Synchronisation in general

[aftereightlady]

I just thought about another problem. As you all know, I'm German. German is my mother tongue, and a person naturally prefers watching a movie in the language he or she is a native speaker of. Well, my (passive) English isn't that bad, so it's no problem for me watching movies in their original version (I even enjoy it for I love hearing the real voice of someone), but that ability doesn't apply to each person living in Germany or Austria or whereever (not only German-speaking countries, of course, rather all countries where English isn't the first or even official language).
Now I've observed that there are many, many (good!) movies with Rufus which aren't even available in a German or Spanish version. Just to list some of them: Dangerous beauty, In a savage land, Taming of the Shrew... And the little couple of movies which were translated to German (for example) are definitely poorly synchronised. Rufus has no regular German voice, all the speakers of his characters haven't got even a similar timbre, it's simply deflating.
I'm thinking about the possibility that exactly this could be a reason for the fact that Rufus isn't that wellknown outside the UK. And I'm asking myself why the production companies are that destructive even not trying to push him worldwidely.
What do you think about it?

[maxx02]

It's an interesting theory but though many Americans and Australians know him, I would not call him well known in either of these countries where there is no language barrier. Im not sure about Canada but we have several Canadians on the group who might be able to address it.

For the US I think it's simply that Rufus likes to do a variety of roles which confuses the dimwits in Hollyweird and they have no idea to how to market him. That added to the fact that he is not 20 something with little or no talent and a night time soap about a bunch of rich teenagers in his past adds to the trouble.

Actually I think Tristan + Isolde sums up Rufus' trouble in Hollyweird quite concisely. Dumb boring no talent Neanderthal is cast in lead role. No one goes. DVD comes out and women fall all over themselves for "poor dodgy old Rufus" cast as second banana who they were unaware was in the picture because the ads were targeted at 12 year olds. Hollyweird scratches its head and calls film a bad film when really it just had one horrible actor that they insisted upon and a marketing campaign that anyone who wasn't a teenaged muntant ninja studio exec could tell you wasn't appropriate.

[aftereightlady]

But, really: Is the whole business just about Hollywood and teenagers?

[ruthy]

I'm afraid it is. If ever I feel compelled to go to my local multiplex cinema, i.e. if the film I want to see is not showing at the local independent, then after I've battled my way through the girls with Streatham facelifts and their hoodie beaus, and been confronted by the nasty, laminated fluorescent pick n mix sweeties and the troughs of popcorn and bucket-sized syrupy drinks, I usually console myself with the fact that I can then sit in an auditorium with no more than a dozen or so other people, most of whom will not and smirk like schoolgirls or whoop like monkeys when someone says the 'c' word in its correct context.

Not wishing to sound elitist, and I'm quite happy to muck in if I should take my eight year old to see something more mainstream, if that's his desire ( I can always take a book), the best films are the ones which do not sell well, with very few exceptions. Case in point; in the last month I've seen The Last King of Scotland, Venus and Notes on a Scandal. On none of these occasions was the cinema more than one third full, despite all these films being critically lauded and Oscar nominated. Also, these films were shown in the smallest of the 3 million screens available on all three occasions. Now this actually serves to make me feel part of some exclusive grown-ups' club, about which I am rather pleased and possibly a trifle smug, but it does not put pennies in the Post Office for the makers of such important films, nor does it get adequate recognition for those who so often deserve it.

I saw Borat recently, which was superb and very, very funny. But it was marred by the en-masse presence of the brain-dead contingent who simply wanted to hear about Jews being shot and run over, women being used as sexual objects and protracted scenes of unattractive naked males wrestling (you ain't no Ollie Reed, Sacha!). It was really quite depressing to see how far over the heads of a large part of the audience the film actually went. Anyway, rant over. I can feel the frown lines deepening right now...

[maxx02]

Well a8l, I live in the horror show that is LA. We have quite a bit of opportunity here to see things most of the rest of the world will never get to see and they are all typically very well attended. Any of the pictures ruthy mentions would be a sell out at any time of the day, however, I think in the last few years Hollyweird has gone so far to alienate the average cinema-goer most people just don't bother any longer. They wait for the DVD.

For example, I refuse to pay 10.00 or 12.00 dollars to be deluged with commercials. I won't do it. If a film is only showing at that type of cinema, I won't go. I'll wait for the DVD. I have a serious problem with people who bring small children to films that are completely inappropriate for them at absurd hours. I won't go.

Since I live in LA where we have the Arclight and one or two others, where there are no childrens rates and frequently alcohol is served in the picture so no one under 21 is admitted, I can afford the luxury at 14.00 dollars a ticket, of avoiding all of this.

That said, the general quality of what is being shown is hideous. Most of the actors are embarrassing. Even in an interesting picture the screenplay is usually so weak you wonder who they've gotten to write it and so many directors haven't got a clue about their craft any longer it's scary and the ones that do never seem to get work.

It's lamentable, however, the good news is that many of the old dinosaurs who seem to think they have the last word on how to do business are seeing a comeuppance. Perhaps Hollyweird will be next.

