Titles of ownership.

Something I noticed whilst perusing the TV listings: Passengers, the 2008 drama with Catwoman and Night Owl, is currently airing on Starz Cinema and premiering on regular Starz tomorrow night is 2016's Passengers, with Star-Lord and Mystique. I can't imagine this causing confusion for anyone ever!

More often than I'd prefer (which is to say, once in a blue moon, which is still too damn many times if you think about it), I see a title in the TV listings I want to watch, only to find when I press the 'Info' button that it's a completely different project with the same name. Many's the times I'd see Fatal Instinct or Dead Heat on the schedule, only to be bitterly disappointed by some direct-to-video triviality.

Not even having different networks air the movies solves the problem. Surely, someone watching Encore will see The Gift from 2000 in the listings and confuse it with The Gift from 2015 (or someone will watch The Movie Channel and vice versa).

This, among other little things, is why I strive to name my screenplays after titles that haven't been used. This way, when you're looking for one of my movies, you'll damn well find one of my movies. No one wants to own their products; things have become too anonymous.

For the rest of the year, we have (thank you, Box Office Mojo): Swim Team*, A Family Man, The Dark Tower, A Taxi Driver, The Lucky Man, Renegades and Darkest Hour. Recognize any of these titles?

* - In all fairness, I would never have known about this 1979 movie (or a bunch, now that I think of it) if not for idly flipping through Leonard Maltin's movie guide. Can't really blame anyone for not knowing the 1987 Dark Tower, either. Even so, you guys...