This is topic German theaters showing English versions in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Paul Rich (Member # 243) on 09-04-2005, 07:24 PM:
 
Does anyone have or know of how to obtain information on movie theaters in Germany which show English versions of first run movies?
 

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Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 09-05-2005, 04:54 AM:
 
do you mean movies that are originally in english, and subtitled in german, or do you mean movies in other languages that are dubbed or subtitled in english?

carl
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 09-05-2005, 08:59 AM:
 
Look for areas that are intellectual in nature...for example near the technical University in Munich is a deluxe single screen cinema that runs U.S. pictures in the same form they are seen in US and UK. My daughter took her People-to-People friends there about 8 years ago.
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-05-2005, 09:41 AM:
 
The only multiplex theater - to my knowledge and according to their publicity - in all of Europe which is dedicated completely to showing OVs is the CineStar Original im Sony Center, one of the locations I worked for and which has 8 screens and a very good technical setup. Detailed info about the screens can be seen on that webpage if you scroll down. The projectors are all Kinoton FP-30E, with 2 FP-75E in screen #8 and 2 FP-38E in screen #5.
The Sony Center is geared towards the English laguage program. When they show movies in other langauges such as French, the subtitles are either German or English, whatever is available.

There are a number of other cinemas that show OVs, either smaller "arthouse" type locations or plexes which set aside one or two screens for OVs. Generally, you find the mainstream stuff at the Sony Center and arthouse themed and general international movies, not just English language productions, at the arthouse locations.
One really nice cinema is the fairly large and well operated "Odeon" which has the same name, but nothing to do with the English chain. There is also the "Cinema Paris" which is dedicated to - surprise! - French movies.
Generally, you only find OV theaters in the bigger cities and around campuses in cities with universities, as has been mentioned already.
People in Germany are unfortunately too used to the unfortunate practice of dubbing, so there aren't too many cinemas which show OVs.
I absolutely hate that practice, although I have to admit that it is done very well in Germany (unlike dubbings in Italy or Spain which suck ass totally). Still, I just hate it. I want to see and hear the original movie.
Now that I live in SD, I don't have that problem anymore as far as English language productions is concerned. But then it is really hard to catch movies other than the mainstream stuff around here. International productions can rarely be seen. There are only a handful of theaters which show international productions.

In Germany, movies that are produced in other languages are usually shown in the original language with German subtitles, or dubbed, basically never in English dubbed versions. That wouldn't make sense.
Very occasionally, you see non-English movies with English subtitles, when there is no German subtitle version available.
Or at the Sony Center, since it is oriented towards the English speaking customers. IIRC correctly, we even had a few German movies there with English subtitles.
 

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Posted by Paul Rich (Member # 243) on 09-05-2005, 06:23 PM:
 
Thanks Michael. I'm going to be living in Germany for a year starting in October and I need my movies. especially Goblet of Fire!
 

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Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 09-05-2005, 10:16 PM:
 
Which part of Germany? ... and if you don't mind my asking, why? (school, business, pleasure?)
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-05-2005, 10:16 PM:
 
Where exactly? Tell us where, I will post on the German projectionists' forum and ask them about OVs in that area.
What are you going to do there? I mean professionally, apart from finally having a real beer and all that.
 

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Posted by Paul Rich (Member # 243) on 09-06-2005, 11:14 AM:
 
I'll be in Germersheim, southwest of Heidelburg. I'm going to be studying German at the FASK language school.
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-06-2005, 06:52 PM:
 
Heidelberg is a big university, so they may some OVs going on. I will ask around. It is not a big city though. But it is fairly nice, with a lot of old building substance. It is also a big tourist destination (mostly because of the romantic look of the historic city).

Here is your first German word (completely free): Kino ("kee-no"). Means cinema.
 

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Posted by Paul Rich (Member # 243) on 09-06-2005, 09:48 PM:
 
Ja, ich verstehe "Kino." Zwei Jahre habe ich Deutsch studiert.

But not enough to understand a whole movie dubbed in German. And even when I do, I'll still have a problem with dubbing.
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-07-2005, 06:53 AM:
 
I think dubbing sucks too (see above). Here's your resource for cinema in Heidelberg. Click on "Originalfassungen". As you can see, the program is mostly arthouse movies. I doubt there is much more than that in the area, but if there is, I am sure the people at the school can tell you where to go.

In case of emergency, you can always go to Frankfurt am Main which is only an hour or so north from Heidelberg, so it can't be much further from where you are going to be. Maybe 90 mins. or so (remember, there is no general speed limit on the freeway in Germany).
Frankfurt is a pretty cool city. It has the biggest airport in Europe which serves as the headquarters of Lufthansa. So it is a fairly international city and not surprisingly, there are many cinemas more which show OVs. Check out the current program here.

I am not sure if going to Heidelberg to learn German is such a great idea: the people in that area speak with a really strange accent. But being from TN, you are probably used to strange accents

Seriously though, the most important thing is that it's hopefully a good school.
But let me warn you about one thing that I have often seen with language students: they go to a foreign country, go to classes with other people from other countries who are there to learn the local language too. So far, so good. But then what happens is that because they are all new in the country, don't know anybody there and don't speak the local language fluently yet, they start hanging out more or less exclusively among each other instead of with the locals. That may be a little difficult at first. But you will find that most people in Germany are quite open to foreigners, especially those who try to speak the language. But there is another pitfall: a lot of Germans speak at least OK English, so they will start talking to you in English.
Both factors can seriously lessen the impact of your trip. Whatever they do to you at the school, the most important thing is going out there and practicing every day.
I have met a lot of exchange students who just hung out with other exchange students and the Germans which spoke English, and the overall effect of their stay was nearly zero.
 

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Posted by Paul Rich (Member # 243) on 09-07-2005, 09:04 AM:
 

quote: Michael Schaffer

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I am not sure if going to Heidelberg to learn German is such a great idea: the people in that area speak with a really strange accent. But being from TN, you are probably used to strange accents

Seriously though, the most important thing is that it's hopefully a good school.

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The school is in Germersheim. http://www.fask.uni-mainz.de/

Everyone who has done the two semester, one year programm has come back speaking fluently or close to it. You have to in order to pass the tests for a teacher's license. They key will be continuing to use the language once I get back.
 

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Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 09-08-2005, 04:35 AM:
 
Wie Spaß!

I'm actually very seriously considering doing the same thing next fall. I haven't decided where though (I'm leaning towards eastern or central Europe).
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-09-2005, 05:17 AM:
 
Wie Spaß?

Which language and country would you be interested in?
 

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Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 09-09-2005, 06:38 PM:
 
That question is exactly what I've been pondering lately. Starting three weeks ago, I've been taking both Russian 101 and Polish 101. Also, since last spring I've been informally learning Romanian. Maybe one of those countries... In the past, I have also studied Spanish, German and Italian. So Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy (etc) each hold some allure for me too. So, I don't know. I might end up going someplace where I haven't studied the language at all. It's difficult to try and narrow it down to just one.
 

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Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 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.
 

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Posted by Mike Perju (Member # 1482) on 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.
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-11-2005, 06:00 AM:
 

quote: Pravin Ratnam

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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.

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quote: Mike Perju

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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.

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quote: Mike Perju

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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.

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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).
 

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Posted by Mike Perju (Member # 1482) on 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
 

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Posted by Christian Appelt (Member # 1067) on 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!
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 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
 

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