Comments on: Rub a Dub Dub

By: PapaScott

PapaScott — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 17:17:58 +0000

From my colleage Dirk Olbertz, currently working in St. Petersburg, I've found out about an even worse form of dubbing: original language with a single Russian overvoice.

By: PapaScott

PapaScott — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 07:11:13 +0000

Actually the few foreign-language films shown in the States are almost always subtitled, not dubbed. Foreign films that may appeal to a mass audience tend to be completely remade with American actors and a new plot.

An exception seems to be Godzilla movies from Japan, which are dubbed, and extremely poorly dubbed at that.

Germany isn’t all that bad… otherwise I wouldn’t have stayed here so long.

By: Christel

Christel — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 06:56:03 +0000

Hello,

I'm a french student in a Business School and i've been through your blog. I read very interesting things. But I've a question about the chapter "Rub a dub dub": you look very bothered by the fact that english films are dubbed, but it's the same in the States, isn't it?

I think you should try to enjoy cultural differences rather than being upset because of them. I hope for you that you're going to see the good points of the german culture and not just the bad ones.

By: Nate

Nate — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 23:33:35 +0000

Yeah, but for “Trainspotting” even some of us native English speakers still need the subtitles.

By: Heiko Hebig

Heiko Hebig — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 20:09:43 +0000

And then there are DVDs like “Trainspotting” where you can NOT switch off the German subititles for “legal reasons” – as they explain on the cover. Frustrating.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 20:02:51 +0000

Hey Scott, we also have a useless Fargo DVD with German soundtrack only and bought the new edition a couple of days ago. I thought the dubbed version of the film was hilarious, but it's nothing compared to the original version (You're darned tootin'!).

(inactualfact, I'll swap with you if you'd like to!)

By: PapaScott

PapaScott — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 20:01:22 +0000

I don't know, back in college I kind of enjoyed Friday nights at the Campus theatre watching subtitled French films. Then again, while I was in college my finacée was in Germany, so my social life was kind of warped.

@Heiko: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Do I win a prize?

PS Now that I think about it, I'm surpised that they didn't rename Fargo for the German market. How about "Ich glaub', mich beisst ein Häcksler"?

By: Heiko Hebig

Heiko Hebig — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 19:53:52 +0000

I prefer subtitles over dubbing any time. But I guess I am the minority.

What movie is "Die Ritter der Kokosnuss"?

By: inactualfact

inactualfact — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 19:33:43 +0000

I’ll swap your Fargo DVD for my Fräulein Smillas Gespür für Schnee. I always check the language tracks now….

By: Nico

Nico — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 19:24:56 +0000

why? because “the audience” wants to watch movies and series in German, and the market is big enough. I prefer the original soundtrack, but dubbed is still better than having subtitles. Subtitles are only fun in a hungarian movie theater when you find out that there is one person who reads slower than everybody else and thus laughs later than everybody else…