Films we were excited about based just on the title

The movie promised snakes on a plane. Not only that, it promised Samuel L. Jackson dealing with those snakes on that plane. The movie was even tweaked once people heard about it and began dreaming up what “Snakes on a Plane” would be like. In the end, the film was a little lackluster. We got that one profane Jackson line, but that was about the extent of the fun.

A ghost in the title is fine. “Ghostbusters” is a great movie. “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai” is, well, not about ghosts, but it’s a solid film as well. It’s the “Mr. Chicken” that really sells the title. We want to know what happens when Mr. Chicken meets a ghost.

Now, “The Shaggy D.A.” is a sequel to “The Shaggy Dog.” However, “The Shaggy Dog” was not exactly iconic intellectual property. Plus, let’s be honest. Even if you did not know the premise and had never heard of “The Shaggy Dog,” you would want to see a movie called “The Shaggy D.A.,” right?

Maybe you need to know Encino is a neighborhood of Los Angeles. If you feel that is the case, that’s fair. We just like the way “Encino Man” sounds and looks. Plus, if you do know that Encino is an L.A. neighborhood, even better. Of course, we do know this movie, and we know that it boasts two recent Oscar winners in the cast.

Yes, the Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles were in the firmament before the first film. Few people knew the underground comic book, but plenty of kids knew the cartoon and the toys. However, we’re betting that people who knew nothing about the show saw the title “Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles” and were intrigued. How could they not be? Those people are the ones who put the film over the edge to become, we kid you not, the highest-grossing independent movie ever at the time.

Sure, in the wake of ninja turtles who were teenage mutants, the idea of a panda doing kung fu pales in comparison. On the other hand, there is a silliness to the title “Kung Fu Panda” that is fun. It’s up there with “Surf Ninjas,” which we didn’t include on this list but could have for sure.

You can make fun of the title, sure, and we did. However, there is something about “We Bought a Zoo” that clearly resonated with people. It’s sublimely goofy, a straightforward declaration of a fact from the film’s characters to us. Also, that statement was about buying a zoo.

There are a million pulpy horror films that could have made the cut here. Aspiring cut horror flicks often go the route of the catchy, if stupid, title. The premises are silly, and the titles reflect that. A sterling example of this is, of course, “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.”

The American International Pictures beach party movies got a little trippy by the end. Titles went from “Beach Party” to “Beach Blanket Bingo” to “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini” to “Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine.” Vincent Prince (who else?) plays the titular Dr. Goldfoot, who creates many bikini-clad women robots to seduce and rob rich men. Could it have inspired the Fembots of “Austin Powers?” Perhaps!

If you were a kid in the ‘90s, you probably remember the movie “Operation Dumbo Drop,” because that is a title that sticks with you. Also, you probably didn’t see it, or at least waited to make it a Blockbuster night to do so. The movie only made $24.7 million worldwide, so Disney clearly (Dumbo) dropped a bomb on theaters.

It’s the “Julie Newmar” that sells us. Why is the erstwhile Catwoman name dropped in the title of a movie? Also, who is Wong Foo, and why are they being thanked? Turns out the movie is about three drag queens on a road trip, but Newmar does cameo.

This is a knowing movie, right down to the title. Peter Weller’s Buckaroo Banzai is a physicist/neurosurgeon/pilot/rock star, after all. While the film flopped, this one has become a cult classic. Wes Anderson even referenced it at the end of “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.”

“RoboCop” certainly grabs you. It promises some sort of robotic cop, and it delivers. However, “RoboCop” is one-upped by “Timecop.” It promises some sort of policing of time perhaps? Also, the fact it is “Timecop” and not “Time Cop” makes it that much better.

Call it brilliant stupidity or stupid brilliance, but the audacity of calling your 2023 action film simply “Plane” is admirable. You truly can’t have a more basic title for a movie this side of calling it “Movie.” There have been dozens of films about planes, but this is the one called “Plane.” Even more audacious, a lot of it is not even on the plane!

We’ll admit, we rolled our eyes at “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.” It was too cute by half, and reeked of “Isn’t this so random?” vibes. Maybe we should be equally cynical here, but we aren’t. “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” rules as a title. We don’t know a thing about the movie. Is it based on a book? We don’t know! It doesn’t matter! That’s the whole point. You call a movie “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” and we’re looking for showtimes.