[AFGNCAAP]

There were some innovative ideas of the translators mentioned here and there in the Zombies Party Shaun of the Dead thread, so, I thought, it's a good pretext to quote your favourite examples of movie titles having been, hmm... miscarried. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is obviously a pain for publishers worldwide, because here it was also given a terrible name ('Zakochany bez pamięci' which means 'Forgetfully in Love', more or less). But there's more. Congratulations to anyone who can identify the following movies seeing only the titles by which they are known in Poland:

1) 'Czy leci z nami pilot?' (literally 'Is the pilot flying with us?')
2) 'Przeboje i podboje' (= 'Hits and conquers', plus, it rhymes!)
3) 'Szklana pułapka' (= 'Glass trap')
4) 'Czekając na Joe' (= 'Waiting for Joe')
5) 'Piramida strachu' (= 'Pyramid of fear')
6) and, the most hilarious example ever, 'Wirujący seks' (= 'Whirling sex', whatever that supposed to mean...)

Well, the original titles are:

Spoiler:

1) Airplane!
2) High Fidelity
3) Die Hard. Though the characters are indeed entrapped in a skyscraper, the distributor never predicted that someone will shoot the sequels, released in consequence as 'Glass trap 2' and 'Glass trap 3', which make no sense whatsoever.
4) Touching the void
5) Young Sherlock Holmes (!!!)
6) Dirty Dancing

So, bring on more examples of such... inventiveness.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Man, a long time ago I had posted a similar thread, but it was all Hollywood movies exported to China (and/or Hong Kong), and the translated titles killed us here in laughter. Too bad I don't have the info now.

[fov]

I guessed the first one.

"Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" - isn't that a quote that's used in the movie? (Kirstin Dunst's character says it when the doctor is trying to get the erasing process back on track.) Was that quote translated the same way as the title? I'd think giving the title some random name that didn't connect to that conversation between her character and the doctor would... well, lose some of the meaning.

-emily

[Ninja Dodo]

Okay, this is from an article about games and the examples are just random products, but...

So I understand, the Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American ad campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."

In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation", came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead."

(in case you're curious where it came from)

[Glenn Epic]

Originally Posted by fov

I guessed the first one.

"Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" - isn't that a quote that's used in the movie? (Kirstin Dunst's character says it when the doctor is trying to get the erasing process back on track.) Was that quote translated the same way as the title? I'd think giving the title some random name that didn't connect to that conversation between her character and the doctor would... well, lose some of the meaning.

-emily

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!" – Alexander Pope

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by AFGNCAAP

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is obviously a pain for publishers worldwide, because here it was also given a terrible name ('Zakochany bez pamięci' which means 'Forgetfully in Love', more or less). But there's more. Congratulations to anyone who can identify the following movies seeing only the titles by which they are known in Poland:

3) 'Szklana pułapka' (= 'Glass trap')

Funny, Die Hard was Piège de Crystal (crystal trap) in french... But the next two were Die Hard 2 and 3, with french second titles. Like Die Hard 3 : A day in hell.

And "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" hasn't been translated, which is a blessing.

[Tanukitsune]

Originally Posted by Ninth

Funny, Die Hard was Piège de Crystal (crystal trap) in french... But the next two were Die Hard 2 and 3, with french second titles. Like Die Hard 3 : A day in hell.

And "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" hasn't been translated, which is a blessing.

In Spain the Die Hard Trilolgy is "Jungla de Cristal", Crystal Jungle....
One of Jackie Chan's movie is called "El Chino", which means The Chinese Guy, which is a very insulting word, it's like if the movie "Shaft" was called "N*gg*r"...
Evil Dead 2 is called "Terrorificamente Muertos"="Terrifibly Dead" and Evil Dead I is "Posesion Infernal"="Infernal Posession"....
-Creature From the Black Lagoon: "La mujer y el monstruo"="The maiden and the monster"
-Eight Legged Freaks: Arac Attack
-Cementary Man: "Mi novia es un Zombie"="My Girlfriend is a Zombie"
-Do Not Disturb: "Presa del Panico"="Panic Striken(?)"
-Rosemary's Baby: "Semilla del Diablo"="Demon Seed"

[Marek]

Good things can happen in translation too.

