MovieChat Forums > Lisbon Story (1995) Discussion > Argh... where can I find the ORIGINAL En...

Argh... where can I find the ORIGINAL English version? (avoid Lionsgate)

posted 16 years ago by rooprect
3 replies | jump to latest

I've had a dusty old VHS copy for ages. Imagine my joy when Lionsgate released the DVD recently. I just received my copy yesterday.

it
sucks

They dubbed over all the original English dialogue with German. Their lips don't match anymore, and more importantly, the meaning and wordplay from the original English version is lost in translation.

Also call me crazy but I just love Rudiger's accent when he speaks English.

There are 2 scenes which suffer the most. Toward the end. Examples:

"The whole city was fading like the Cheshire cat" (English). The phrase is accompanied with a very memorable toothy grin, giving it a powerful visual cue. On the Lionsgate DVD it is replaced with "like Alice in Wonderland" (German) which is vague and confusing.

"You are the bag man. You are the Walrus. You're sitting there like the Fool on the Hill ... finish your film With a Little Help From Your Friends" (English). Any Beatles fans out there? This entire line was mercilessly butchered for translation into German. It no longer has any wit or humour.

"The handle again! This camera's driving me craZEEE!" (English) Best last line of any movie ever. Not so in German :(

I'm going to see if I can return the Lionsgate DVD for my money back. Does anyone know where can I find a DVD which has the original English sound? I know it exists somewhere!

[–] rosabelverde_1127 16 years ago

That's very surprising what you are saying here about a Lionsgate DVD. I've got the German edition by Arthaus and it has the English soundtrack.

I checked at the online store where I usually order my DVDs, it's still available:
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/SESSIONID/b4fe7fe6341f1632f0f8a54121136f01/mov ie/detail/-/hnum/1830736

Regards, Rosabel

EDIT: I had no idea that this infamous Lionsgate DVD is an American release!, only just now found it mentioned on another thread, and I'm baffled, because I can't understand why an American release would have a dubbed German language version only!? Anyhow, that means my link doesn't probably help you as much as I thought because the DVD is a region 2 one of course. Unless you have a region-free player.

[–] cracked_stardust 13 years ago

Oh man... if only I saw this review BEFORE I rented the movie! I think I got the Lionsgate version! Subtitles to English from German speaking! The whole reason I got this movie was I am a fan of Patrick Bauchau... and he didn't even over dub his own scenes!

It would have been quite an excellent movie, if it didn't act like one of those bad Japanese movies where the English didn't match the mouth (no offense, but you get the idea... I hope).

There was no opening scene telling me it was Lionsgate, that's why I think I got it. The two production houses at the opening title credits I saw were Studio Canal and Reverse Angle. Then the Road Movies Presents came on and the rest of the titles (Wim Wenders, ect). And yes, there was bad over dubbing with the German and didn't match the English... I'm totally bummed!!

e2a: I also noticed, especially towards the end, that the sound drops out in alot of places. I don't know if it was my disc, or intentional because they meant to over dub the English (keeping the background noise and changing dialogue), but the sound really went l o w

__________________________________
I'm an instant star; just add water and stir~David Bowie

[–] JackBluegrass 11 years ago

The Lionsgate DVD from Netflix that I've just watched is actually excellent. I set English subtitles. German, Portuguese, and English are spoken in the film. The German and Portuguese dialogue is subtitled in English.

The photography is beautiful, and the music with solo vocalist of the group, Madredeus, is outstanding. It's just haunting!

Maybe this is a later Lionsgate version than the one criticized above.