The Hangover/Very Bad Trip

(Very Bad Acid Trip)

I saw this picture the other day, and it reminded me that I started writing a post on the Hangover last year and never got to finishing it, because I never thought it was good enough for publishing, but I'm going to have a try at making it better, and will post it, regardless.The Hangover was one of my favourite films of 2009. 

It is "A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him." 

It's hard to explain why you find a comedy funny. The characters in this film act normal enough to make them believable, like the bad teacher, the unhappy dentist, or the too good to be true groom, but there's also the brother in law to be who is genuinely unbelievable (How can anyone be this stupid?) and yet, it works.

Having lived in England for a few years now, I have heard my share of "black out while drunk" stories, including people losing keys and sleeping outside their own house, or missing their stop and sleeping at a train station under a found blanket or falling in a box (all true) so I found the film fairly believable anyway.

The Hangover is another matter of fact title. It could have also have been called the aftermath, but that would have lost the boozy meaning. 
The French title, Very Bad Trip, follows rule 3:  change a title in a foreign language to a title in the same foreign language.
It was a very bad trip. But "un trip", in French, is not a journey, but a drug experience. According to my dictionary, trip translates back to "acid trip". And I never heard once in French bad (or good, actually) "trip" being in reference to anything but drugs.

A hangover in French is "une gueule de bois" (a wooden face). 

On IMDB, there is only 1 short film called Gueule de Bois that was made 2 years AFTER the Hangover, so why not call the film that and keep the mystery of the original title?Ok, yes, the characters do take drugs, unwillingly. But they only realise much much later than they had been given roofies. And that's how the French title spoils everything and takes a trip away from accuracy. 

Oh, I haven't seen Very Bad Trip 2, in case you are wondering...