If Movies Were Titled Like John Carter……

Michael Sellers Other Stuff

MyFilmViews.com has offered a pretty hilarious compilation of movie posters, with the title altered in the vein of “John Carter”, to give us a feel of how other movies might have been improved by the same marketing genius that was applied to John Carter. Here’s one example:

There are about 20 posters — worth giving it a look at MyFilmViews.com

6 comments

  • “John Carter” was not Director Andrew Stanton’s idea or choice. I ready an article where he was quoted as saying he was really made after they forced it on him. (A major bone-headed marketing decision by those then in charter of Disney movie marketing.) That’s when he came up with the spin about him not “becoming” JC of Mars until the end of the movie.

    Best possible title (since “A Princess of Mars” was already taken by the sci-fi channel movie):

    “John Carter and The Princess of Mars.” (Similar to Harry Potter movies, Indiana Jones sequels, etc.)

    Second best title:

    “John Carter of Mars.”

  • nich wrote —

    “I forget the term (Shuggenfreud, or someting), but seems like Brave might be going down the same road.”

    I think “Shuggenfreud” is what happens to H.P. Lovecraft protagonists.

  • “John Carter: A Princess of Mars” would’ve got people’s attention. They’d at least wonder what that movie was about.

  • Nich wrote:

    Funny poster. I liked Stanton’s reasoning for naming the film simply “John Carter”, but hindsight 20/20, including “Mars” in the title likely would have added to the interest level.

    One of the things I’ve been looking into in detail for John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood is how the name change came about. It was definitely NOT Stanton’s idea and he definitely didn’t like it — but he was not given a choice. He then thought about it and came up with the “he becomes John Carter of Mars” and made his peace with it that way. But he definitely wasn’t the author of the title change — that came from MT Carney and Disney Marketing.

    Off-topic, but Pixar’s newest film “Brave” is down to 64%. The glowing reviews are quite positive. The negative reviews remind me somewhat of John Carter’s early reviews…a bit snarky and questioning of the almighty Pixar and comparing it to other high-bar Pixar films (much like Carter was compared to Avatar, Star Wars or Stanton’s past films). I forget the term (Shuggenfreud, or someting), but seems like Brave might be going down the same road.

    Very nice observation and you may be right. If Brave is down to 64% now, it’s headed to something in the 50’s in all probability because they tend to go down. A week out from release, JC was at 70%…….Schadenfreude is the word you were looking for. Here’s an article about it you might enjoy: http://thejohncarterfiles.com/2012/03/john-carter-and-big-budget-schadenfreude-or-how-100m-gross-in-the-first-3-days-gets-instantly-labeled-an-iconic-hollywood-flop/

  • Funny poster. I liked Stanton’s reasoning for naming the film simply “John Carter”, but hindsight 20/20, including “Mars” in the title likely would have added to the interest level.

    Off-topic, but Pixar’s newest film “Brave” is down to 64%. The glowing reviews are quite positive. The negative reviews remind me somewhat of John Carter’s early reviews…a bit snarky and questioning of the almighty Pixar and comparing it to other high-bar Pixar films (much like Carter was compared to Avatar, Star Wars or Stanton’s past films).

    I forget the term (Shuggenfreud, or someting), but seems like Brave might be going down the same road.

  • LOL! I actually thought it was a good idea to not call him John carter of Mars until the end of the movie. Like Stanton said, he needed to earn that name.

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