Saw this a while ago, now I see the trailer is on iTunes, but the title has been changed to The Snowtown Murders. How unnecessary, and over bearing. I get it's just a title, but at least leaving it as Snowtown gives it some semblance of ambiguity even if you know the synopsis or have seen the trailer.
Meh...
Because international distributors know that people in the US or UK are likely to think a film entitled Snowtown is about tobogganing.
It will attract a bigger audience with the more accurate title The Snowtown Murders. People who are interested in murder stories are more likely to see it, people who aren't interested in murder stories have been warned. The title Snowtown has an immediate evocation for Australian audiences that just won't work overseas. It's all good I reckon.
Remember that most movie-goers today don't want to think too much. Whatever happened to being subtle? You know how you'll know it is about murders in Snowtown? By watching the trailer on youtube for free before going to the cinema or renting it. Tough huh?
shareThe case is not well known in the United States, even by people who study criminology, victimology, and psychopathology. They're just trying to add context and appeal for the sensibilities of the American audience. :)
shareThey should have renamed it the bodies in the barrell. that would have got all the hostel and saw buffs going
shareYes, I know it isn't well known in the states. That isn't my point. My point is that they feel the need to spoon-feed the audiences everything. Snowtown didn't make me think the film was about a town filled with snow. I watched the trailer, saw that I was interested in the subject matter and will now go see said film or rent it.
shareThough I agree 'Snowtown' is a better title, I know that there are many people in Australia that have never heard of the Snowtown murders and would likely have watched this movie if it had that addition to the name. So it's hard to believe anyone would understand what this movie was about in the US or UK so adding Murders creates a higher chance of intrigue, though I don't think many watched it anyway. Still one of the better selling movies in Australia.
shareChanging the title from Snowtown to The Snowtown Murders makes sense.
I'll never understand however, why Evil Angels was changed to the rather tepid title of A Cry in the Dark outside of Australia, other than perhaps Evil Angels sounded more like a horror film.