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Author Topic: German theaters showing English versions Paul Rich Film Handler Posts: 56 From: Murfreesboro, TN, 37128 Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-04-2005 07:24 PM                     Does anyone have or know of how to obtain information on movie theaters in Germany which show English versions of first run movies?  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 09-05-2005 04:54 AM                        do you mean movies that are originally in english, and subtitled in german, or do you mean movies in other languages that are dubbed or subtitled in english? carl  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 09-05-2005 08:59 AM                        Look for areas that are intellectual in nature...for example near the technical University in Munich is a deluxe single screen cinema that runs U.S. pictures in the same form they are seen in US and UK. My daughter took her People-to-People friends there about 8 years ago.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 09-05-2005 09:41 AM                        The only multiplex theater - to my knowledge and according to their publicity - in all of Europe which is dedicated completely to showing OVs is the CineStar Original im Sony Center, one of the locations I worked for and which has 8 screens and a very good technical setup. Detailed info about the screens can be seen on that webpage if you scroll down. The projectors are all Kinoton FP-30E, with 2 FP-75E in screen #8 and 2 FP-38E in screen #5. The Sony Center is geared towards the English laguage program. When they show movies in other langauges such as French, the subtitles are either German or English, whatever is available. There are a number of other cinemas that show OVs, either smaller "arthouse" type locations or plexes which set aside one or two screens for OVs. Generally, you find the mainstream stuff at the Sony Center and arthouse themed and general international movies, not just English language productions, at the arthouse locations. One really nice cinema is the fairly large and well operated "Odeon" which has the same name, but nothing to do with the English chain. There is also the "Cinema Paris" which is dedicated to - surprise! - French movies. Generally, you only find OV theaters in the bigger cities and around campuses in cities with universities, as has been mentioned already. People in Germany are unfortunately too used to the unfortunate practice of dubbing, so there aren't too many cinemas which show OVs. I absolutely hate that practice, although I have to admit that it is done very well in Germany (unlike dubbings in Italy or Spain which suck ass totally). Still, I just hate it. I want to see and hear the original movie. Now that I live in SD, I don't have that problem anymore as far as English language productions is concerned. But then it is really hard to catch movies other than the mainstream stuff around here. International productions can rarely be seen. There are only a handful of theaters which show international productions. In Germany, movies that are produced in other languages are usually shown in the original language with German subtitles, or dubbed, basically never in English dubbed versions. That wouldn't make sense. Very occasionally, you see non-English movies with English subtitles, when there is no German subtitle version available. Or at the Sony Center, since it is oriented towards the English speaking customers. IIRC correctly, we even had a few German movies there with English subtitles.  |  IP: Logged Paul Rich Film Handler Posts: 56 From: Murfreesboro, TN, 37128 Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-05-2005 06:23 PM                     Thanks Michael. I'm going to be living in Germany for a year starting in October and I need my movies. especially Goblet of Fire!  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 09-05-2005 10:16 PM                        Which part of Germany? ... and if you don't mind my asking, why? (school, business, pleasure?)  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 09-05-2005 10:16 PM                        Where exactly? Tell us where, I will post on the German projectionists' forum and ask them about OVs in that area. What are you going to do there? I mean professionally, apart from finally having a real beer and all that.  |  IP: Logged Paul Rich Film Handler Posts: 56 From: Murfreesboro, TN, 37128 Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-06-2005 11:14 AM                     I'll be in Germersheim, southwest of Heidelburg. I'm going to be studying German at the FASK language school.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 09-06-2005 06:52 PM                        Heidelberg is a big university, so they may some OVs going on. I will ask around. It is not a big city though. But it is fairly nice, with a lot of old building substance. It is also a big tourist destination (mostly because of the romantic look of the historic city). Here is your first German word (completely free): Kino ("kee-no"). Means cinema.  |  IP: Logged Paul Rich Film Handler Posts: 56 From: Murfreesboro, TN, 37128 Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-06-2005 09:48 PM                     Ja, ich verstehe "Kino." Zwei Jahre habe ich Deutsch studiert. But not enough to understand a whole movie dubbed in German. And even when I do, I'll still have a problem with dubbing.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 09-07-2005 06:53 AM                        I think dubbing sucks too (see above). Here's your resource for cinema in Heidelberg. Click on "Originalfassungen". As you can see, the program is mostly arthouse movies. I doubt there is much more than that in the area, but if there is, I am sure the people at the school can tell you where to go. In case of emergency, you can always go to Frankfurt am Main which is only an hour or so north from Heidelberg, so it can't be much further from where you are going to be. Maybe 90 mins. or so (remember, there is no general speed limit on the freeway in Germany). Frankfurt is a pretty cool city. It has the biggest airport in Europe which serves as the headquarters of Lufthansa. So it is a fairly international city and not surprisingly, there are many cinemas more which show OVs. Check out the current program here. I am not sure if going to Heidelberg to learn German is such a great idea: the people in that area speak with a really strange accent. But being from TN, you are probably used to strange accents Seriously though, the most important thing is that it's hopefully a good school. But let me warn you about one thing that I have often seen with language students: they go to a foreign country, go to classes with other people from other countries who are there to learn the local language too. So far, so good. But then what happens is that because they are all new in the country, don't know anybody there and don't speak the local language fluently yet, they start hanging out more or less exclusively among each other instead of with the locals. That may be a little difficult at first. But you will find that most people in Germany are quite open to foreigners, especially those who try to speak the language. But there is another pitfall: a lot of Germans speak at least OK English, so they will start talking to you in English. Both factors can seriously lessen the impact of your trip. Whatever they do to you at the school, the most important thing is going out there and practicing every day. I have met a lot of exchange students who just hung out with other exchange students and the Germans which spoke English, and the overall effect of their stay was nearly zero.  |  IP: Logged Paul Rich Film Handler Posts: 56 From: Murfreesboro, TN, 37128 Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-07-2005 09:04 AM                     quote: Michael Schaffer I am not sure if going to Heidelberg to learn German is such a great idea: the people in that area speak with a really strange accent. But being from TN, you are probably used to strange accents Seriously though, the most important thing is that it's hopefully a good school. The school is in Germersheim. http://www.fask.uni-mainz.de/ Everyone who has done the two semester, one year programm has come back speaking fluently or close to it. You have to in order to pass the tests for a teacher's license. They key will be continuing to use the language once I get back.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 09-08-2005 04:35 AM                        Wie Spaß! I'm actually very seriously considering doing the same thing next fall. I haven't decided where though (I'm leaning towards eastern or central Europe).  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 09-09-2005 05:17 AM                        Wie Spaß? Which language and country would you be interested in?  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 09-09-2005 06:38 PM                        That question is exactly what I've been pondering lately. Starting three weeks ago, I've been taking both Russian 101 and Polish 101. Also, since last spring I've been informally learning Romanian. Maybe one of those countries... In the past, I have also studied Spanish, German and Italian. So Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy (etc) each hold some allure for me too. So, I don't know. I might end up going someplace where I haven't studied the language at all. It's difficult to try and narrow it down to just one.  |  IP: Logged

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