Thursday, April 30, 2009

POLL 54: IN THE NAME OF THE FILM

My poll 54 is inspired by the latest videos of Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook. I love both her videos, and their long, unique titles. You can see the titles of her six latest videos here:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2009/04/araya-rasdjarmrearnsooks-partial.html

I think some film titles lack imagination, such as GHOST, GHOSTS, THE GHOST, A GHOST, or something like that; or LOVE LETTER, LOVE LETTERS, THE LOVE LETTER, or something like that. These film titles make it very difficult to search for its information on the internet.

I also have problems remembering which Yasujiro Ozu’s films I have seen. Have I seen EARLY SPRING, or EARLY SUMMER, or THE END OF SUMMER, or LATE AUTUMN, or LATE SPRING?

Araya’s film titles inspire me to make a list of these film titles that I like.

I LOVE THESE FILMS AND THEIR TITLES. WHICH FILM TITLES DO YOU LIKE?

1.ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANY MORE (1974, Martin Scorsese, USA)

2.CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING (1974, Jacques Rivette, France)

3.A CONFUCIAN CONFUSION (1994, Edward Yang, Taiwan)

4.DON'T USE MICROWAVE TO WARM EGGS OR ELSE THEY WILL EXPLODE! (2005, Tossapol Boonsinsukh, Thailand)

5.THE DUMB DIE FAST, THE SMART DIE SLOW (1991, Manop Udomdej, Thailand)

6.GARM (LUST) (กาม) (1978, Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, Thailand)

7.THE GOALIE'S ANXIETY AT THE PENALTY KICK (1971, Wim Wenders, West Germany)

8.IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE, THE SOLE OBJECT OF ATTENTION SHOULD BE THE TREACHERY OF THE MOON (2009, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Thailand)

9.JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES (1975, Chantal Akerman, Belgium)

10.JOAN OF ARC OF MONGOLIA (1989, Ulrike Ottinger, West Germany)

11.THE LAST TIME I COMMITTED SUICIDE (1996, Stephen Kay, USA)

12.LIFE AS A FATAL SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE (2000, Krzysztof Zanussi, Poland)

13.LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH (1969, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany)

14.THE POSITIVELY TRUE ADVENTURES OF THE ALLEGED TEXAS CHEERLEADER-MURDERING MOM (1993, Michael Ritchie, USA)

15.PRENOM CARMEN (1983, Jean-Luc Godard, France)
I think it is very interesting that the word PRENOM here can mean both FIRST NAME and BEFORE THE NAME.

16.THE SECOND AWAKENING OF CHRISTA KLAGES (1978, Margarethe von Trotta, West Germany)

17.UNPRONOUNCABLE IN THE LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM OF YOURS (2008, Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, Thailand)

18.WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS (1960, Mikio Naruse, Japan)

19.WHO WISHES TO REPRESENT AN ANGEL, MAKES A BEAST (2007, Christine Laquet, video installation)

20.YESTERDAY'S TOMORROW (1978, Wolfgang Staudte, West Germany)
I saw this film many years ago, but I am still not sure if the film title means YESTERDAY IS TOMORROW or THE TOMORROW OF YESTERDAY. I guess it is the latter. The storytelling in this film jumps back and forth between time, so I think this film title really suits the film.

The German title of this film is ZWISCHENGLEIS, and sometimes this film is titled THE MIDDLE RAIL.


You can cast multiple votes.


Apart from the 20 titles above, I also love the following films and their titles:

21.THE ALL-ROUND REDUCED PERSONALITY – REDUPERS (1977, Helke Sander, West Germany)

22.ARTISTES AT THE TOP OF THE BIG TOP: DISORIENTATED (1968, Alexander Kluge, West Germany)

23.THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972, Luis Bunuel, France)

24.EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF AND GOD AGAINST ALL (1974, Werner Herzog, West Germany)

25.THE FUTURE IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE (2002, Mika Taanila, Finland)

26.LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971, John D. Hancock, USA)

27.THE MURDERERS ARE AMONG US (1946, Wolfgang Staudte, Germany)

28.ONCE YOU'RE BORN YOU CAN NO LONGER HIDE (2005, Marco Tullio Giordana, Italy)

29.WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (1988, Pedro Almodovar, Spain)


I also love the following film titles because the films show the opposite of the titles:

30.LE BONHEUR (1965, Agnes Varda, France)

31.LIFE IS A LONG QUIET RIVER (1988, Etienne Chatiliez, France)

32.THINGS YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT HER (2000, Rodrigo Garcia)


--There are many Thai films which I haven’t seen, but I found their titles very interesting. These Thai films include:

(The English titles below are not official English titles. I just tried to translate their titles from the Thai ones.)

