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Movies => Bad Movies => Topic started by: 3mnkids on June 11, 2009, 12:23:24 PM



Title: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: 3mnkids on June 11, 2009, 12:23:24 PM
which do you prefer? I prefer Subtitles. English dubbing seems to take something away from the movie for me. A good example is Fritt vilt(cold prey). I hated it.  however, I found Fritt vilt II with subtitles and enjoyed it much more.

I can think of only one movie that is better with English dubbing and that is The machine Girl. Its hilarious with the dubbing, more so than what would have been with subtitles.

Unless of course they mangle the subtitles like they did with let the right one in   :hatred: 

so, do you have a preference?  What movies are made better with the dubbing?


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Doggett on June 11, 2009, 12:28:59 PM
Subtitles every time.

Dubbing is very distracting because you know it's fake and the voices don't seem right.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Jack on June 11, 2009, 01:28:33 PM
I'll take dubbing.  Usually it's bad, but sometimes it's okay.  I don't like to read the script as I'm trying to watch a movie - reading words while people speak unintelligible sentences just destroys the emotion of it.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: The Burgomaster on June 11, 2009, 02:29:11 PM
Most of the time I prefer subtitles.  However, if a DVD has both dubbing and subtitles, I'll probably watch it subtitled first and then the next time I watch it I'll watch the dubbed version to see how it compares.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Neville on June 11, 2009, 04:44:01 PM
I try to watch as many films as I can with subtitles. It's a question of principles. You can't make a fair trial of any movie when all the acting has been tampered.

But I have to admit that if the film is in some language I can't speak or understand (say French, or Chinese) it can get a bit unnerving, specially when there's lots of dialogue.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Kester Pelagius on June 11, 2009, 04:58:55 PM
It really depends on the quality of the dubbing/subs.

Most of those old sword-and-sandal imports were horribly dubbed.  Yet that's pretty much the only way most of us have gotten to see them.  Maybe the movies are good in their original language but the dubbing certainly didn't help any.  Same holds true for subtitles.

My first exposure to BEAST IN SPACE was through an Nth gen fansub.  The subtitles were pretty well done, much better in certain places when compared to those on the official release.  I've often noticed the same thing with anime.  Fansubs seemed to be a lot better most of the time.

But if I have a choice between one or the other I'll always go with whichever one seems better done.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Javakoala on June 11, 2009, 05:38:45 PM
Subtitles most of the time. I've learned how to pick up the subtitles while watching the actors, so I don't have the situation where you have to pause or back up to re-read the subtitles. I did know one girl who moved her mouth while reading, and she complained foreign films wore her out.

Dubbing on old imported horror and muscleman movies are most of the charm for me. I've actually saw one in original language with subtitles and it just wasn't fun.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: metalmonster on June 11, 2009, 06:02:06 PM
I Prefer Dubbing Because Subtitles Can Distract You From What's Going On In The Movie , And Sometimes The Subtitles Go Too Fast To Read


.....And Besides I Always Get A Few Laughs Out Of Old Movies That Are Poorly Dubbed Over


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Paquita on June 11, 2009, 06:41:10 PM
I agree that subtitles are superior, but I always get excited when I get the dubbed option.  Sometimes I like to multitask when watching a movie and that's kind of tough when there's subtitles.. and sometimes I'm just lazy. 


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Rev. Powell on June 11, 2009, 08:09:36 PM

Dubbing on old imported horror and muscleman movies are most of the charm for me. I've actually saw one in original language with subtitles and it just wasn't fun.

I'll second that, and add kung fu flicks.  I don't think I could watch a Shaw Bros. movie with subtitles.

As a general rule, I'd say bad movies should be dubbed, good movies subtitled.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Joe on June 11, 2009, 10:06:29 PM
subtitles. i like to watch foreign movies how they are supposed to be viewed. if they have a dub its almost like s**tting all over the actors acting ability haha.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Torgo on June 11, 2009, 11:46:43 PM
The only movies that I like watching dubbed are old cheesy kung-fu flicks.  Other than that I stick with sub-titles with everything else.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: meQal on June 11, 2009, 11:56:36 PM
Like many here, for me it depends on the type of movie I am watching. If the film is a piece of crap or has about as much cheese as your average pizza, I want it dubbed. If it's a good foreign film, I would rather have the subtitles. Why? for me a film that has been dubbed comes across as cheesy no matter how good a film it might be. The only exception to this for me is anime.
And I do love to mess with the language output on English speaking films. I find it hillarious to hear the Spanish or French translations for some films when the voice sounds nothing like the actors.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Jim H on June 12, 2009, 04:19:38 AM

Dubbing on old imported horror and muscleman movies are most of the charm for me. I've actually saw one in original language with subtitles and it just wasn't fun.

I'll second that, and add kung fu flicks.  I don't think I could watch a Shaw Bros. movie with subtitles.

As a general rule, I'd say bad movies should be dubbed, good movies subtitled.

I think your general rule is good, but I'd like to add SOME of the Shaw Bros. films actually qualify as good.  Come Drink With Me, for instance, or One-Armed Swordsman.  Both have some legitimately good acting and stories to tell, ones good enough to stand on their own without the martial arts bloodshed.  Of course, once you get to the mid 70s and on, Shaw Bros. didn't put out too many films like that anymore.

