I just thought about this as I was reading some other posts about this similar topic…

Okay, I generally like to watch subtitles for foreign films…b/c it feels more REAL.

BUT, every now & again I accidentally start it w/o remember to specify subtitles & it will start w/ English dubbing.  The English isn’t what the subtitles say AT ALL.  I mean, yeah, it’s close…but it’s also different.  Different enough to change the mood or feeling of what I’m seeing.  I don’t like it.  And I generally like whatever the subtitles say over what I hear dubbed.

Also…I am a big fan of Amelie…and I have noticed a few little weird places in the subtitles where the line doesn’t quite make sense.  The biggest one being when Amelie calls Nino on the phone when she leaves him the book at the park…The subtitle say, “Page St.” and Nino turns to a page in the book…I’m sure it was supposed to be a number instead of “st.” which only looks like the abbreviation for Saint or Street.  So…is there a French number that would be mistaken for the English street or saint?  Or was that a flub on the subtitle writer’s part?  Like a typo?

Just curious.  Do we have many fans of subtitled movies hanging about?

Maegan - 17 March 2007 05:04 AM

I just thought about this as I was reading some other posts about this similar topic…

Okay, I generally like to watch subtitles for foreign films…b/c it feels more REAL.

BUT, every now & again I accidentally start it w/o remember to specify subtitles & it will start w/ English dubbing.  The English isn’t what the subtitles say AT ALL.  I mean, yeah, it’s close…but it’s also different.  Different enough to change the mood or feeling of what I’m seeing.  I don’t like it.  And I generally like whatever the subtitles say over what I hear dubbed.

Also…I am a big fan of Amelie…and I have noticed a few little weird places in the subtitles where the line doesn’t quite make sense.  The biggest one being when Amelie calls Nino on the phone when she leaves him the book at the park…The subtitle say, “Page St.” and Nino turns to a page in the book…I’m sure it was supposed to be a number instead of “st.” which only looks like the abbreviation for Saint or Street.  So…is there a French number that would be mistaken for the English street or saint?  Or was that a flub on the subtitle writer’s part?  Like a typo?

Just curious.  Do we have many fans of subtitled movies hanging about?

Well, I’ve only seen about the first ten minutes of Amelie (the disc I got from the library was all messed up), but “st” could possibly be the abbreviation for sept, or seven.  Or it could be some sort of weird error that crept into the subtitles, as happens on occasion.

And I usually use subtitles instead of English dubbing, too.  There can indeed be some rather major differences in the two options.

I too prefer subtitles
usually because the voice actor they
choose for dubbing often sound ridiculous
(talk about wooden)

Subtitles here too. I can’t stand dubbing, unless it’s funny, like in cheesy kung fu movies or something.

I can’t watch those kung fu jackie chan movies AT ALL.  I am just so focused on the fact that the words & mouth are so DIFFERENT.  Crazy.  It drives me nuts.

Maegan - 17 March 2007 05:04 AM

So…is there a French number that would be mistaken for the English street or saint?  Or was that a flub on the subtitle writer’s part?  Like a typo?

Why don’t you watch that part dubbed and see what they say?

OOOooh.  Who’s smart, now??    Good idea!

And we’ll find out that they say “page ess tee”, and so the confusion continues. . .

My wife owns Amelie and I would go watch it to see.  But I don’t know the movie and don’t know that part so would actually have to sit there and watch until I found it.  I already watched it* once.  While a cute movie, that was enough.

* Actually, about the last hour of it since she was watching it when I got home and I sat and watched the rest with her.  That was still enough.

Jason thinks it is porn.  B/c the only parts he has seen are in the beginning when the narrator is explaining that Amelie has “tried” the boyfriend route, but it didn’t work out…It shows her face while a man is on top of her…and she’s just sort of looking around like, “Was this supposed to be fun?”  And then when we find out what Amelie likes to wonder about…like how many people are having orgasms right now…it shows a quick montage of couples at their climax…and then Amelie whispers…15!

...And Nino works in a sex shop…Jason happens to just walk in the room during those particular scenes when people are pricing dildos or dancing around w/ no top. 

So…Jason thinks I am into French porn.    I’m glad he didn’t watch Happenstance w/ me…that had actual penis in it.  There’s nothing more pornographic to Jason than man penis. 

My mom’s best friend tried to watch Amelie w/ her daughter…and she stopped watching it b/c it was “so dark” (like the theme).  She convinced my mom it was a bad movie…so finally I just brought it over one day & put it in.  Luckily my mom was bed ridden & couldn’t turn it off.  (Well, not after I moved the remote.)  My mom was like, “I don’t WANT to watch a dark movie!”  MOMMY!  Just watch it.  It’s not dark.  It’s a cute love story.  She watched it…she LOVES it, now.  She also thinks her friend is crazy…and now her friend is thinking maybe she just shouldn’t have turned it off when she was w/ her daughter.