Sep 24 2009 05:00 PM ET

Best Movie Title Punctuation Marks: Go!

emoticonToday is National Punctuation Day, the most important non-religious nerd holiday that doesn’t involve talking like a pirate.  Just think how different our lives would be without the comma, not to mention the semi-colon; we’d be lost without the period. Or the exclamation point! What about the question mark? (Seriously, we’d be screwed: see here.) To celebrate, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite punctuation marks in movie titles. Call them the Punctuaties (pronounced ”Punk-shoe-Ay-shees” [on second thought, don't call them anything]).

Best use of a comma in a bad movie by a great director
White Hunter, Black Heart
Lust, Caution

Best use of a comma in a great movie by a great director
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
One, Two, Three

Best use of a comma in the weirdest movie ever:
O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Best use of a possessive apostrophe:
Schindler’s List

Jacob’s Ladder
Adam’s RibPrizzi’s Honor
Ocean’s 11

Best use of a colon:
Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Best phrase to add after a colon in a movie title:
Tokyo Drift

Worst phrase to add after a colon in a movie title:
At World’s End

Best sincere use of an exclamation point:
I Know Where I’m Going!
I Want To Live!

Best sarcastic use of an exclamation point:
Airplane!
The Informant!

Best use of an exclamation point, period:
Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Colons that failed to build a franchise:
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever

I don’t know, but I’m sure the movie will tell me:
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Who’s Afraid of the Virginia Woolf?

2009 loves the ampersand:
Angels & Demons

Julie & Julia
Fast & Furious

Our funny friends, the ellipses:
With a Friend like Harry…

If…
Waiting…

Promising Signs that the Era of the Colon is ending:
Star Trek
The Dark KnightThe Final Destination
Terminator Salvation

Less promising signs that the Era of the Colon is just beginning:
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Is the ”500” silent?
(500) Days of Summer

Best use of a period, non-abbreviation:
I’m Not There.

Best use of a period, abbreviation:
L.I.E.

Spielberg, you already abbreviated it!
E.T. The Extraterrestrial
A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Best mathematical use of a slash:
8 1/2
9 1/2 Weeks

Best nonsensical use of a slash:
Face/Off

Three ways to write the worst title ever
Star Wars: Episode 1 -  The Phantom Menace
Star Wars – Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Goodbye, Comma:
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Goodbye, Columbus
Goodbye, Lenin!

Honorable Mention for Creative Use of Asterisks:
M*A*S*H
61*

Make up your own categories in the comments!

Comments (54 total) Add your comment
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  • Ceballos

    I thought we all agreed a while ago that the best phrase to add after the colon of a movie title is “Electric Boogaloo”

    • crispy

      It’s a rule I’ve lived by for years.

    • Jenna Fawn

      Giggles and an EPIC SCORE!!!!

    • Melinda65

      I know! Any movie title is improved by adding “Electric Boogaloo” after it.

  • Geoff

    Adaptation. being omitted deeply upsets me. not really, but still. especially considering I’m Not There. only has a period on the poster

  • val

    Best use of en dash: Wall-E

    • Mary Q. Contrary

      yes. hands down.

    • Annie

      I think it’s actually a bullet! Wall•E

  • Kaiulani

    Oddest use of a question mark: Casual Sex?

  • db

    Actually the title is: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. You missed the conjunction.

  • Michael

    Not to nag, but it’s just “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Not “the Virginia Woolf?”

    Exclamation point omission: Moulin Rouge!

    And another category:
    Best punctuation to end a REALLY long movie title:
    Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?

    • polly

      haha, I assume that virginia woolf typo was just an accident, but it’s a hilarious one.

    • Melinda65

      To be fair, there could be some movie out there–completely unknown by anybody–about a pirate ship called The Virginia Woolf and one brave captain who refuses to be cowed.

      Mmm…okay, maybe not.

  • Michael

    Another glaring omission for the ellipses! When Harry Met Sally…

    • Nerwen Aldarion

      Yeah I noticed that too.

  • katy

    For an article about punctuation, this one sure has consistency problems… I suppose “Rochelle, Rochelle” doesn’t count?

  • paige

    victor /victoria

  • Lars

    Worst use of an exclamation point: Oliver!

    • Jenna Fawn

      How ya fgure? Without it how could we tell the difference between the straight version and the musical version.

  • Lars

    Granted, this was only the promotional title until they used proper spelling, but the best use of everything…

    The @r!$t*(r@t$

  • jeff Kantor

    It’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe,” not “Who’s Afraid of the Virginia Woolfe.”

  • Sarah El

    You forgot Moulin Rouge!!

  • amanda

    Hello! How could you forget Sophie’s Choice?

  • Matthew

    Manos: The Hands of Fate

    • Kelmar

      Thank goodness that one didn’t turn into a franchise!

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