Despite the long-running stereotype that the French have a way with words, it seems there’s something the fine people of France may not have a je ne sais quoi for: Movie titles.
Over the past several days, the French urge to absolutely butcher the name of American films for no apparent reason has emerged as the internet’s latest media obsession thanks to Paris-based UX writer Juan Buis. “for some *ridiculous* reason the french love to translate movie titles from english to... english,” he pointed out as he kicked off his thread of examples, which has since garnered more than 17 million views, before offering one of his “all-time favorites,” Very Bad Trip — aka The Hangover.
for some *ridiculous* reason the french love to translate movie titles from english to... english
— juan (@juanbuis) March 8, 2023
here's a thread with my all-time favorites, starting with "the hangover"
...i mean VERY BAD TRIP pic.twitter.com/YoPzIb0pq1
Yet Bradley Cooper and company aren’t the only film characters stuck having a very bad time — over the next several posts, Buis noted that several movie titles had been revised in a similar fashion, including The Other Guys, which has since been renamed Very Bad Cops.
"the other guys" should work for a french audience, right?
— juan (@juanbuis) March 8, 2023
france: non. VERY BAD COPS pic.twitter.com/TMMn36J2eJ
But beyond this genre of, erm, very not good titles, the European film market also has problems with sex — and we’re not just talking about Luc Besson.
some classic movies could *really* use a new title for the french market
— juan (@juanbuis) March 9, 2023
"titanic" won't work in france, so... pic.twitter.com/FRkdq4SXbk
Want to watch the 2001 comedy Not Another Teen Movie while on your Parisian vacation? Ask for Sex Academy. Looking to revel in Channing Tatum’s dance skills during an evening with Step Up 2? Try asking for Sexy Dance 2. Hot? I guess?
"not another teen movie" is pretty simple english, right?
— juan (@juanbuis) March 8, 2023
france: non. SEX ACADEMY pic.twitter.com/RjueQCAQvz
"step up 2" would be easy to understand by the french, right?
— juan (@juanbuis) March 8, 2023
france: non. SEXY DANCE 2 pic.twitter.com/9xk3mcZF5G
Now if you need me, I’ll be cozying up for a movie night with a large bucket of popcorn and my favorite French candy — Very Bad Kids.
Hey, just a quick heads up that Sour Patch Kids are called "Very Bad Kids" in France. I needed to put that information somewhere, and now it's in your brain. Have a good one. pic.twitter.com/KWYO8jFJpZ
— Max Scoville (@MaxScoville) August 3, 2021
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