Prometheus

[Thirith]

oh god english 101 all up in here

Trust me, for non-native speakers especially, even if they've got a good command of a language, non-literal, shorthand or even (apparently) contradictory use of a language can be pretty difficult.

On the main topic, though: I also wonder about this staggered release. Especially nowadays, when people get excited about films, games, books etc. by checking out info on the website, I don't see any benefit about such releases. If anything, it pisses off potential customers - and I can definitely see how those sitting on the fence are more likely to go for pirated copies rather than wait. Does this mean they're impatient and behaving like entitled brats? Probably, but from the perspective of the company that's still a potential loss of sales.

[Subjective Effect]

I do find the staggered releases silly, and I always have. I've had weird situations where I've been in one country, seen a film, gone to another country and not only is it not on but it's got ages til it comes out there. I saw a bunch of stuff in Taiwan one summer that only came out late autumn/early winter in the UK.

And when I was in Africa VHS pirate copies used to come up from South Africa - of films that hadn't reached the UK. So I'd sometimes see stuff at home, go the UK for summer and find this stuff on at the cinema! Of course in those days there was no internet so we had no idea about global release dates, especially in Africa.

As to English. Oh hell yeah, I know what you mean. I think this image is pretty spot on and I especially like "With the greatest respect...", "That is a very brave proposal" and my fav - "Very interesting."

[demagogue]

Haha, that's as bad as the double-talk maze Japanese always run you through.

Right: Prometheus. Opens tomorrow in die Schweiz, België & Française.
Expecting full report from somebody in the morning.

[Thirith]

Right: Prometheus. Opens tomorrow in die Schweiz...

I wish. It's only in la Suisse; die Schweiz will have to wait 'till August, like it's friggin' neighbour to the north.

[Subjective Effect]

Wait what? Are you frikking kidding me or am I reading this wrong? You're saying that it's only coming to part of Switzerland?!!

[demagogue]

Yeah I was going to say, what kind of confederacy are you?

But it's a francophone release, so it makes sense on paper they'd also release to french-speaking Belgium and Switzerland. It just makes it suck all the worse to the other half of those countries to have to derp around for another 3 months.

[Thirith]

The joys of federalism...

I guess for one reason or another the German dub is ready later than the French one, and while 50% of cinemas still show the original language versions with subtitles, with the big releases they usually have one or two cinemas showing the dubbed version.

[LarryG]

I do find the staggered releases silly, and I always have. I've had weird situations where I've been in one country, seen a film, gone to another country and not only is it not on but it's got ages til it comes out there. I saw a bunch of stuff in Taiwan one summer that only came out late autumn/early winter in the UK.

And when I was in Africa VHS pirate copies used to come up from South Africa - of films that hadn't reached the UK. So I'd sometimes see stuff at home, go the UK for summer and find this stuff on at the cinema! Of course in those days there was no internet so we had no idea about global release dates, especially in Africa.

As to English. Oh hell yeah, I know what you mean. I think this image is pretty spot on and I especially like "With the greatest respect...", "That is a very brave proposal" and my fav - "Very interesting."

[scumble]

Are you aiming at British or Cockney there Larry?

[LarryG]

Are you aiming at British or Cockney there Larry?

More of a shotgun approach. (Or is that scattergun across the pond? Or maybe a fowling piece?) I've always enjoyed finding out how spot on George Bernard Shaw was with his observation that "England and America are two countries separated by a common language."

[Chimpy Chompy]

...wishy washies?

[scumble]

I've never heard them called that either.

[demagogue]

That joke was all over the place last year or so.
Some of them are a little funny, come on.

US - UK
Doors - wobbly flip-shutters
Clock - Small Ben
Door bell - Chimey push-knob
door knobs - Twisting Plank-handles
Feces - Niffy loo pudding
Hamburger - Beef Wellington ensemble with lettuce
Markers - Crockety snapwickets
Clown - Looney chuckle fairy
Watch - Cuff-link time Johnny
Candybars - Globbernaughts
Cars - Rollinghams
Fireworks - Fizzlebombs
Gravy - Meat water
Power cables - electro-rope
sandwich - breaddystack
Peanut butter & Jelly - nutty gum and fruit spleggings
Escalator - Upsy-stairsy
Sweater - Knitty witty sheepity sleepity
cookie - choco chip bicky
screwdriver - pip pop gollywock
lightbulb - ceiling-bright
Ball - blimpy bounce
Roads - Cobblestone clippity clops

[faetal]

Often accompanied with a picture of Hugh Laurie as the Prince Regent in Blackadder the Third.

[LarryG]

But "rooty-tooty-point-and-shooty" was familiar??? I didn't make the chart, I just found it.

Better?

[scumble]

This is beginning to feel like a return to primary school (that's elementary school for the Americans, by the way)

[Thirith]

I find the differences in culture and mentality interesting (especially since I work for an ultra-British, upper middle classish. Grauniad-reading organisation and my boss is a young, enthusiastic American), but much of the linguistic jokery-shokery is pretty stale and tired IMO.

Has anyone else checked out some of the early reviews, or are people afraid of spoilers?

One thing that was mentioned that I found interesting/intriguing/confusing:
One critic mentioned that the ending feels like an obvious sequel setup. If this is a prequel-of-sorts, what would a sequel be? An in-between-quel? Which raises the bigger question that I'm excited about: how exactly does this tie into Alien?

[Pyrian]

If you're worried about spoilers, also avoid the full trailer. It seems to be basically a plot-synopsis.

[Neb]

Encouragingly, I've heard that the trailer doesn't give everything away.

[Subjective Effect]

Some of those Brit "translations" crack me up, especially the ones you post dema.

2 days to go to Prometheus! Can't wait can't wait!

[Vivian]

Well, the reviews are coming in, and they aren't all that glowing. Sounds like what most people were worried about - a shiny, eye-boggling and somewhat directionless film that tries to bolt on a horror theme late in the game (despite horror being entirely about the set-up - Alien is an absolute masterclass in this). Basically, sounds like it's pretty good but probably has more in common with Avatar than it does with Alien. Bah. What is it with massive budgets fucking things up?

[Brethren]

Maybe you should wait to see if for yourself before passing judgement? Just a thought.

Anyway, of course massive budget means needing to appeal to a wider audience to recoup costs, which typically gives you Avatar instead of Alien. Not surprising at all if that's the case.

http://www.metro.co.uk/film/900788-f...world-premiere

[Vivian]

Just a thought, eh? Well here's a thought - when I go see it I have already spent 15 quid on it, and even if I leave the cinema prepared to murder ridley scott and burn his house down, the studio have already taken my money and as far as they are concerned I LOVED it and definitely want more films made that are exactly like that. That's what critics are FOR, to give you some idea of what the film is like. You want to spend money going to see good films and not spend money going to see bad films so that the bad films bomb and people don't make more of them. Last time I reserved judgement I ended up watching Alien Resurrection and nearly crying.

PS the metro really fucking ripped into it, wow: http://blogs.metro.co.uk/film/promet...dd-the-aliens/

Basically, I'm waiting to see what Ebert says about it.

[Brethren]

Life is full of risks, sucka.

[Vivian]

I think I've been bitter ever since I bought a copy of MW2 and realised I couldn't sell it. Now it sits in my steam games list and reminds me to be cautious, lest I end up contributing to the burgeoning success of yet another load of facile shit.