1.CAPTIVE HUSBAND (ผัวเชลย) (1985, Permpol Choei-aroon)
Starring Mai Charoenpura

2.EMOTION MARKET (ตลาดอารมณ์) (1988, Suwit Chutipong) starring Nataya Dangbu-nga

3.FASTER THAN HEART, FARTHER THAN DREAM (เร็วกว่าใจ ไกลเกินฝัน) (1993, Bunjong Gosalwat)

4.GHOSTLY PREGNANCY (ครรภ์ผี) (1975, Rome Bunnag)
Starring Krung Sriwilai, Runglawal Sripatimagoon

5.THE GODMOTHER (เจ้าแม่) (1976, Prince Tippayachat Chatchai)

6.THE HEART DOESN'T WANT TO THROB (หัวใจที่ไม่อยากเต้น) (1977, Rerngsiri Lim-aksorn)

7.THE HEART HAS FEET (หัวใจมีตีน) (1972, Prakob Kaewprasert)

8.THE HEART WEARS SHOES (หัวใจใส่เกือก) (1993)
Starring Tida Teerarut

9.HUSBAND FOR RENT (ผัวเช่า) (1974, Chaluay Sriratana)

10.I AM NOT A PROSTITUTE (ดิฉันไม่ใช่โสเภณี) (1993, Payung Payagool) starring Tida Teerarut

11.LOVELY FEMALE ANIMAL (สัตว์สาวผู้น่ารัก) (1982, Somdate Suntipracha)
Starring Linda Katuncharoen

12.THE LUST OF SAINTS (ตัณหานักบุญ) (1975)
Starring Sombat Metanee, Aranya Namwong, Mayurachat Muenprasittiwate, Piathip Kumwong

13.MAGIC FOR GETTING A HUSBAND (มนต์เรียกผัว) (1979, Niyom Tuntiwategool) starring Arunya Namwong

14.MALE PROSTITUTES (ผู้ชายขายตัว) (1974, Suriyon Thongduangdee)
Starring Krung Sriwilai

15.THE MAN WHOSE HEART DOESN'T ROW A BOAT (ผู้ชายหัวใจไม่พายเรือ) (1995, Pisut Praesangeam)

16.MARY JANE HARPER CRIED LAST NIGHT (เธอร้องไห้เมื่อคืนนี้) (1987, Permpol Choei-aroon)
The Thai title of this film can be literally translated as SHE CRIED LAST NIGHT, but the website Thaifilmdb.com lists the English title of this film as MARY JANE HARPER CRIED LAST NIGHT. So I guess this film may be adapted from MARY JANE HARPER CRIED LAST NIGHT (1977, Allen Reisner, USA).

17.OUTSIDER HUSBAND (ผัวนอกคอก) (1980, Samarn Thongsupsin)
Starring Wasana Sittiwate

18.A SPY WITH IRON SUSPENSORY (สายลับกระจับเหล็ก) (1976, Sanaan Kraprayoon)

19.STRONG SUNLIGHT, STRONG WIND, LOVE IS COMING (แดดร้อน ลมแรง ความรักกำลังจะมา) (1993, Intouch)
Starring Anne Thongprasom

20.TEMPORARY HUSBAND (ผัวชั่วคราว) (1987, Siwadol Bunnak)
Starring Sinjai Hongthai

21.THEREFORE, THAT'S RIGHT (เพราะฉะนั้น นั่นน่ะซี) (1992, Anugool Jarotok)

22.TOMORROW I WILL LOVE YOU (พรุ่งนี้ฉันจะรักคุณ) (1989, Root Ronnapop) starring Warut Woratham

23.WHAT THE HELL (อะไรกันวะ) (1978, Loh Tok)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/3488689216_b648bde057_o.jpg

24.THE WOMAN WHO EATS HER HUSBANDS (คนกินผัว) (1985, Pimpanont) starring Pusarut Dara

25.YELLOW-LABELED MAN (ผู้ชายป้ายเหลือง) (1987, Rerngsiri Lim-aksorn) starring Wisarut Gateprasit
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3488689214_9ed3ca93ed_o.jpg






12 comments:

celinejulie said...

My own vote is for CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING, DON’T USE MICROWAVE TO WARM EGGS OR ELSE THEY WILL EXPLODE!, “IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE, THE SOLE OBJECT OF ATTENTION SHOULD BE THE TREACHERY OF THE MOON”, “JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES”, JOAN OF ARC OF MONGOLIA, THE LAST TIME I COMMITTED SUICIDE, LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH, PRENOM CARMEN, THE SECOND AWAKENING OF CHRISTA KLAGES, UNPRONOUNCABLE IN THE LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM OF YOURS, and YESTERDAY’S TOMORROW.

black forest said...

อ่านชื่อหนังเทศว่าเจ๋งแล้ว ชื่อหนังไทยมันเจ๋งโคตรกว่าจริงๆ อ่านไปก็หัวเราะไปจนน้ำหูน้ำตาไหล อย่าง "หัวใจมีตีน" นี่คิดได้ไง

ชื่อหนังเทศชอบ "JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES"

celinejulie said...