(ruthy, what is the 'c word'?)

ah I forgot to answer your last question--

Hollyweird thinks it is. It's a business for children run by children. Much like American television it never occurs to them that most of the people in the world are over 30. All of the people who know how to make films seem to have gone away. Now they know how to make trash that 15 year old boys and men who behave like 15 year old boys like to see because it's just out of university MBA making the create decisions. It will catch up with them. It already is.

Can you believe Ridley Scott has never won an Academy Award? That tells you the state of Hollyweird in the 21st Century.

[Tinkerdog]

If the "C" word is what I think it is, wasn't Rufus quoted once as having said he was going to teach Americans how to use it (or something to that effect). Surely referring to Hollywoodians.

If you want to see the state of mind of Hollywood just watch !E Hollywood or Entertainment Tonight or whatever those shows are named. It is chock full of 21st century bimbo barbies and kens with not one iota of talent. I would flick to these channels in hopes of catching a glimpse of Rufus in a headline after a movie release - talk about being dillusional. The only press he received on Holiday prior to its release was as Kate Winslets ex, after the movie hit the theaters coverage was about his sleazy, slimy character - nothing about the quality of the actor who just grabbed the "Best Actor" for Rock 'n Roll beating Kevin Spacey. He is absolutely invisible. If he is not getting out of the car with Brittany Spears while she is on display, carrying her comatose body out of a bar or the fan you keep hearing about at her ex's concert, he is not getting press from Hollywood.

I think all this reality TV (which is anything but) is making "Hollywood" pursue that avenue in every arena. Just about anyone who subscribes to their world can be cast in a role. Since Survivor, which is my first recollection of reality TV (and no, I never watched it - the concept was too ignorant for me), Hollywood has jumped into the abyss of idiocy and absoluteness ridiculousness and it bled into the film industry as well. They are reactionary and extremist.

I know absolutely nothing about the inner world of film and television. Reading Frances' commentary on the other page was absolutely interesting. It is wonderful to know that there are so many people who see these same destructive qualities in American Cinema and Television - especially from someone who has been there and done that.

American film and television is like current American fashion - there is only one choice dictated by 13 year olds and the only way to get around it is prayer, patience and positive thought.

[ruthy]

For those of you familiar with the old Cockernee rhyming slang, I was of course referring to James Blunt.......or for those of you old enough to remember the New Avengers, Gareth Hunt.

[maxx02]

yeah, tink gave me the clue as to which 'c word' by her comment. Rufus always uses it with such relish--Illuminata comes to mind. Not one we use much in the US though it's a nice servicable 4 letter word.

face of a boticelli angel and a mouth like a sailor. lol! I imagine the latter was protection from the former in those difficult adolescent years.

Hollyweird would have the vapors and faint dead away if anyone ever said that in an American picture. Of course you can chop off heads with jets of blood and riddle a body with bullets as much as you like and still get a pg-13 rating.

[ruthy]

Much as it remains one of the last great taboos of film and TV, when you hear it from the beautiful lips of Peter O'Toole it's pure poetry

[maxx02]

It's not bad from Rufus either...

[GreenEyesToo]

aftereightlady said:

Now I've observed that there are many, many (good!) movies with Rufus which aren't even available in a German or Spanish version. Just to list some of them: Dangerous beauty, In a savage land,

I can't add anything to what's been said (except, Maxx, you may not be aware but here the "c" word is regarded as much, much worse than the "f" word - the latter is commonplace on TV now and hardly raises a whimper, but use the "c" word and all hell is let loose), but just a small bit of hope for Maria - if I understand you correctly, and you speak Spanish, then you might be interested to know that I had to get my copy of In a Savage Land from Spain! It has an English soundtrack, but also one in Spanish, and both English and Spanish subtitles. I got mine on ebay, but not on the auction part, on ebay shops - if you put the title in the search engine, it should bring up the seller.

Alternatively, feel free to PM me if you want the name of the seller.

GE2

[maxx02]

I wasn't especially aware but why would it be such a favorite word if it weren't considered absolutely appalling? What's the fun in that? If you're going to shock, do it up right, right?

You hear it in the States. I just don't recall ever hearing it in films much--but then maybe I don't frequent the correct type of film.

I had completely forgotten the amusement of hearing Sinead Cusack say it in Rock 'n' Roll. I thought, now there is a woman who knows the proper way to put someone after her husband in her place. No one fainted near me. I didn't hear any sharp intakes of breath. It's always interesting to me what people will accept in the theatre vs. cinema. I suppose they believe they are being sophisticated.

I love words. They have such mystical power.

Got any other good taboo words that make the teens titter in the UK?

[GreenEyesToo]

Not the teens - swearing's so second nature, they don't even know they're doing it!

If you want a good, all-purpose insult, though, I've heard F**kwit used a lot - see http://www.f**kwit.info/whatis.htm (amending the asterisks, obviously!) for brilliant definitions!

"A tribute to the terminally clueless".....and apparently from Shakespeare, if you want street cred. (And might that possibly apply to TPTB in Hollyweird, come to think of it?)