Earlier this week, I reviewed Stieg Larsson’s novel, The Girl Who Played with Fire, the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which was originally titled Men Who Hate Women in Swedish.
This got me thinking about foreign translations of titles, some of which are literal while others are completely off the wall. So I decided to make up fake foreign titles of real movies which came out within the last couple of years and challenge you to guess their English titles. To make things a little more fun, I’ve included one real foreign title of an American film—see if you can spot it.
- He Hates You! Why Don’t You Get That?
- Robot Cars: They Get Back Up and Kill You!
- Male Senior Citizens Not Welcome Here
- Two Broke Friends Shoot Sexy Time Movie
- Girl Who Buys Everything Tells All
- Cheating, Stealing, Lying Spies
- One Night by Lions
- People Who Openly Loathe You and Shoot You
- Watch and Tell Me What Happens
- Assassins Who Read Fabric
- Stop Thinking about That Bitch Sarah!
10 Comments
Shelley P
July 31, 2009 at 5:06 amThis was fun and some have me stumped. I’m not patient enough to sleep on it … here are my guesses:
1. He’s Just Not That Into You
2. Transformers
3. No Country for Old Men
4. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
5. Shopaholic
6. Duplicity
7. [no clue, but is this the real foreign title?]
10. In Bruges [a stretch, but surely you’d try and squeeze it in somewhere]
11. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
le0pard13
July 31, 2009 at 6:15 amGreat answers, Shelly. But, I think # 10 is Wanted.
Shelley P
July 31, 2009 at 7:40 pmOh, [head slap], I’m thinking you’re right! 🙂
Reader#9
July 31, 2009 at 8:24 amOddly enough, 9 is the one stumping me most.
Well, that and number 7.
I give up…..
1) He’s Just Not That Into You
2) Transformers
3) No Country For Old Men
4) Zack And Miri Make A Porno
5) Confessions/Shopaholic
6) Duplicity?
7) ??????
8) Public Enemies?
9) ?????
10) Wanted
11) Forgetting Sarah Marshall
You need to do this again sometime!
EIREGO
July 31, 2009 at 11:59 amWhat the heck IS number 9?
Poncho
July 31, 2009 at 2:51 pmOk… I think you’re right… except that #2 is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
I’m still guessing about No. 9
ARB
August 2, 2009 at 7:46 pm2 could be both Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. One is just louder than the other. LOL!
I wholeheartedly agree with Reader#9’s choices. Oddly enough, that person can’t figure out #9. I’m sure there’s something deeply cosmic about that, but it escapes my intellect.
And I can’t fathom what #9 is either. Or #7.
Is 7 something lame like Madagascar? I hope not.
Fun, but frustrating, PCN!
SCRIPTPIMP
August 3, 2009 at 12:22 amOkay, kids, let me show you how it’s done….
1) He’s Just Not That Into You
2) Transformers (either one works)
3) No Country for Old Men
4)Zack and Miri Make A Porno
5) Confessions of a Shopaholic (stupid movie, I must say)
6) Duplicity (not bad)
7) Hangover (wild guess, but I think I’m right)
8) Public Enemies
9)geez,…CLICK?
10) Wanted
11) Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Alright, harder than I thought.
When will the answers be posted?
popculturenerd
August 3, 2009 at 4:38 amGood guesses, everyone! You got most of them. I’ll have to make them harder next time.
1–He’s Just Not That into You
2–Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
3–No Country for Old Men
4–Zack and Miri Make a Porno
5–Confessions of a Shopaholic
6–Duplicity
7–The Hangover (real Italian title)
8–Public Enemies
9–Observe and Report
10–Wanted
11–Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Thanks for playing!
EIREGO
August 6, 2009 at 3:21 pmDang! I missed this!
Will you be doing this again? Can you make it a weekly/monthly feature?