Is this movie title too long?

I would really love to use this as a title for a film I'm making, but I'm not sure. I have a film that I want to make called The Bell Tolled For Me And The Wind Whispered Never.

@dr_nefarious: If you have to ask, it's likely a little too long.

Seems like it could be condensed to me.

Too pretentious, honestly. It only very vaguely suggests what the movie is about.

If it's longer than "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", it's probably too long.

I figured. Damn.

Too pretentious? How so?

The reason I wanted to use it so badly was because it's from this song called Gloomy Sunday, which the film is about.

Long titles are pretentious unless it's ironic (Like "Aqua teen Hunger Force colon movie film for the theaters for dvd").

I don't think that, but that's what people think.

Honestly, a title is the most PR you would have to think about if you make the title (as opposed to someone else). If it's long most people will stop reading it halfway through. A title should be short and concise and tell the audience somewhat at least what they are getting into.

Most people (even fans sometimes) won't even remember the title if it's too long although they may remember half of it if you somehow make that kind of impression.

To answer your question, yes the title seems long.

It really sounds terribly pretentious. The title sounds as if you want it to have some great meaning, but instead it just sounds empty and off-putting.

Try just using one half of that. "The Wind Never Whispered" or "The Bell Tolled For Me" both sound better on their own, but frankly they sound pretty pretentious too. Do you have any other ideas about what you might want to name it?

"Good Will Hunting" is an example of a good movie name. It's short, rolls of the tongue well, and can mean either "Will Hunting is a good guy, and this movie tells why" or "Robin Williams is hunting for goodwill in this poor, troubled genius". This is a title with substance and it's easily explained, even to someone who has never seen the movie. What substance might your title have? What's the meaning, and does it have to be so long?

It's longer than "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford", it's probably too long.

Actually it's the same length if you go by word count and less if you count syllables... my bad.

Man, way to insult Robin Williams :P.

Very true. I might just use other lyrics from the song to use as a title.

He was born from a test tube. Unfortunately, his mother was a dish that was hard for him to warm up to.

The last bit is reminding me of this? -

They kind of sound like two titles to a film and its sequel to me. Why not just 'The Bell Tolled for Me' or 'The Wind Whispered Never.' It's two actions, of two different things happening, possibly unrelated. It sounds a bit too clunky and disjointed. What about just 'The Bell Tolled and The Wind Whispered' one has a relation to the other in this.

@razielcuts: That's a really good suggestion. I might just do that.

How about: "Super Deep and Artistic Student Film No. 140229"

"The Bell Tolled For Me" is a bad title for a movie. "The Wind Whispered Never" isn't bad, but you could probably do better. The Bell Tolled For Me and The Wind Whispered Never is way too long and honestly not very good. It sounds like two movies. Even if you made it The Bell Tolled For Me: The Wind Whispered Never, I'd still say go with something else. If your title isn't succinct, it better be fucking catchy.

I think that title is too lengthy and more importantly it feels kind of clunky. If it flowed smoothly it wouldn't be such a problem, but it feels a bit awkward to say. You might want to give your film a big grand title, and that can totally work, but sometimes less is more.

@dr_nefarious: I like it and dont think it is pretensious ... most people use that excuse because is seen as bad or something ... to bad all they do is limit artistic endevours/integrity :(

Name it as you will.

How about "The Bell Tolled for Me and the Wind Whispered Never Colon Movie Film for Theaters"?

@shadowconqueror said:

This.

Bad Boys 3. You're welcome.

It's long enough to be a Fall Out Boy song title.

Tyler Perry's: Bells A-Poppin' And Then The Wind Was All Like "Probably Not Anytime Soon, But Hey, Maybe Someday": An IMAX 3D Experience: The Musical

For Whom the Bell Tolls: Part 2 - Electric Boogaloo

Is it a film about a bare-knuckle boxer/bounty hunter who comes into possession of a floppy disk that contains the blueprint for some sort of flying motorbike that can launch a nuclear strike and he has to go on the run from Chinese secret agents and finds himself hiding in a warehouse that coincidentally houses all the parts necessary for building said motorbike which he then builds and flies out to China so he can nuke Beijing but it turns out the blueprints were flawed and he can't nuke shit so he just ends ends up punching the crap out of the entire population of China then flies home and the film ends with him flying back to America where the president gives him a medal and one of those giant cheques for 20 million dollars?

If so, that's not a good a title. If not, I am not interested in your movie and you can call it whatever want.

I happen to like the "Wind Whispered Never."

A lot actually, the more I say it out loud. The long title as a whole seems to clunky to me and needs to be shortened.

And disregard any use of "pretentious" in discussions. It's a simple and overused term used by pretentious people (har har har) to discredit others when something is out of their desired norm despite if their following advice is valid.

And as always if you like you're long title and it means a whole lot to ya, fuck our suggestions and keep it the way you want.

The Wind Roared: Toll of Taco Bell

It sounds find to me.

I couldn't even read through before getting completely lost. If it's not descriptive nor does it roll off the tongue, it's a bad title. "The Wind Whispered Never" sounds okay to me, but I guess it would depend on what the movie is actually about. It sounds like a weird indie drama featuring songs from local bands nobody has ever heard of. If it's about the Hungarian song Wikipedia is suggesting it is about, you can probably do better.

The word "pretentious" is used by assholes who can't form words on why they dislike something, or they're just embarrassed by the fact they don't understand it. To call something "pretentious" is literally saying it was chosen for the sake of seeming artistic. But how the fuck do they know? Maybe your title means something. Odds are it does, since you're keen on using it. In which case, it is immediately not pretentious. Don't worry what people think about the title. Seriously, who gives a shit what we think? You'd know better if it fits anyway. If it means something to the greater piece, use it. If you don't think it does, then scrap it.

Okay, didn't realize somebody basically said exactly what I said before I said it. So, this.

I love you.

Well if you take into consideration moves like:

Don't be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

OR

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters

I don't know, I think it's probably fine

@dr_nefarious: From having worked at a cinema for 2 years, I can tell you that at least half of movie goers can't remember film titles. And that was at an "art house" where you'd expect the crowd to be a little more informed.

They weren't.

I'm sure you have great reasons why you want to use lyrics from Gloomy Sunday, but if it's that long it'll only end up confusing people. And to be totally honest, your title really doesn't matter. It has zero effect on the flick itself. Just think of something catchy and intriguing, and make the best thing you can. Good luck!

Wait, is Gloomy Sunday that song basically known for (at least purportedly) leading to a bunch of suicides? :P

I guess call your movie whatever you want. Do you want it to be a commercial success? It might not be a great title if that's the case, but otherwise, do what you want. A solution might be to have that be a subtitle or something, like "El Bomba Grande - The Bell Tolled For Me And The Wind Whispered Never" so it could be referred to in a shorter way, but I guess that does end up actually making the full title longer :P

The one thing I will say is that I think the better long film titles are the ones that are self aware of their length. The Bell Tolled For Me And The Wind Whispered Never can come off as a little verbose, whereas something like "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is appealing to me just because there's a kind of knowing bluntness to it.

Blake Synder has some words for you.

I've been reading his book 'Save the Cat,' which I think is great, personally. Really smart and is full of really down-to-earth and simply advice.

This is a long movie title. It's also a terrible movie. Coincidence?

Pretension is a very real thing. Just because some people use it as 'lul random insult' doesn't mean it has it's place and meaning when someone is actually being pretentious.

use a subtitle:

THE BELL TOLLED FOR ME

And The Wind Whispered Never