Actually there are many Thai films which sound very funny in Thai, but I don’t know how to translate them into funny English titles. These Thai films include:

1.SA DAEW HAEW (สะแด่วแห้ว) (1992, Prasun Petchpong)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXvPdl4ZIeI

2.RONG TA LAB PLAB (SPARKLING SHOES) (รองต๊ะแล่บแปล๊บ) (1992, Prachya Pinkaew)

3.SHENG GA DAY (เช้งกะเด๊ะส์) (1990, Poon)
Starring Pimpilai Chaiyo, Sinaporn Pilailuck

4.MOK 2 = 3 (ม่อกสองต้องได้สาม) (1991, Punya Nimcharoenpong)
I don’t know what the title of this film means. I don’t know what Mok means.

5.CHERM CHERM LAEW GORE CHUM (เฉิ่มเฉิ่มแล้วก็ฉ่ำ) (1992, Sompong Treeboobpa)
Starring Cathaleeya English

merveillesxx said...

โหวต LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH จ้ะ

celinejulie said...

I love the titles of Fassbinder’s films very much, including ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL, and I ONLY WANT YOU TO LOVE ME. I also love the titles of his films which I haven’t watched, including BEWARE OF A HOLY WHORE, EIGHT HOURS ARE NOT A DAY, and FEAR OF FEAR. I also love the title of a novel which he adapted into a play. The title of that novel is called THE EARTH IS UNINHABITABLE LIKE THE MOON, written by Gerhard Zwerenz.

Vespertine said...

and i love the title of Fassbinder's stage play which Ozon mae it into a film too : Water Drops on Burning Rocks.


I think Fassbinder is the specialist in naming the title.

teepanun said...

I voted for A Confucian Confusion, coz it sounds irony for me and of course, I love this film.

Thai film's titles you've mentioned above absolutely sound funny, hahaha. I think because of the coming of SA-YUM-KUEY (สยึมกึ๋ย) in 1989 or 1990, made a big surprise on the Box Office, many Thai films after that tried to emulate and created the weirdest title as much as they can.

Btw, the film 'SHENG-KA-DAY' starring Pimpilai Chaiyo is one of my favorite Thai films of all times. And another film Pimpilai Chaiyo starring in, 'KOR-HUA-JAI-MAN-YAK' (WELL, MY HEART NEEDS IT), has a funny title for me and I like this stupid film as well.

celinejulie said...

--Yes, Vespertine, I also like the title WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS, though I have forgotten what it means. Hahaha


--Teepanun, thank you very much for the information about SHENG-KA-DAY. I noticed that Pimpilai Chaiyo stars in nine films, but I haven’t watched any of them, and I used to suspect that her films might be pure crap and has no entertainment values at all. Now I guess maybe many of her films are cult films and she can be considered a cult actress.

The synopsis of WELL, MY HEART NEEDS IT (1990, Jatujak) is very interesting, because it deals with male prostitution, transvestite, and murder. It sounds like the recipe for my favorite film. Hahaha.
http://www.thaifilmdb.com/th/tt00462

PEE SUM OIL (1990, Nice Guy), starring Pimpilai Chaiyo, also has a very interesting synopsis, because it deals with vengeful transvestite ghost.
http://www.thaifilmdb.com/th/tt00526

--I like the sound of the title “A CONFUCIAN CONFUSION”. It reminds me of an English pronunciation lesson. The lesson uses the words “Confucian” and “confusion “ to make the students understand the difference between the voiced and the voiceless sounds.

Other film titles which have interesting sound for me include:

1.THE DISORDERLY ORDERLY (1964, Frank Tashlin)

2.RITA RITTER (1984, Herbert Achternbusch, West Germany)

3.VANINA VANINI (1961, Roberto Rossellini)

Vespertine said...

another funny title that u once told me is ¡Ay, Carmela!

Carlos Saura
Carmen Maura
¡Ay, Carmela!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

celinejulie said...

ฮ่าๆๆ เป็นหนังที่ชื่อผู้กำกับ, ชื่อนักแสดง และชื่อหนังเหมือนกับมีสัมผัสสระและสัมผัสอักษรผสมอยู่ด้วย

นึกตัวอย่างแบบนี้ของไทยไม่ออกแฮะ แต่ถ้าเป็นหนังในจินตนาการก็น่าจะเป็น

จอย ติตัส
ไกลใกล้ ติสโส
พิมพิไล ไชโย

ประชันบทบาทครั้งสำคัญกันในภาพยนตร์เรื่อง

"นะโม ตัสสะ"

Vespertine said...

5555555 i really like it.

teepanun said...

NAMO TASSA! LOL LOL LOL