SubJeff on 20/5/2009 at 10:45
I've never seen any not dubbed in English. Are the originals really in Mandarin?
EvaUnit02 on 20/5/2009 at 11:16
Quote Posted by Subjective Effect
I've never seen any not dubbed in English. Are the originals really in Mandarin?
Yes. The majority of the HK films from that era were all scripted and performed in Mandarin, even though the actual soundtracks were all created post-sync like Italian films. I.e. most of the Shaw Brothers catalogue.
gunsmoke on 20/5/2009 at 12:13
I take it they are at least subtitled in English, right? Not like the dialogue is the selling point, but still. Anyway, I have a few DVDs of his, but I would love to get some Blu-Ray action when I get my player.
theBlackman on 21/5/2009 at 00:04
If you live in the USA and get cable channel HISTORY. Keep an eye on it. The have a 2 hour special on "How Bruce Lee Changed the world". It ran on the 18th, but they do repeat often.
EvaUnit02 on 21/5/2009 at 02:09
Quote Posted by gunsmoke
I take it they are at least subtitled in English, right? Not like the dialogue is the selling point, but still. Anyway, I have a few DVDs of his, but I would love to get some Blu-Ray action when I get my player.
Highly, highly likely. 90% of HK DVDs/BDs have Eng subs.
demagogue on 21/5/2009 at 15:42
I wonder why they weren't in Cantonese, considering that's the native language of Hong Kong. I guess because it's a more minority language.
Little googling later, ah, well there's the reason for the post-sync dubs. Apparently most of the actors did speak Cantonese and their Mandarin accents were so terrible they did the dubs.
gunsmoke on 21/5/2009 at 18:42
Quote Posted by demagogue
I wonder why they weren't in Cantonese, considering that's the native language of Hong Kong. I guess because it's a more minority language.
Little googling later, ah, well there's the reason for the post-sync dubs. Apparently most of the actors did speak Cantonese and their Mandarin accents were so terrible they did the dubs.
'tis all Greek to me. :joke:
greypatch3 on 21/5/2009 at 18:51
Quote Posted by demagogue
I wonder why they weren't in Cantonese, considering that's the native language of Hong Kong. I guess because it's a more minority language.
Little googling later, ah, well there's the reason for the post-sync dubs. Apparently most of the actors did speak Cantonese and their Mandarin accents were so terrible they did the dubs.
Well, I think (based on an educated guess, not on research) the main reason they did a lot of post-sync dubbing is because the audience that would be watching. Even as recently as 1992, Jackie Chan made the movie 'City Hunter,' which is clearly dubbed in post. I'm guessing that, even though he is native to Hong Kong, a majority of the audience would be mainland China, so they simply didn't include the basic soundtrack so it could be replaced without much fuss. It's funny watching it, though, and realizing that the bad guys in it (who are probably British or Australian) are clearly speaking English, even though everybody else seems to be speaking in Cantonese. That could be a reason, too; people involved in the project don't necessarily have to speak the language, or speak it well, as well as they look the part and act properly, because they're all just going to be dubbed over in multiple languages anyway. I think the Italian-made 'Demons' is similar; I know at least a few actors in it are American.
Of course, then you have the opposite with Doug Jones, who didn't speak a word of Spanish when he did 'Pan's Labyrinth.' This didn't stop him from learning how to pronounce his own lines (and when to say them), so when he was dubbed over later it would look seamless. Now THAT's dedication.
taffer19 on 25/5/2009 at 06:36
AH, Bruce Lee! The one and only Kung Fu master that can win a fight against Chuck Norris! :cheeky:
