The response to my contribution to 043396-062504 (Canadian locality), trying to change the title "Ghosts of Mars" to the full "John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars", has met with less-than-enthusiastic replies... I knew possessives are a tricky thing around here, but I felt I was safe in this case, as the rules on when to include possessives as part of the title say: "If quotes surround the title in the credit block (generally on the back cover), check whether the possessive is within the quotes." And indeed, that's the case here:



The way the title is shown in the overview ("JOHN CARPENTER'S GHOSTS OF MARS is an intergalactic terror fest like you've never seen.") also seems like a big hint. Anyway: I thought that the credits block settled this beyond any doubt, but lo and behold, as of yet I'm faced with two no-votes and not a single yes-vote. Is my proposed change correct, or am I sorely mistaken and do I need to start stripping all other possessives that are included within the quotes in the credits block from my profiles? Currently, I'm very much confused... Note that the same possessive, submitted by someone else a long time ago, was effortlessly accepted into the American profile for this same disc (same UPC), and an attempt by someone else to remove it later on was declined.

For the record - before the whole debate on possessives gets into full swing again - I'm just asking what the title for this profile should be under the current rules, not so much about what I or anyone else feels the title should ideally be... I really have no opinion on that - I just want a rule that I can follow consistently. I though we had that here, that this case was settled by the simple fact that the possessive is included between the quotes in the credits block. Am I mistaken?

I don't have that title in my collection, so I can't vote, but I agree with your change as well.

I also do not have that movie, but from appearances, I would say that you are correct.

Quoting reybr:

Quote:
What does the front cover look like? The way I read the rules is that we use possessives IF they are included on the front cover AND they are verifiable part of the title.

I had the same question and understanding.

Quoting reybr:

Quote:
What does the front cover look like?

Here you go:



It's small, but it's there. Based on that alone, I could have understood the confusion. But coupled with the credits block, I though it was a slam dunk. Current voting balance still "Yes: 0  No: 2", though... 

agree too!

Donnie

Technically you are correct, T!M. Technically it's "John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars". But since I don't like possessives in general and since the "John Caprenter's" is so blantantly different from "Ghosts of Mars" I (I = me, DJ Doena) would not try to force the technically correct title upon the DVD owners.

If someone would hold this DVD under my nose and asked me for the title I would answer with the text in the big white shiny letters.


But that's just me.

Right... the rules states that the info is to come from the credit block unless there is no quotes around the title in the credit block... then that is when you use size of font on front cover and such. As the first post shows there is quotes in the credit block so that is what is used per Rules. So John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars is the correct title in this case.