1.11.2006
Local dub: now with pictures!
As I've mentioned on many occasions, the subtitles you get on the pirated versions of movies here are usually pretty amusing. As I also mentioned before, I recently acquired some software that will let me take decent screenshots of said subtitled movies using my somewhat trusty computer. (Can you see where this is going yet?) That being the case, I thought I would share a few quick samples of what I'm talking about with you because, you know, a picture is worth a thousand words and all that. Not that that fact will stop me from typing a thousand words--or possibly more--but I just thought I'd get it out there.
(Side note: Those of you who think I'm simply slapping up a few marginally funny pictures because I just got back to China on Monday night and am currently so jet-lagged that I can hardly keep my eyes open--this last trip being the first time in a while we were back in the States long enough to adjust to the local time--let alone create the sort of funny yet insightful blog post that is, of course, my hallmark are exactly right.) (Did that even make sense? I hope so--I'm too tired to tell.)
Anyway, here's what I mean. Take, for example, this image of Tom Cruise playing catch with his son in War of the Worlds:
Seems pleasant enough, doesn't it? That is, until you see how Tom got his son out there in the first place ...
I like the way the son doesn't really look that concerned about it, don't you? Maybe that's because he doesn't know the history of psychology, reader, but I do. I do. (Sorry, I had to do it, despite the fact that--now that I re-read it--it doesn't really make that much sense. Oh well, jet-lagged, etcetera.) And for the record, I think the actual line is "It wouldn't kill you to play catch with me," or something like that. Which actually makes the subtitle correct, if you think about it, since it would only kill him to NOT play catch with Tom. Or something like that, anyway..
But if you liked this entry, don't worry! There's plenty more where these shots came from. I'm thinking I should do a whole Napoleon Dynamite post, since that movie seems to be insanely popular back in the States. Really, I saw like five people with Vote for Pedro shirts on when I went home. Of course, as you can guess, in the Chinese version that slogan's a little different, since Pedro is inexplicably renamed "The Virtuous Shell." No, I don't understand it either ...
(Side note: Those of you who think I'm simply slapping up a few marginally funny pictures because I just got back to China on Monday night and am currently so jet-lagged that I can hardly keep my eyes open--this last trip being the first time in a while we were back in the States long enough to adjust to the local time--let alone create the sort of funny yet insightful blog post that is, of course, my hallmark are exactly right.) (Did that even make sense? I hope so--I'm too tired to tell.)
Anyway, here's what I mean. Take, for example, this image of Tom Cruise playing catch with his son in War of the Worlds:
Seems pleasant enough, doesn't it? That is, until you see how Tom got his son out there in the first place ...
I like the way the son doesn't really look that concerned about it, don't you? Maybe that's because he doesn't know the history of psychology, reader, but I do. I do. (Sorry, I had to do it, despite the fact that--now that I re-read it--it doesn't really make that much sense. Oh well, jet-lagged, etcetera.) And for the record, I think the actual line is "It wouldn't kill you to play catch with me," or something like that. Which actually makes the subtitle correct, if you think about it, since it would only kill him to NOT play catch with Tom. Or something like that, anyway..
But if you liked this entry, don't worry! There's plenty more where these shots came from. I'm thinking I should do a whole Napoleon Dynamite post, since that movie seems to be insanely popular back in the States. Really, I saw like five people with Vote for Pedro shirts on when I went home. Of course, as you can guess, in the Chinese version that slogan's a little different, since Pedro is inexplicably renamed "The Virtuous Shell." No, I don't understand it either ...