Shark Tale became Haaiensnaaier in Dutch, which is hard to translate but means something like Sharknabber ... like, someone who will grab sharks and eat them greedily.

Too bad the movie is shit.

[Starflux]

I think everyone guessed the first example ^_^

I'm actually pretty happy that the Netherlands don't translate bloody everything.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Tanukitsune

-Eight Legged Freaks: Arac Attack

Actually, I think that it was going to be called Arac Attack in English-speaking countries as well, but they decided it sounded too much like 'Iraq Attack'.

Of course, that could be one of those urban legend things, but I'm sure that I read it somewhere. Arac Attack was certainly a working title, if the Internet Movie Database is to be believed.

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by RLacey

Actually, I think that it was going to be called Arac Attack in English-speaking countries as well, but they decided it sounded too much like 'Iraq Attack'.

Of course, that could be one of those urban legend things, but I'm sure that I read it somewhere. Arac Attack was certainly a working title, if the Internet Movie Database is to be believed.

It was called Arac Attack in France too, so I think you're right.

[Jazhara7]

The title of "The Emperor's New Groove" by Disney was called "Ein Königreich für ein Lama" ("A Kingdom for a Llama"), probably as a reference to the quote "A horse! A horse! my Kingdom for a Horse!" which goes "Ein Pferd! Ein Pferd! Mein Königreich für ein Pferd!" in german. I don't think you can really translate "Groove" into german.


-

[jjacob]

Originally Posted by Flux

I think everyone guessed the first example ^_^

I'm actually pretty happy that the Netherlands don't translate bloody everything.

But don't think that for example French people like their dubbing, I remember telling my french cousins and nieces about how in the Netherlands stuff only gets subtitles, and they were all jealous, they went on to tell me that in France, even Friends got dubbed! Imagine a Joey or a Chandler with a french voice and bad lip syncing I think they hate it for the most part. I wonder if France/Germany will 'move on' to subtitles only, as I've heard almost nothing but bad things about it.

[ConcreteRancor]

I still love Marie je ne sais quoi for There's Something About Mary. Not too bad a translation, and I think the French title is actually funnier.

And translating Rosemary's Baby into Demon Seed isn't too bad either. Although now it puts me in mind of Seed of Chucky, which is a bad, bad thing.

Finally, I wish My Kingdom for a Llama had been the English title of The Emperor's New Groove, which wins the Worst Title Given To A Good Movie Award.

[AFGNCAAP]

Originally Posted by fov

I'd think giving the title some random name that didn't connect to that conversation between her character and the doctor would... well, lose some of the meaning.

-emily

Well... That's exactly what happened.

Originally Posted by ConcreteRancor

Finally, I wish My Kingdom for a Llama had been the English title of The Emperor's New Groove, which wins the Worst Title Given To A Good Movie Award.

I'd award that to Mars Attacks! Of course, I believe this title was campy very much on purpose...

[fov]

Originally Posted by ConcreteRancor

Finally, I wish My Kingdom for a Llama had been the English title of The Emperor's New Groove, which wins the Worst Title Given To A Good Movie Award.

I agree, but My Kingdom for a Llama is probably way too high brow. I don't think most Americans would get the reference. :eek:

-emily

ps I must admit though, the word "llama" makes me grin, in any context...

[Erwin_Br]

Originally Posted by fov

I don't think most Americans would get the reference. :eek:

-emily

Have a little confidence in your fellow Americans!

--Erwin

[fov]

Originally Posted by Erwin_Br

Have a little confidence in your fellow Americans!

Gimme a day or two until the results of the election are announced...

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by ConcreteRancor

I still love Marie je ne sais quoi for There's Something About Mary. Not too bad a translation, and I think the French title is actually funnier.

I agree (Marie Ã* tout prix).
And to answer jjacob, even though many people (like me) hate dubbing with a vengeance, the majority is just too lazy to bother reading, and I've heard the infamous "WTF, it's in english! Damn, let's go to another theater!" too many times to hope that we'll ever get rid of this filth.

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by fov

Gimme a day or two until the results of the election are announced...

You mean a month or two?