Yes, Greg Grunberg’s new movie is called Big Ass Spider!
The movie (out Oct. 18) is, as might be predicted, about a big-ass spider (though there’s no hyphen in the title), that escapes from a military experiment and terrorizes Los Angeles. Grunberg, perhaps best known for his roles on Heroes and Alias, plays an exterminator who uses his expertise to try to save the city.
The title isn’t the whole movie — “We didn’t want to compromise and say, ‘Whatever, the title will carry the movie, so who cares?'” Grunberg says, adding that the high quality of a special effects demo convinced him to do the project — but that doesn’t mean the title doesn’t matter to the finished project. In the age of Sharknado, when a great title has been shown to be able to get big attention for a small movie, the title’s role is clearer than ever.
“A title is so, so important,” says Grunberg. “At the beginning, this title was Mega Spider. And that just kind of says to me ‘sci-fi generic you-know-what-to-expect’ kind of movie. Big Ass Spider! says there’s some personality to it and this is going to be a fun ride.”
(MORE: The 64 Best Seconds of the Sharknado Trailer—Ranked!)
With that in mind, we asked Grunberg to name his five favorite awesome movie titles (other than Big Ass Spider!). To make his choices, he says he looked for titles that get audiences into theaters—based on his list, it’s obvious that sex and loud noises help with that factor—but don’t give away too much of the story.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
“It doesn’t tell you what you’re about to see but it encapsulates the fun of the movie.”
[youtube-custom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1xsTRG-O04 size=”medium”]Octopussy
“I mean, really? If any franchise has done well with titles it’s the Bond franchise.”
[youtube-custom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAXKidWGnKQ size=”medium”]Group Sex
“It grabs your attention. You’re kind of expecting it to be really crude but it’s a Billy Wilder type comedy. It’s using a twist on group therapy and sexaholics.” (Grunberg co-wrote, co-produced and appeared in this one.)
[youtube-custom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU7Q4xHGVGA size=”medium”]Sex, Lies, and Videotape
“What a great title! What a great title!”
[youtube-custom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxdQQpJ9t-4 size=”medium”]Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
“It’s the sound the car makes, it’s the song and it leaves you wanting more.”
[youtube-custom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rLJMzUJf34 size=”medium”]The list may need a second edition at some point, since Grunberg says Big Ass Spider! could easily become a franchise. “Big Ass Cockroach! Big Ass This! Big Ass Whatever! Why not?” he says. “I bring the big ass and they just bring the next rodent or insect.”