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Since the silent film era, taglines have been with us to promote Hollywood’s latest cinematic masterpieces. A catchy slogan can entice the masses to shell out their hard-earned cash to see what the fuss is all about. Some taglines capture a film perfectly, others not so much.
Here are some winners and losers in this mercenary endeavor:
I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955)– The tearful biopic of singer Lillian Roth biopic proclaimed that “this story was filmed on location…inside a woman’s soul!” That sounds uncomfortable.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) – “They’re young, they’re in love, and they kill people.” Killed at the box office, too.
Annie Hall (1976) – Woody Allen’s Best Picture Oscar winner was dubbed “A Nervous Romance.” Aptly put.
The Tenant (1976) – “No one does it to you like Roman Polanski.” I guess this is what’s known as foreshadowing.
Alien (1979) – “In space no one can hear you scream.” Solid.
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Poltergeist (1982) – The Spielberg-produced shocker announced itself nicely with the simple, “They’re here.” Its 1986 sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side followed it up with “They’re back.”
The Fly (1986) – “Be afraid, be very afraid” for David Cronenberg’s remake of the ’50s sci-fi shocker. It works.
The First Wives Club (1996) – “Don’t get mad, get everything.” And get three gay icons to star.
Boogie Nights (1997) – “Everyone has one special thing.” Do they, though?
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) – “The longer you wait, the harder it gets.” No notes needed.
And so it goes. “Garbo Talks” said it all for her first sound picture, 1930’s Anna Christie. Nine years later, “Garbo Laughs” did similar duty for Ninotchka.
Referencing a box office hit from earlier in the year, 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show offered audiences “A different set of jaws.” Indeed.
For Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning Ordinary People, “Everything in it’s proper place…except the past”.
“Daddy’s home and he’s not very happy” gets the point across for 1987’s The Stepfather.
Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands promised “His story will touch you even though he can’t.” Clever.
Carrie Fisher’s semi-autobiographical Postcards from the Edge proclaimed “Having a wonderful time, wish I was here.” And we all wish Carrie was still here.
“Love is in the hair” explained a key plot point in There’s Something About Mary. Ewww.
Taglines today seemed to have come down a notch. Case in point, this Summer’s latest Smurfs feature. Posters for the film boldly proclaim…”Rihanna is Smurfette.” Need I say more?
But my all-time favorite movie tagline is for 1974’s Freebie and the Bean. The buddy cop comedy starring James Caan and Alan Arkin already had the line “Above all…it’s a love story.” However, co-star Valerie Harper was making a big splash on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as wisecracking neighbor Rhoda Morgentstern (and getting her own spin-off series in the Fall of ’74), so they promoted the film with a prominent picture of Harper and the classic caption “…and look who’s playing Consuelo.”