obviously there is no easy way.

So what are the signs of a good title? Words with deep meanings in them, words with a generally easy-to-read flow, words with mystery or humor, and having action-packed emotions. You could, of course, read up all the reviews by the movie aficionados and see user ratings. But tell me, would you feel proud of yourself then? Would you go brag about watching a movie because it was rated 8.7 and so-and-so said it was "the most poignant counterculture documentary since Hoop Dreams?" Maybe, but what about "it looked interesting to me and I was so surprised by how good it was."

In any case, please pay attention to that inner voice. A movie is supposed to give you entertainment and perhaps something more. Because you could be exercising, studying, working, reconnecting, right? So next time your party's leader aggressively pushes a movie choice, listen to that calm inner voice, that ineffable feeling that gauges the title and your impression. Or just bring enough extra popcorn and soda, and a pillow