MovieChat Forums > Martha - Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence (1998) Discussion > Americans are so INFURIATING.

Americans are so INFURIATING.

posted 19 years ago by sarahalyse
18 replies | jump to latest

And I'm allowed to say so, seeing as how I am one.

The US handling of this film was just atrocious. I'm going to rant about it now, so if you're not interested in hearing me whine, then sod off!

First, the title. The stupid bleeding title.
Americans just love changing the titles of great films to something more "marketable." The fantastic Irish film "The Last of the High Kings" was marketed in the US under the boring moniker "Summer Fling." It's not just foreign films, either; we do this to our own independent films as well (see the amazing romantic comedy "Dancing About Architecture," renamed for video "Playing By Heart." Gag me). I'll admit that "Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel, and Laurence" is a bit cumbersome, but they could have thought of something better than "The Very Thought of You"! It makes the film sound like one of the boring, generic "romcoms" that saturate Hollywood these days.

Second, the artwork.
You can see it on the front of the imdb page. What's wrong with it, besides the fact that it features that moronic title? It shows a picture of Monica Potter and Joseph Fiennes, that's whats wrong with it.
Not Martha and Laurence. Monica and Joseph.
Neither actor has the same hair style or wears the same clothes as their character does in the film. By styling them up and dumbing them down for this cover, it only further perpetuates the misconception that this is just-another-stupid-romantic-comedy.
(I'd love to see the real artwork that was created for this film in its original release. If anyone has any examples or information, I'd love to know).

Honestly, it's as if the people handling the US release of this film didn't want anyone to see it! Not anyone who'd appreciate it, anyway. But I suppose that's not their concern, is it?

Sorry for that, but everyone is thinking it, and it had to be said.

--
If you were me...you'd be good looking.

[–] Cha-Cha 19 years ago

I pretty much agree with you, sarahalyse. Such a good movie, but shackled with a dumb (US) title and awful cover image. I would bet that combination has managed to keep away many potential viewers.

[–] rowena8 19 years ago

perhaps it's just me, but i knew it under 'the very thought of you' first, and when i came to london, i was surprised at the different packaging - not the title itself, i was aware of that before - and generally unimpressed by the cover of the dvd.

the font of the title for the north american release i find more sophisticated and appealing. especially in the scene when the jet takes off and the title appears. the multi-coloured, informal and capital font looks too immature to me. the title itself i am not bothered too much. but you do bring up a good point, how the very thought of you cover shows only monica and joseph, and in outfits that their characters do not appear in.

[–] gnumol111 19 years ago

The moronic US guys deleted the song "Halo" from the band Texas when Money leaves the restaurant.
WHAT A TERRIBLE CHOICE!!

[–] sarahalyse 19 years ago

...Money?

--
If you were me...you'd be good looking.

[–] gnumol111 19 years ago

I have no idea what went through my mind when i wrote money.
i meant monica. :)

[–] tsubakiny 18 years ago

Sometimes the powers that be can't AFFORD the buy the rights to reair the original songs in films and TV. It's not always a creative choice and it's not disrespect. (The DVD box sets of "Everwood" have been delayed for years and years for just that reason -- the songs used were integral to the show, but the producers can't afford to purchase the rights.) Everything is not about purposefully pissing off the UK. Don't take it so personal.

[–] tsubakiny 19 years ago

LOL -- This Yank agrees that stuff that makes it over here is generally butchered beyond recognition. Keep in mind though -- it's not always, or even usually, the Americans who are responsible for this. Many times things are changed because the British in particular think we are too stupid to understand the originals. I am still angry and pissed off and resentful of the reasoning given behind the change of "The Madness of King George" (Americans would think "George the Third" was some kind of sequel?????) and Harry Potter. That would be an example of the soft bigotry of low expectations, in my book.

(Although I do find "The Madness of King George" more interesting... :-)

I didn't know "Martha, Meet..." was so much changed, though (I saw it in London). Seems silly.

[–] parisel 17 years ago

Yes sarah, especially the ones who use bleeding as an adjective. Don't try to be English, hmmm, unless you really are. *L*

[–] meininki 17 years ago

Wow, the US cover really is bad...

I'm pretty sure this is what the original artwork looked like:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/4143QPG7BTL._SS500_.jpg (this is taken from the 2000 VHS cover, but if memory serves right the posters looked like this as well)
The UK DVD cover is cute, too:
http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VCRT60XZL._SS500_.jpg

And while we're at it, this is new German DVD cover:
http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/513riGQPSvL._SS500_.jpg

[–] Dreamwatcher14 16 years ago

The UK title is just stupid, no creative thought behind it. The US title has nothing to do with the movie.

And once the music is set to a movie why would they have to rebuy the rights again??? Just to show the same movie somewhere else? It's the same movie, already made, already paid for..... makes no sense.

[–] raf-33 15 years ago

Everything is not about purposefully pissing off the UK. Don't take it so personal.

The OP and the rest of this thread seem to be American, so I've no idea where you saw a Brit whining.

Many times things are changed because the British in particular think we are too stupid to understand the originals.

I think you will find that it is the US distributors and network execs who think Americans are dumb, they are the ones who -quite ineptly- alter the marketting of imports in the hope of making more cash. Why they often do it so stunningly badly I have no idea.

The UK title is just stupid, no creative thought behind it.

Why does it have to be creative? A girl meets 3 guys, I got that from the title.

With your feet on the air and your head on the ground, try this sig with spinach, yeah!

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tvlover1961 15 years ago

Actually, the title doesn't bug me. Either title is unexciting.

But the photo on the US cover is Potter & Fiennes, so you pretty much know how this story is going to end.

Natually it's not too hard to figure out in the very beginnning, but rom-coms are like that usually.

Oh well, I'm glad I watched it--it was an enjoyable little film.

[–] Moonlighty 14 years ago

The US handling of this film was just atrocious. I'm going to rant about it now, so if you're not interested in hearing me whine, then sod off!

Wow and you sound SO American right there too

Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that, I'll be over here, looking through your stuff

[–] kay_cee_d 12 years ago

Both the UK and US covers are horrible. As a designer I HATE the US one because there are like a million other movie covers JUST like it. And the UK one is just MEH, not interesting at all. Cutesy and not particularly interesting.

[–] Nearvana 12 years ago

" The US handling of this film was just atrocious. I'm going to rant about it now, so if you're not interested in hearing me whine, then sod off!

Wow and you sound SO American right there too []"------

ha. i was thinking the same thing. someone is trying a little too hard. add the 'rant' to their signature & that says more than the rant itself.