What's In a Name -- or a Movie Title?

Am I lame? Probably.

This past Friday, Invisible Woman published someone’s scathing review of the film, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. The film was released this past week.

I commented on her post about this. What I said was, once I got wind of a movie titled “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” -- at that instant, I had no interest in the movie.

I think you guys might chide me about what’s wrong with that thinking. I recognize it’s close-minded and stupid. Nevertheless, it was my thought.

I thought about this some more and said to myself:

“Self:  Exactly, what was wrong with the title in your eyes –- so wrong you didn’t take the movie seriously -– even though you knew nothing about it?”

I came up with the following reasons:

1.  Something about the word, Roscoe (no disrespect if that’s your name)

2.  Something about the term, “Roscoe Jenkins”

Okay {*** shielding myself with armor ***} I think I thought the name sounded… er… sounded… um slave-like. Or coonish or somethin’.

3.  “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” – means nothing to me

Well, I recall at some point having a passing thought that maybe someone was coming home from jail.  I know.  Terrible.

4.  If Roscoe Jenkins is coming home, I guess I don’t care. Maybe I would have cared if Mistress Olivia was coming home; or if Kwame, the blind mathematician, was coming home. Or whatever.

In a nutshell, I didn’t find the title compelling. And in some way, was turned off by the title.

This is not the first time I’ve avoided a pic because of its title. There have been other instances. Sometimes it’s indifference or disinterest; other times it’s downright refusal to watch the film; and also a deliberate effort to avoid all the periphery associated with the film, including trailers and reviews. 

Though my reasoning was different, immediately two other films come to mind -- films I refused to see solely based on their titles:  Pooty Tang (2001) and Booty Call (1997).

I’m not a complete idiot. Surely, if the general consensus is that the film is worth seeing, I’d go see it.

Does a title matter? [Actually, it does matter... a great deal.]

Has the title of a film ever influenced your decision to pay to see it?

Comments

[Kimi]

I can't think of one title that has influenced me enough to either support or not to see any flick ... unless it was unconsciously cuz I had zero interest in seeing Pooty Tang or Booty Call.

I usually go by the trailers. The really effed up thing about that is the best parts of the movie are usually shown in the trailer nowawadays, which I already saw on my couch at home for free.

[Mes Deux Cents]

Hi TBA,

First; I've been looking forward to you posting all weekend! I love your posts.

Back to the topic; I found a quote from the guy who made this film, Malcolm D Lee, it was from an interview in the Coloradoan.

“I wanted to see a story about an American family that I can relate to more strongly,” Lee said. “Often you see movies about African-American families that are very over the top and stereotypical.”

I found this at Tradition of Excellence blog.

On the title; to me it just sounds typical, it makes me think it's just another crazy coon film and that's what it appears to be. So I guess the title has conveyed what it's supposed to. Even though Malcolm Lee is obviously delusional if he thinks this film isn't full of stereotypes.

Another topic; that link to NPR's news and Notes was for one show but all last week they did segments on Black films.

It was a good series.

[invisiblewoman]

I have to say I am a bit surprised at Malcolm Lee--I've complimented him a couple of times on my blog, cause it usually seems like he does try to break the mold; maybe it was the money.

I agree with Kimi--a name is important (I have not seen a couple of non-black films for that reason), but the trailers speak volumes to me.

[the obenson report]

While some titles have left me puzzled, I can't say that I've dismissed a film entirely because of what the filmmakers chose to call it. Talent involved is probably what gets my attention primarily. For example, if it was, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins starring Jeffrey Wright and Kerry Washington, and directed by Spike Lee, I'd certainly be curious about the title, but even more curious about the talent in front and behind the camera, without knowing anything else about the film. Actually this would be one instant when the combination of the title and talent would really nab my interest, because it would be such an unusual title, given the names involved.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Kimi

I never watch Trailers, unless I see them on TV. I either see it or don't see it.

@ Mes Deux

The feeling is quite mutual. I thank you so much for the kind words. I left a comment on your blog to that effect. Ima check the NPR series; er asap. :)

@ IW

Guess I should get with the program.

@ Obenson

That's why you're not lame. LOL.

[Sergio]

I think it's says a lot that the film was shot under its original title, The Better Man (a play on Lee's earlier film The Best Man) and that obviously after shooting someone at Universal's marketing dept. thought that Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins was a more "commerical" (i.e. "blacker" title) more to make it appeal to Tyler Perry's type of audience.

And to answer your question, as I've posted before I'm sure that The Great Debaters scared off people with that title making it sound like a long, talky boring movie. I have to admit when I first heard the about the project when it was announced I thought to myself the same thing

[theblackactor.com]

@ Sergio

"... someone at Universal's marketing dept. thought that Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins was a more "commerical" (i.e. "blacker" title)..."

Hmmmm. I didn't know that, Sergio!Interesting. Thanks for sharing that with us.

[regina]

Interesting post.
The title often times does play a part in how you receive the movie. However, I had decided not to see it based purely on the fact that Martin was the star and then after seeing the trailers on tv I knew I had made the right decision! Too many black people doing asinine things on a trailer turns me completely off!
I kind of agree on the name Roscoe Jenkins...

[theblackactor.com]

@ Regina

Not a big Martin fan, Regina? LOL. Whether it's the actor or the trailer or whatever variable it is, the fact is nowadays, people can learn so much about a movie (and its stars) long before a film's release. I think there's probably lots of things a moviemaker must "get right" from the very beginning.

[Orville]

The title is important it does have an important role in marketing a film. If the title is weird or doesn't make sense some people may stay away from the film.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Orville

I think so, too.