Some dubbed tracks are hilarious though.  I was sad my exquisite quality DVD of Five Element Ninja (AKA Chinese Super Ninjas) didn't have the ludicrous english dub when I got it. 

In general though, I do not think dubbing can be a good approximation of the original film, which subtitling can be.  Watching a dubbed version of a film is like watching a 4:3 cropped version of the film, only in many cases even worse.  At best, you're seeing a highly distorted version of the original film.

Any translation will lose a little something, but in my mind at least you're losing a lot more with dubbing.  In particular, you're losing a large chunk of the original acting performance.  Granted, you can't understand the performance perfectly, but some qualities of voice are more-or-less universal. 

I do feel *some* people who prefer dubbing haven't quite gotten the knack for it.  It takes a good while before you can really process subtitling well, in my experience.  I barely see the letters, I almost process it simultaneously with the spoken words on a properly done subtitle job.  But, I've been watching lots of subtitled films regularly for more than a decade, so...


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: dean on June 12, 2009, 07:09:00 AM
Subtitles all the way, unless it's anime, in which case it's either or [sometimes its just easier, since there's alot of anime that is quite fast paced and you miss a bit with subtitles.]

That being said, what do you think of audio tracks for the vision-impaired, which talks about what is happening.  Why are they always in a British voice? Hilarious!

I watched I think Spiderman with that and it was quite tedious but fun.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Raffine on June 12, 2009, 07:55:38 AM

Dubbing on old imported horror and muscleman movies are most of the charm for me. I've actually saw one in original language with subtitles and it just wasn't fun.

I'll second that, and add kung fu flicks.  I don't think I could watch a Shaw Bros. movie with subtitles.

As a general rule, I'd say bad movies should be dubbed, good movies subtitled.

I'll third that. If it's THE BICYCLE THIEF give me subtitles - if it's HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN give me dubbing.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: asimpson2006 on June 12, 2009, 08:48:52 AM
Subtitles all the way, unless it's anime, in which case it's either or [sometimes its just easier, since there's alot of anime that is quite fast paced and you miss a bit with subtitles.]

It depends for me.  I'm pretty good with subs and I like watching sub stuff.  With live action watching another language come through someone lips never sounds organic.  With animated movies or shows I can go either or since even if something is dubbed into another language it seems organic.




Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Rev. Powell on June 12, 2009, 10:31:17 AM

Dubbing on old imported horror and muscleman movies are most of the charm for me. I've actually saw one in original language with subtitles and it just wasn't fun.

I'll second that, and add kung fu flicks.  I don't think I could watch a Shaw Bros. movie with subtitles.

As a general rule, I'd say bad movies should be dubbed, good movies subtitled.

I think your general rule is good, but I'd like to add SOME of the Shaw Bros. films actually qualify as good.  Come Drink With Me, for instance, or One-Armed Swordsman.  Both have some legitimately good acting and stories to tell, ones good enough to stand on their own without the martial arts bloodshed.  Of course, once you get to the mid 70s and on, Shaw Bros. didn't put out too many films like that anymore.


Point taken.  I am thinking of the late 70s/80s chopsocky-mill era.  I've never seen any of the "good" Shaw Bros. entries, though I'd like to someday.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: schmendrik on June 13, 2009, 02:10:57 PM
I think I agree with the good=subtitle, bad=dubbed.

Even though I think I'd like to hear Bruce Lee's voice speaking Chinese, I grew up with dubbed Bruce Lee & ripoff movies and got used to bad cheesy dubs. And some of the choices for dubbing voices (for black Americans or evil Japanese for instance) are absolutely hilarious. It's definitely part of the experience.

On the other hand, I watch a fair amount of new release art-house stuff, and I want subtitles on those. I want to hear the actors voices.


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: GilbyFromMagoombo on June 13, 2009, 06:03:54 PM
Dubbing: good for anime, and any foriegn horror or kung-fu film made before the 1980's.

Subtitles: good for everything else, I don't mind reading


Title: no sub-elitist here!
Post by: Xenorama on June 18, 2009, 07:13:56 PM
glad i don't have to choose between either much- you usually get the option these days.
Bruce spoke English lines in his movies.  all of them.  naturally, since HK shot silent he was dubbed over in Mandarin, Cantonese (which he spoke) and English.  so the "sub-elitist" argument of "hearing the original actors voices" doesn't always hold water with HK movies well into the mid-90s.  sometimes they got the actors to dub their own voices, sometimes they didn't.

i'm glad that a lot of the Toho movies have their original US dubs retained.

David


Title: Re: Dubbing VS Subtitles
Post by: Monster Jungle X-Ray on June 18, 2009, 07:58:06 PM
I am on both sides here as well, for arty Kurosawa, Bergman type films I prefer the subs. With old kung-fu, and sword and sandal films that is part of the charm for me. The '80s-90s Jackie Chan films I enjoy either way.

One film that I saw in the theater way back when was Akira, and I have the Streamline vhs with the same dubbing. Now I was completely excited when the special edition DVD came out, but lo it was a new dub that while it may be closer to the story completely sucked!!! Until the Streamline version comes out, its subs all the way on that one.

Another that I was always curious about was Mad Max, I had grown up with the dubbed version and had always heard the Australian soundtrack was superior. I finally saw it about a year ago, and it was a mixed bag for me. Of course Mel Gibson sounded much better with his own voice, but characters like the Night Rider just didn't sound right which is crazy. I know its probably just nostalgia on my part.