What “Wanted” Should Have Been Named
What originally started out as a conversation of what movies to see over the 4th of July long holiday weekend turned into something completely different. It started out in a typical fashion. I was sitting on my couch with my cat on my lap discussing how she hates her cone of shame with a friend. It was discovered that we are both on a mini-vacation and we started talking about the movies we wanted to see while we had the chance. It came down to three. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Ted, and Spiderman.
This talk led to the book version of Abe Lincoln. I haven’t read it yet, but my friend Rob has and he really liked it so, that will be next on the reading list. I don’t know the how’s or why’s of it, but like all of our conversations, this one took a sharp right hand turn into absurd and we started to talk about the movie Wanted, probably because the same guy (Timur Bekmambetov) directed both. Whatever the reason, my friend went on a diatribe about how the movie Wanted wasn’t anything like the graphic novel. I made the comment about the whole curving bullet thing and that really set him off.
Me: Yeah, but that whole curving bullet thing was kind of cool. (pretending to curve a bullet) “Shoot the pig” Wait, that’s what she says right? “Shoot the pig”??
Rob (looking very disapprovingly at me): That whole thing was bullshit. That wasn’t in the book. The movie didn’t resemble the book at all. As a matter of fact the movie shouldn’t have even been called Wanted. It should have been called Magic Gun Play instead!
Me: Magic Gun Play?
Rob: Yeah…..Magic Gun Play!
Me: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That’s going to be the name of my band. Tracy and the Magic Gun Plays.
After my giggle fest, I got to thinking…..there are loads of other movies out there whose title might not really match with the film, or be so far removed from the source material that they should really be named something else. Of course I’m so stuck on Magic Gun Play that nothing else is taking hold. Help a sister out…..let’s compile a list….leave it in the comments or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook. Until then….I leave you with this…..although….it doesn’t have the same effect does it?
Tags: film titles, Wanted
Not a movie, but the True Blood HBO series should have been called Freaky Sex Vampire Orgy.
Hahaha right?!
I wish that had changed the name of that Herzog “remake” of The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans. I think the film would have been much more successful if they had dropped the Bad Lieutenant from the title.
Also your friend was right Wanted the film pales in comparison to the graphic novel. It could be worse it could have been The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
No wonder Alan Moore hates having his books turned into films.
Oh God…The League…what a pile of junk. Poor Alan Moore…..I really need to read his stuff because I go into these films thinking I’ll love them and then….I don’t. Talk to me about Watchmen….I loved the book, hated the film. What are your thoughts on that one?
I thought Watchmen was a pretty fair adaptation of the book. They followed along with the plot pretty closely. Other than skipping the giant squid monster thing at the end
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Trying to adapt Watchmen into a film, was a fairly monumental, task I was actually surprised that it turned out as well as it did.
If you start reading those League books be prepared, they are an awesome read, but pretty dense with historical/mystical references ,that you might end up feeling like you need to wiki while your reading.
I walked out of Watchmen and told my friend that I couldn’t believe how closely the film followed the book, yet as much as I loved the book, I didn’t care for the movie. Not sure what the problem was. I’ve tried watching it again and I just can’t get thru it. I did love Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian tho. Very glad they didn’t go with the squid thing however. That just would have been……bad.
that had lol, how about they had