A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (1 Viewer)

[James_Koch]

Thanks, I was trying to appeal to him from more of a business perspective. It helps that he is someone that is very involved in the internet, and has spoken at lengths about the power of the internet. I hope he does read it.

Also, in related news, my update has reached the consumerist.
Dissed: Movie Distributor Doesn't Care For Blogosphere, Says To Ignore It

 

[Johnny Angell]

I just received an email from Amazon listing 10 "Popular Blu-Ray Releases." Number one is Let The Right One In. Scroll down to the user reviews and 2 of the 3 reviews showing are complaining about the subtitles. There are as of this writing 122 reviews and I'll bet there are more subtitle complaints than just those 2.

 

[silentman74]

I was just checking Roger Ebert's weekend movie reviews, and I noticed that the subtitle issue for "Let the Right One In" has been mentioned. Just scroll down to "Answer Man" and someone has asked Ebert what he thinks. Ebert doesn't really comment, but does acknowledge it. I wish Ebert could comment about the dumbing down of subtitles, plus many people read his reviews and trust his views on the movie industry.

 

[Carlo_M]

Returned my copy to Amazon, but rented this from a local DVD-specialist store that carries a lot of foreign films and watched it last night. Not only is the "Eli" => "I'm trapped" bungled, but so is the whole line about a character asking another to "go steady", which is turned into "do I have a chance with you?". That whole dialogue is awkwardly translated, and the book version of the conversation makes much more sense.

This is not a "more accurate translation," it's a bad one.

 

[Carlo_M]

Just trying to get an update, I'm assuming none of us "mob mentality bloggers" have heard anything from Magnet? Maybe they are adopting the "if we just keep quiet it will all go away" mentality...

 

[Bleddyn Williams]

No, all quiet as far as I know...

 

[Prentice Cotham]

FYI for those thinking of importing the Swedish version w/ the correct subs. Apparently, the new 2.7 update to the PS3 has rendered it unplayable. I guess there is an opening part on the disc that is 1080i/50hz which the PS3 used to skip but now it cannot bypass it. This may affect other titles as well. Hopefully Sony fixes this.

 

[Adam_S]

If I'm reading between the lines correctly, it looks like I'll be able to simply claim that my blu ray's subtitles are defective and they'll replace it with the new version.

I wonder if there's some legal/logistical challenge they can't do a recall/exchange? perhaps if they make it officially a recall they have to get all the stock back from retailers as well and send them replacements. whereas if they just press fixed discs with a new sku they can send them out to retailers as the retailers need new stock and that way avoid absorbing the cost of a recall. I don't think they're worried about the much smaller cost of exchanging individual customers dvds, since the vast majority of purchasers will never know of the problem and only a percentage of those aware of it will actually get an exchange.

But in any event, a polite email saying my disc's subtitles are defective and wondering if I can get a replacement is what I'm going to try.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

I don't think anyone is seriously asking for a recall. And Magnet specifically said, "There will be no exchanges," in their statement. But you're right, I really can't see allowing an exchange program for those that want it costing too much to make it unfeasible.

Again, to me, the fact that the films that Magnet deals with have a limited audience should make it all the more important to maintain a good relationship with that limited audience.

Does anyone know if there is a simliar problem with Timecrimes?

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Netflix shipped me the film. Looking for advice. My gut feel is to NOT watch it (I haven't seen the film yet), return it, and simply purchase the corrected version when it hits stores.

Or should I just watch the BD I have?

Recommendations?

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[Carlo_M]

Chuck, it's a good movie. When I rented from my local store and watched it, I (having read the novel) took issue with a few subtitle choices (documented above in various posts by myself and others) but to be honest, *most* of the subs are fine. And my girlfriend, who has not read the book, really liked the movie a lot and obviously took no issue with the subs.

With Magnet leaving this all up in the air, and if you really want to see a good movie and don't want to go through the hassle of returning it, then I would say to crack it open and spin 'er up. It's a fine movie, made a little dimmer by a poor choice of subtitle options, but still a damned fine movie.

 

[Tim-H.]

Wow, those simplified translations are lame. I recall many of those lines from the theater, it's a shame to see them dumbed down.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

I bit the bullet and watched it. Looking at some of the f'ed subtitles, they do matter. It's not narrative, I understood the story and relationships. But some of the tone was lost.

Still, a good film, and one I might revisit when they get the subtitles right. Worth another look anyway.

 

[Sam Posten]

Mark Cuban has replied to the emails I have sent him (on other issues)...

Anyway, this guy is now available on Netflix instant watch, so if you are a subscriber you can watch it in low quality for free and see if its something you might want to get the 'real' dvd/bd for.

 

[Adam_S]

I watched a screener I had laying around of this that I had avoided because when I first popped it in it had the most obscenely obnoxious burnins ever. There's a property of Bavaria films in the upper left corner that's steady and relatively unobtrusive. then at times there's a chyron of the same Bavaria films that will pop up for about thirty seconds around about the times (every ten minutes or so) the movie switches to black and white for a minute. these aren't so bad, really, annoying, but relatively minor. Then there's the additional, "Property of Magnolia Films" chyron which is centered in the frame but below the Bavaria films bit in the upper left. There is plenty of room for it on the upper right, but nope, they have it smack in the middle of where the eyes of most faces would be. And it moves too. About every fifteen minutes it jumps down or up about 1/6 of the screen. The finale 15 minutes it's in the exact middle of the screen. Incredibly annoying and distracting because like the chyron in the upper left it never goes away, it's permanantly part of the image. The image is also very washed out when it is in color, the contrast is horrifically off and it really looks like a bland and lifeless low budget horror flick that couldn't afford a substantial lighting package for their film. Anyone wondering why the film never got so much as a mention by any cinematography group awards wise has only to look at the screener, which is probably the most misrepresentative of a film as any screener I've ever seen. Except in one respect. It has the theatrical subtitles. And it's the main reason I put up with watching the whole screener.

And I don't think they really added anything to the film. The only difference was that I was aware of when there were supposed to be differences (like the rubix cube scene) but overall, it didn't strike me as substantially changing the impact of the movie. The piss poor presentation on the screener was enormously detrimental to the enjoyment of the film though, much more so than the subtitles.

 

[MattFini]

What I do know is that I was all set to blind buy another film this week called Splinter. Then I looked at the distributor and saw that it was Magnolia/Magnet.

No dice.

I've heard great things about this film, but I meant what I said about Magnet never again getting a dime of my money. To bad, too ... I'd love to add Splinter to my collection. I'll have to wait until it gets an R2 release, though.

 

[Simon Massey]

Does anyone know if there is a ways of identifying the corrected version in the shops. I saw this in the shop today but dont want to buy the one without the theatrical subtitles

 

[Paul Arnette]

There have been reports of DVDs with the theatrical subs included making their way to store shelves, but I have read no mention of Blu-ray Discs. On the 'corrected' DVDs in the Subtitle box it says 'English - Theatrical' or something very similar.

 

[Bleddyn Williams]

Paul's correct - those who have found the corrected DVDs mention the "English (Theatrical)" label.

However, to date I have yet to hear of anyone finding a corrected Blu-ray.

 

[Cassy_w]

It's terribly frustrating that Magnolia seems to have just forgotten all about the Blu-Ray. Only SD-DVD has been taken care of, it seems.

This is especially painful for me because I found out about the controversy before I opened mine, so I was able to return it for a full refund. Now I just wait and wait and wait for Magnolia to do what is right.