Movie title translations can be classified into two categories: obvious and enigmatic. The obvious ones are those where it’s not even necessary to see the trailer. The enigmatic ones, on the other hand, are usually a catchy word or sentence that makes you want to watch the trailer – if not the film.
Recently, I read an article in the NY Times in which the author complained about the lengthy and revealing titles of the latest movie releases. The title is a crucial component of a movie. It works as a letter of introduction. So, what happens when a movie is shown in foreign countries? The title is translated. Sometimes the end result is better than others, that´s for sure. Some of them will even enter the Annals of History.
One of the biggest disasters in movie title translations was the Roman Polanski’s cult classic horror movie “Rosemary’s Babies” translation in Spanish. The title in Spanish “La Semilla del Diablo” (Evil’s Seed), completely spoils the end of the movie. Unfortunately for foreign audiences, there are even more epic spoilers like “Take the Money and Run”, which was translated in Argentina as “Robó, huyó y lo pescaron” (He took the money, ran away and got caught).
I must say in favor of translators that most movie titles are translated by the film producer’s Marketing Department and not by a professional translator, so the new title is often intended to target local marketing demands rather than to provide accurate translation services of the original. The result is titles that are often absurd to the point of hilarity.
Here are My Top Ten Favorite Funniest Movie Title Translations
Original Movie Title | Translated Movie Title | Where? |
The Full Monty | Six Naked Pigs | China |
Knocked Up | The Date That Screwed Me | Israel |
Die Hard | The Glass Jungle | Spain |
Bad Santa | Santa Is a Pervert | Czech Republic |
Being John Malkovich | The Hole of Malkovich | Japan |
Army of Darkness | Captain Supermarket | Japan |
Die Hard | Skyscraper Attack | Portugal |
Home Alone | Mum, I missed the plane | France |
Eternal Sunshine Of the Spotless Mind | If You Leave Me, I Delete You | Italy |
We bought a Zoo | A place for dreaming | Spain |
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