Hi, Are the English 5.1 tracks on French and general european films the same tracks as on the UK editions? ie does Arnold Swarzennager still do the voice for Dutch on the French version of Predator?
...if an American movie XXXXXX is released on a French (or German, or Italian, or UK, or...) DVD, it will generally have the original (i.e. English-language) soundtrack - very often in addition to the French (or German, or Italian, or...) dubbed language track... So, yes!, the same Arnold Schwarzenegger that you hear on the soundtrack of the American (Region 1) DVD of Predator will be heard on the original English-language soundtrack of the French (and German, and Italian, and UK, and...) (Region 2) release of that DVD. ...but, no!, that isn't Arnold Schwarzenegger suddenly speaking fluent (Québequois-accented) French (or German[!], or Italian, or...) on the dubbed-into-French (or German[!], or Italian, or...) soundtrack, but this or that French (often: French-Canadian!) (or German[!], or Italian, or...) actor from the respective country who (usually) specializes in dubbing the voice part for Arnold Schwarzenegger... ...so, the French (or German[!], or Italian, or...) dubbed voice for dear old Ahnuld will be supplied by as many different actors in as many different countries... OK? Class dismissed! . . . . . .
The only exception to this rule (that I know of) is Jodie Foster, she's dubbing herself in French. Of course, sometimes foreign actors working in English-speaking movies dub themselves in their original language (Jean Reno in French for example...) Vincent ------------------ AFI Top 100 Films Home Theater Forum Challenge AFI Movies Left To Watch: 34 33 32 31 30: Sound Of Music (3.5 out of 4)
...and a good thing that is, too! Reno has a typical, immediately recognizable voice - it would be a mistake to have some other actor dub him in French!... ...didn't know that about Jody Foster 'doing' her own French - of course, she's supposed to be a near-genius (and she's a pretty damn good actress, too!)... ...Ahnuld, on the other hand, would not be very good at dubbing himself in German versions of his movies: he speaks his native tongue with a fairly thick Austrian accent (I've seen him interviewed on German TV), and - while there's nothing wrong with that per se - I fear Germans would find it laugh-out-loud funny to hear, say, the Terminator talk that way... . . . . . .
No DVD with a choice of original and dubbed language will have burned-on subtitles, because people want to turn them off for the dubbed version. Some DVD may disable your player ability to turn the subtitles off in the original language (it's called "user operation prohibition"), but: -this is a different think -and some players may be convinced into ignoring this command. I suppose that explaining more would violate forum guidelines. Use your brain.
Some DVDs do have the subtitles burnt in when the English language track is selected. To do this they have the movie encoded in two different videostreams. For example, the French DVD of "Nirvana" contains a widescreen transfer on the French dub and a completely different P&S transfer on the English dub. My player cannot disable user operation prohibition, but as I recall the subtitles appeared to be burnt into the latter transfer. By the way, Reno may dub his English-speaking roles into French himself, but not necessarily vice-versa. I have the French DVD of "Le Jaguar" which I always watch with the French soundtrack. However, I once had a quick listen to the English soundtrack, and Reno had been dubbed by a different actor. Yes, it looked terrible because his real voice is so distinctive and familiar. Also - just as a piece of trivia - Reno's dubbing experience may well extend to dubbing other actors. On the (English) soundtrack CD to "Fifth Element" he is credited for "The Voice". Listening to the final track (which includes snatches of dialogue) the lines that Bruce Willis spoke in the movie sound different, and yet strangely familiar. Could it be that somebody wanted to avoid paying Willis royalties on the CD?
She's been doing it since she's a teenager, she already dubbed herself in Freaky Friday. She has a flawless accent... She also played in a French movie Moi, fleur bleue). Vincent ------------------ AFI Top 100 Films Home Theater Forum Challenge AFI Movies Left To Watch: 34 33 32 31 30: Sound Of Music (3.5 out of 4)
...you're in luck - at least as far as the French Predator and Predator 2 discs are concerned - both feature optional (English, French, Italian, Dutch and Greek) subs http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=2637 http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=2638 . . .
Thanks for that info guys. Henrick, that site you directed me to, what is it? Can you buy stuff from there? I Can't speak or read French so its a little difficult to order things from French sites.
