Foreign films

[PLG1962]

If there was a foreign film showing at say 2 different cinemas one was in the original language the other dubbed in English which one would you go and see

[Infernal King]

Always original language. Always.

[dallywhitty]

Original language and anybody who says otherwise should be beaten.

[Todd Tomorrow]

I can't even remember the last time there was the option of seeing a foreign language film which isn't animation, dubbed into English at the cinema, so I'm not sure why this question still gets asked.

[Jasonic]

Original if live-action. Usually dubbed if animation (puts up shield against thrown pitchforks).

[Hucksta G]

Originally Posted by Jasonic

Original if live-action. Usually dubbed if animation (puts up shield against thrown pitchforks).

I'm the same

[Jacob Anderson]

I preferred dubbed, i just hate reading altogether and have never been that great at it, i know for movies it's not that bad but a lot of times when i read books i can read something and have no idea what i just read, but sense i have visuals in the movies it isn't nearly as bad, but with that being said if i have to read the whole time my eyes would be focused towards the button of the screen and might not be able to pay full attention to what is actually going on. I know you can say that you should listen to it in the language it is meant to be because they give a lot better of a performance, but if i have no idea what they are saying it can be hard to judge weather they are giving a good performance to begin with.

[Race Bannon]

Original with subtitles.

I'm more distracted by the dubbing than I am reading the dialog. After about 10 minutes, I'm totally submersed and not even realizing the movie is not in English.

I can see how it would be a problem for a slow reader. But I'm a "sight reader" -- the entire line just jumps into my head as a complete phrase when they flash it on the screen.

[Jacob Anderson]

Although it is kind of ironic that i say dubbed because even when i watch English movies i almost always use sub-titles, also when watching a foreign movie with dubbing and sub-titles it is kind of annoying how different what the sub-titles say and what they are actually saying, i would say only like 1 in 10 sentences are word for word the same for most foreign movies.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by Jacob Anderson

Although it is kind of ironic that i say dubbed because even when i watch English movies i almost always use sub-titles, also when watching a foreign movie with dubbing and sub-titles it is kind of annoying how different what the sub-titles say and what they are actually saying, i would say only like 1 in 10 sentences are word for word the same for most foreign movies.

The words for a dub get chosen for how they fit the movement of the mouth. The subtitles are supposed to be closer to the original dialogue. That's why they are different. It's the dub which is more different from the original dialogue, though the quality of translations for the subtitles can vary.

Out of interest, which recent foreign language films have you seen dubbed at the cinema ? I really can only think of a few animation films.

[Jacob Anderson]

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

The words for a dub get chosen for how they fit the movement of the mouth. The subtitles are supposed to be closer to the original dialogue. That's why they are different. It's the dub which is more different from the original dialogue, though the quality of translations for the subtitles can vary.

Out of interest, which recent foreign language films have you seen dubbed at the cinema ? I really can only think of a few animation films.

Well i guess i wasn't speaking for cinema, but just in general (don't think i have ever had the option to choose in cinema, but do a lot of time on Blu-ray (watched Big Bad Wolves dubbed on BD recently)), my theater hardly ever gets foreign movies, if i recall correctly i think i might have seen Kung Fu Hustle dubbed in theaters, but that was like 10 years ago and i was only like 14 so it is hard to say. The only other foreign movie i can recall seeing in theaters in recent memories is The Raid: Redemption and that wasn't dubbed.

That is interesting what you said about the dubbing, i didn't know about before, so that makes a lot more sense now, i always just thought one or the other just did a bad job translating. With knowing that what they are saying dubbed isn't what they original saying gives another advantage to sub-titles, but i still think i prefer dubbed.

[MechaGodzilla]

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

I can't even remember the last time there was the option of seeing a foreign language film which isn't animation, dubbed into English at the cinema, so I'm not sure why this question still gets asked.

Movies are still dubbed in many countries, so I guess the question could be relevant to someone that lived in Germany, France or Japan. Here you might counter my point by saying that most of the members here are American, and that would be true, but still.

As for me personally, well, movies aren't dubbed here so I wouldn't even have the choice. But I always prefer watching something in the original intended language so I'd go with that.

[Kevin Holly]

The only merit of dubbing is when ultra-low-budget films (like, a budget of a few hundred dollars in USD, probablby) get horrifically badly done dubbing jobs, because that's kind of hilarious.

[Thomas Guycott]

Always subtitled, for everything, forever.

[Red Dragon]

original language with English sub-titles.

If it's at all avoidable, I'll try never to watch a dubbed version of any film or television show. I even prefer to watch anime in the film's original language with English sub-titles.

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by Infernal King

Always original language. Always.

^This

[Jacob Anderson]

lol i am the opposite of Brock Lesnar, i am in the one in 1-21.

[Thomas Guycott]

Originally Posted by Jacob Anderson

lol i am the opposite of Brock Lesnar, i am in the one in 1-21.

Don't feel bad: if this thread was posted in the Anime subforum, the results would probably be the exact opposite.

[VictoryAtNight]

I'd go with reading subtitles versus dubbed voice-overs. A couple of my favorites are Apocalypto and Pans Labyrinth. I was hesitant to watch these types of films, but I am glad I did.
Actually, either subtitles or dubbed is fine with me.

[Kaiju]

It depends. I prefer subtitles if it's a dialogue heavy, character driven film. If it's something like The Raid, where the action is the center piece, I prefer dubbing.

Also, animated films like the Studio Ghibli movies... I'm fine with those being dubbed.