my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » German theaters showing English versions (Page 2)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: German theaters showing English versions Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 09-10-2005 08:43 AM                     With DTS disks, why cant theaters just play one showing in english and the rest in german instead of all dubbed showings? You would think it would be easy to mix and match showings based on demand. My cousins tell me this dubbing crap has gone overboard in India. Despite increased globalization, it is actually harder to catch an undubbed English movie in India if you got a midlevel city compared to 20 years ago. The only improvement is movies get there faster. As far as languages, I find German easier to speak(or in my case imitate) compared to French. French, HK and Japanese movies make up most of my foreign viewing, yet I find French and Chinese the hardest to pronounce while Japanese and German among the easier ones. Spanish is pretty easy to imitate.  |  IP: Logged Mike Perju Film Handler Posts: 90 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Nov 2002 posted 09-10-2005 12:04 PM                     There is also a small theater in Frankfurt that shows english films... actually it is an old big theater converted into 8 auditoriums. I think it was called the Plaza, but it's been a while and I could be wrong. In germany when , theaters run English prints, they attract no patrons. A dubbed print can make the difference between a sold out run and 15 partons showing up for the run.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 09-11-2005 06:00 AM                        quote: Pravin Ratnam With DTS disks, why cant theaters just play one showing in english and the rest in german instead of all dubbed showings? You would think it would be easy to mix and match showings based on demand. They could, and it was tried, but it turned out to be more practical to have locations dedicated to OVs rather than mix dubbed and OVs. People always got confused about the showtimes and which shows were what. You can't really plan shows based "on demand" anyway. It is very hard to predict what people want to see, and when and in what version. quote: Mike Perju In germany when , theaters run English prints, they attract no patrons. A dubbed print can make the difference between a sold out run and 15 partons showing up for the run. No, it doesn't. All the OV locations I know actually do very good business. They have their regular customers who know where to go for what they want to see. Other cinemas very rarely if ever run OVs side by side with dubbed versions, so for them, that difference is never made.  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 09-12-2005 09:50 AM                     quote: Mike Perju There is also a small theater in Frankfurt that shows english films... actually it is an old big theater converted into 8 auditoriums. I think it was called the Plaza, but it's been a while and I could be wrong. It's called TURM PALAST (tower palace), because it is located near a medieval watchtower of the city (Eschenheimer Turm). Frankfurt / Eschenheimer Turm Used to be a large single screen, in the late 1950s a smaller theatre called STUDIO 5 was added. During the 1970/80s, a number of really laughable smaller auditoriums were added, they should be avoided. Turm-Palast (scroll down, please) TURM 1: A nice medium-sized theatre in red, loud air conditioning, adequate seating comfort. TURM 7: (former STUDIO 5) has stadium-type seating, a very big screen for a small auditorium. AVOID theatres #2 to #6, unless you want to cry bitter tears. Projection quality is uncertain on all screens because the chain that owns the place has been pennypinching for years. If something happens, complain and hope for the best. The best place to see English, French and numerous other original language versions is the German Film Museum: About Deutsches Filmmuseum The german Filmmuseum generally runs OVs when available, ranging from silent movies, Hollywood studio classics to new productions from all countries. Projection is OK (2000ft. changeover, Bauer U4C, magnetic sound and 70mm projection available). Playdates and film data can be found here: Kinoprogramm September 2005 Then there is a cozy 1940s style theatre at Sachsenhausen in the south of Frankfurt (the place where you may be asked to drink the notorious local bitter cider called "Ebbelwoi" ) called HARMONIE (Dreieichstrasse 54). They often show both original and dubbed versions, but it depends on print availability. Harmonie Kinos schedule Sometimes, local multiplexes will do single OV screenings, so it's worth to search for an "OV" designation at the plexes like CineStar Metropolis, Kinopolis (out of town in the west of Frankfurt). When you read local cinema ads, look for these designations: OmU (Originalfassung mit Untertiteln) = original version with German subtitles OV or OF (the latter is "Original-Fassung") OmeU (Originalfassung mit englischen Untertiteln) = non-english original version with English subtitles Frankfurt cinema schedules and ads are on bright yellow posters with a bold headline KINO SERVICE FRANKFURT. Film ratings can be found after the expression FSK (e.g.: FSK 16 - PG; FSK 18 - adults only; the letters "O.A." mean "no age restriction, for general audiences).  |  IP: Logged Mike Perju Film Handler Posts: 90 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Nov 2002 posted 09-19-2005 04:16 PM                     Hi Christian, Palast.. Plaza, close enough! :-) We used to have a few multiplexes that were way worse that! Imagine Turm Palast's #6, but with a 2 meter rear-screen projection setup (the matte glass used was 1.85:1, and would have to accomodate scope letterboxes, Yuk!) Later, Mike  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 09-19-2005 05:39 PM                     Until the mid-1990s, three small theatres were located at the Frankfurt international airport, close to the then famous "Dorian Gray" night club. In AIRPORT CINEMA #1 they had a small RP setup (about 9 ft.) like you described, and projector noise was quite annoying. It's just unbelievable what audiences accepted during the 1980s...but maybe you are grateful to see any movie at all when your flight is delayed for 5 hours!  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 09-20-2005 06:41 PM                        My wife, ex German language teacher in the U.S., keeps her German language skills intact by listening to internet radio. Her currenty favorite is Radio Steiermark in Austria. Her computer is rebroadcast on FM in the house so that she is not tied to a computer. Louis  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.