Poll: Run Off Poll: The Best Film Titles Part II

Results of 1,825 votes:

1. 1.
   

   Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

    

   Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: The title was taken from the following passage of the Alexander Pope poem, "Eloisa to Abelard:" How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! / The world f…
2. 2.
   

   The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

    

   The Silence of the Lambs: From the Thomas Harris novel, which is the second book in his series that revolve around the character of Hannibal Lecter.
3. 3.
   

   Inglourious Basterds (2009)

    

   Inglourious Basterds: Even though this film is not a remake of the 1978 movie, the title is one way Quentin Tarantino payed homage to Enzo G. Castellari's The Inglorious Bastards. Tarantino has said h…
4. 4.
   

   No Country for Old Men (2007)

    

   No Country for Old Men: The film is based on the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name.
5. 5.
   

   Reservoir Dogs (1992)

    

   Reservoir Dogs: According to IMDb, "The title for the film came to Quentin Tarantino via a patron at the now-famous Video Archives. While working there, Tarantino would often recommend little-kno…
6. 6.
   

   The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

    

   The Fault in Our Stars: From the book, of the same name, by John Green.
7. 7.
   

   Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013)

    

   Ain't Them Bodies Saints: According to Casey Affleck, the title is the director David Lowery's misquotation of lyrics from a song.
8. 8.
   

   Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

    

   Beasts of the Southern Wild: The title was, presumably, written by Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, who wrote the screenplay, which was based on a play with the unfortunate title of Juicy and Delicious.
9. 9.
   

   The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

    

   The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Uncommon syntax for an uncommon film, written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach. According to information on IMDb, "In Wes Anderson's earlier film, Rushmore (1…
10. 10.
    

    The Cider House Rules (1999)

     

    The Cider House Rules: From John Irving's novel of the same name.
11. 11.
    

    Do the Right Thing (1989)

     

    Do the Right Thing: Spike Lee chose the title from a Malcolm X quotation, "You've got to do the right thing." Titles in the declarative are very rare.
12. 12.
    

    The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

     

    The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: From the novel, by Deborah Moggach, of the same name.
13. 13.
    

    The Crying Game (1992)

     

    The Crying Game: Filmmaker Neil Jordan originally intended to title the film The Soldier's Wife, but his friend Stanley Kubrick recommended changing it because he believed that films with religious o…
14. 14.
    

    Kill Your Darlings (2013)

     

    Kill Your Darlings: A phrase commonly used in writing circles and workshops, it has been attributed to many famous authors, including Allen Ginsberg, a character in the film, but the earliest use of t…
15. 15.
    

    Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

     

    Sex, Lies, and Videotape: According to IMDb, Steven Soderbergh, who wrote and directed the film, "gave the producers a list of possible film titles, including 46:02, Retinal Retention, Charged Co…
16. 16.
    

    The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

     

    The Hudsucker Proxy: Most likely from the script writers, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, and Sam Raimi. Hudsucker is the name of the fictional company at the center of the film.
17. 17.
    

    The Opposite of Sex (1998)

     

    The Opposite of Sex: The film, and presumably the title, was written by Don Roos.
18. 18.
    

    Hideous Kinky (1998)

     

    Hideous Kinky: From Esther Freud's book of the same name. The two little girls, in both the book and film, remember their mother's friend repeatedly using two words: "hideous" and "kink…
19. 19.
    

    If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010)

     

    If God is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise: The title is from a Southern folk saying. Although this is listed as a TV series, it's on this list because it was made as one complete film. Because it was …
20. 20.
    

    Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

     

    Sweet and Lowdown: The writer and director, Woody Allen, took the title from the song "Sweet and Low-Down," by George Gershwin, which is on the soundtrack of Allen's Manhattan.
21. 21.
    

    Salaam Bombay! (1988)

     

    Salaam Bombay!: The film, primarily written by Mira Nair and Sooni Taraporevala, has as its title a phrase that translates, roughly, into "Greetings, Bombay!" Salaam can also mean, "pea…
22. 22.
    

    A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

     

    A Prairie Home Companion: Garrison Keillor wrote the screenplay, which is based on his famous radio show, started in 1974 and aired on public radio, of the same name.
23. 23.
    

    The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)

     

    The Milagro Beanfield War: From the book, by John Nichols, of the same name.
24. 24.
    

    Something the Lord Made (2004)

     

    Something the Lord Made: In the film, Dr. Blalock feels an incision made by his brilliant lab technician, Vivien Thomas, and, amazed by the work, says it is "like something the Lord made." T…
25. 25.
    

    The Island on Bird Street (1997)

     

    The Island on Bird Steet: From the 1981 semi-autobiographical children's book by Israeli author Uri Orlev, which tells the story of a young boy, alone in a ghetto during World War II, struggling to su…