MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > One of my biggest annoyances in movies.....

One of my biggest annoyances in movies...

posted 5 years ago by samoanjoes (52921)
66 replies | jump to latest

The film has just started and we are treated to text on the screen like this:

The year is 2097. After the fall of the Babylon Era, only three remain. In order to counteract the virus, the government has enlisted a group known as NEXUS to obtain the Earth's minerals. Together with the help of Emperor Zorg who was hiding away in a cave, they must find the Soldiers of Eternal Fire to destroy the Platinum Star before it wreaks havoc in 20 years.

Like, the movie hasn't even started. Why are you confusing me like this?

[–] AndyKing1967 (35013) 5 years ago

Mine is when there is an aerial shot of somewhere incredibly iconic and a caption will come up saying London, England or Paris, France.

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

I'm from Canada where we have a city called London. If the movie was a Canadian production and it just said London, I may be confused.

[–] AndyKing1967 (35013) 5 years ago

Yes, but if it's showing Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, Black Cabs, Buckingham Palace etc, then it's pretty obvious where it is. Likewise, if they're showing the Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe, it's probably not Paris, Texas either.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

Americans may mistaken an aerial shot of the Eiffel Tower for Las Vegas if there was no caption.

[–] AndyKing1967 (35013) 5 years ago

Yes, and the Japanese might think it's the Tokyo Tower, lol. I think it's one thing saying 'Paris' (with a shot of the Eiffel Tower) and another saying, 'Paris France', you know, just in case you don't know where Paris is.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (73524) 5 years ago

Why specifically mention Americans?
You must have had some reason

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

Because Las Vegas is in America.

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

Hopefully of it shows an exterior. Some films don't.

[–] AndyKing1967 (35013) 5 years ago

Yeah, I'm just on about the facepalming obvious ones.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I don't like it when they do the letters in a 3D type format that makes the name itself look like a building/part of the scene.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (73524) 5 years ago

The Star Wars opening scrolls were the best
They caught you up yet never wore you down

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

I never read those. Not even once. The story was so simple and told very clearly, audience didn't need a backstory.

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

Wait, so you're telling me you just knew it took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

well , it doenst really detract from the story any if you thought it was a galaxy next door (or this galaxy even) in the future

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

It's not important. It was just a pew pew kaboom movie. As long as things blow up in spaaaaace I'm fine with it.

The new ones are weaker because they put too much attempt on the story and morals and politics and wild retcons etc. while actually everything was fine before. Like who shot first? Han or not? Who cares, smh. Nerds ruin everything.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (73524) 5 years ago

You are a rebel

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ShogunofYonkers (73524) 5 years ago

They looked very cool too:)

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

They were 3D before 3D was cool.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Sometimes those opening crawls are necessary. I could've used one for Lawrence of Arabla. It would've made the movie that much more bearable to sit through.

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

Definitely at times they're necessary. But I hate the ones that are confusing. Usually they're in sci-fi movies.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Not sure if this is my biggest annoyance but I'm always annoyed when a scene takes place in Russia (or any given non-English speaking country) and two Russian characters are speaking in English to each other with Russian accents. If they are both Russian then why wouldn't they just be speaking Russian to each other?

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

Schindler's List does that. Obviously not Russian though.

When the IMDb message boards were around, I made a similar complaint about "The Shop Around the Corner." It takes place in Hungary and not a single person speaks Hungarian and even worse, they all have American accents. People were coming after me saying that it didn't matter and that it makes no difference. I just don't get this kind of thinking.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Glad it's not just me that feels this way. If a film is going to do this they should at least give some explanation, no matter how flimsy, for speaking English.

[–] sslssg (30102) 5 years ago

I think it's simply that many english speaking audiences don't like reading subtitles. If a movie has main characters that could be speaking their native language it could drive away viewers. If they speak with correct regional accents there will be complaints, and if they don't, well samoanjoes was just complaining about that too.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Character One: Speaks in Russian
Character two: No Comrade, we must practice our English for when we capture the American prisoners...only English from now on til we know it well...

That's all I want, some flimsy explanation to let us know why they are behaving like that lol

[–] sslssg (30102) 5 years ago

I get what you are saying, and I don't disagree with you. It's just one of those suspension of disbelief things that I can let slip by.

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

The thing is, sslssg, is that non-English films don't do this. If I'm watching a Japanese movie and they go to America, the American characters will speak English. It's really only a Hollywood thing.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

I would rather they all talk in Japanese with subtitle tho'

https://youtu.be/sKuagv6Dolk

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

That's pretty bad. "Enjoy your last..." I think the actress just gave up at that point.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

And the US President is probably a Russian spy with those crazy rolled Rs.

[–] sslssg (30102) 5 years ago

Agreed. Like I said, it's english speaking audiences who don't want to read any subtitles.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

"Remember, no Russian."

https://youtu.be/OuTFxHM07oQ

[–] mikethemartian (6268) 5 years ago

In the Hunt for Red October the Russian sailors begin speaking Russian but then they read a Biblical passage (Tower of Babel?) and then they start speaking English. So it is kind of an artistic way to say they are really speaking Russian throughout but an English audience can understand them.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I could live with that.

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

In Ratatouille, the rats speak English but there's a quick shot in a POV of a human and they're squeaking. I think that was a cool way to acknowledge that the rats aren't really speaking English.

[–] chilone (17393) 5 years ago

I don't mind that unless it flashes on the screen so quickly that you can't read it.

[–] kspkap (13162) 5 years ago

The extreme profanity! 😡 Also, so subtitles or cc while the actors speak in a foreign language!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I’d like that message because it signals me to leave that theater room and sneak in to see a better movie next door.

[–] samoanjoes (52921) 5 years ago

Good point.

[–] IrinaOma (648) 5 years ago

1. Forced Feminism

2. Superhero-like crap

3. Color Blind Casting

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20753) 5 years ago

I’m glad this is a fairly recent phenomenon.