Did you know that when Army of Darkness was originally released in Japan, it was given the title Captain Supermarket?
Movies being given different titles for international markets isn’t that uncommon, but other than the fact that Ash happens to work at a supermarket, this choice makes little sense – especially since the previous two installments in the Evil Dead series had already been released in Japan with a title closer to the original meaning (死霊のはらわた, or Shinryo no Harawata).
Some other weird or more baffling choices off the top of my head include:
- Being John Malkovich –>Malkovich no Ana (Malkovich’s Hole): This title may have given a few viewers the wrong idea about what kind of film they were about to watch.
- Napoleon Dynamite –> Basu Otoko (Bus Guy): Undoubtedly changed in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of a domestic film called Densha Otoko (Train Guy), the original title was later restored when the film was reissued on DVD about a decade later.
- Ratatouille –> Remi no Oishii Resutoran (Remy’s Delicious Restaurant): The trend with films intended for children (and Pixar films in particular) seems to be giving them the most literal titles possible. See also: Anna and the Snow Queen1Several folks have noted that this is a reference to the fairy tale the movie is loosely based on, but it’s still a pretty unimaginative title in my humble opinion, Old Man Carl’s Floating House, and Inside Head.
- The Good Dinosaur –> Arlo to Shonen (Arlo and the Boy): In addition to being an underwhelming movie, the Japanese release gave it the worst possible title. Kids LOVE dinosaurs, so why in the hell wouldn’t you mention dinosaurs in the title!?
- Raising Arizona –> Akachan Dorobo (The Baby Thieves): On one hand translating the title may have proven too difficult, but on the other hand the Japanese title sounds a lot more sinister. You should see the looks on people’s faces when I tell them my favorite movie of all time is THE BABY THIEVES!
Are there any other weird movie title translations (Japanese or otherwise) that you know of? Feel free to let us know down below!
Have a Great Night Thread, Avocado!