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Non-US Gaf: Awful movie titles translations

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Z

zruben

Banned
Well, I was talking yesterday with some friends about how the movie titles are often "butchered" when they are translated/adapted to another language. Here in Mexico and Latin America in general, there are some very horrible examples.

In some cases, they add a unnecessary subtitle, or they reveal part of the plot (which I think it's a total lack of respect for the intelligence of your audience)
So now I'm curious how bad it happens in other countries/languages

Here are some examples in Mexico and LatAm:
noviocia-624x350.jpg

La Novicia Rebelde would translate to something like: "The rebellious nun"

hangover.jpg

¿Que pasó ayer? = What happened yesterday?

exterminio.jpg

Exterminio = Extermination

16velas.jpg

Se busca novio = Looking for a boyfriend

pobre-angelito.jpg

Mi pobre angelito = My poor little angel

burton.jpg

El extraño mundo de Jack = Jack's strange world

greenmile.jpg

Milagros Inesperados = Unexpected miracles

tokio.jpg

Perdidos en Tokio = Lost in Tokio

peliculas-generos-blu-ray-extranjeras-15931-MLM20111306876_062014-Y.jpg

Jerry Maguire: Amor y Desafío = Jerry Maguire = Love and Challenge


so, any horrid examples you want to share?
 
Z

Zissou

Member
Pixar's "Up" in Japanese is "カールじいさんの空飛ぶ家" i.e., Uncle Carl's Floating House. They're doing a great job of keeping up the Japanese tradition of transforming simple eloquence into a short description of the plot of the film.
 
W

wildfire

Banned
A lot of these titles suck. Some of them are actually spoilers.

Though I wonder why you dislike this one.

¿Que pasó ayer? = What happened yesterday?
Click to expand...

Does your language have a slang term that works as well as Hangover? If you don't it's understandable why they gave the literal translation of that term even though it doesn't get across the recovery from being drunk aspect.
 
B

berzeli

Banned
polis_ger_servitris_2_miljoner_941.jpg


It Could Happen to You - or if you prefer the incredibly romantic Swedish title: Policeman tips Waitress 2 million. At least it gives you a clear picture of what the film is about.
 
W

wildfire

Banned
Manu said:
"La Resaca", it works just as fine.
Click to expand...


So they did fuck up a title that should've been easy. Thanks for clearing that up.

Manu said:
The undisputed king for me.



Known to every twenty-something around here as:

Prohibido pasar: Hercules vigila (Do not trespass: Hercules is watching)
Click to expand...

This title change transcends being bad into something completely awesome for how confusing it must be to read that title while looking at the rest of the box cover.
 
A

Amaya

Banned
How bout " El Laberinto del Fauno" translation is " The Faun's Labyrinth ". When did it become Pan's?!


Edit: The irony of Lost in translation.
 
A

Anoregon

The flight plan I just filed with the agency list me, my men, Dr. Pavel here. But only one of you!
There is something truly glorious about "Lost in Translation" being incorrectly translated.
 
A

Atraveller

Banned
70% of title translations in Taiwan are shit, anyway, a recent example: Gone Girl ---> Control, I know it kinda fits, but that's not how translation works you guys!
 
scotcheggz

scotcheggz

Member
An old ex of mine from Germany once told me that Jaws was called something like "big shark" in German, but I'm not sure if she was having me on.
 
L

Leflus

Member
Airplane = "Hjelp, vi flyr" in Norwegian

"Hjelp, vi flyr" means " Help, we are flying"

scotcheggz said:
An old ex of mine from Germany once told me that Jaws was called something like "big shark" in German, but I'm not sure if she was having me on.
Click to expand...
It's called "Haisommer" (Shark summer) in Norway.
 
Z

zruben

Banned
Manu said:
The undisputed king for me.

Known to every twenty-something around here as:

Prohibido pasar: Hercules vigila (Do not trespass: Hercules is watching)
Click to expand...

where are you from? In Mexico, that's called "Nuestra Pandilla" (Our gang)

wildfire said:
Does your language have a slang term that works as well as Hangover? If you don't it's understandable why they gave the literal translation of that term even though it doesn't get across the recovery from being drunk aspect.
Click to expand...

As Manu mentioned, "La Resaca" works... in Mexico, a VERY slang term would be "La Cruda"
 
M

Manu

Member
Oh, just remembered another one.

alguien-sabe-demasiado.jpg


Translated as Alguien Sabe Demasiado

Mercury Rising > "Somebody Knows Too Much"

Also, about 28 Days Later, the worst thing about being translated to Exterminio is that when 28 Weeks Later came out it was translated as... Exterminio 2.

zruben said:
where are you from? In Mexico, that's called "Nuestra Pandilla" (Our gang)
Click to expand...

I'm Argentinian. And yeah, I originally watched the movie on Fox and it was called Nuestra Pandilla.
 
D

DizzyCrow

Member
The Hangover => Se Beber Não Case (PT-BR)
Se Beber Não Case = If You Drink Don't Get Married
They could have used "A Ressaca", the exact translation.
 
F

FuuRe

Member
This will always be the winner for me, in Spain, the translators decided to add a subtitle to Braindead

Braindead_Tu_madre_se_ha_comido_a_mi_perro-251699227-large.jpg


Braindead: Tu madre se ha comido a mi perro = Braindead: Your mother ate my dog

WHY

For reference:

US: Dead alive
Latin America: Muertos de Miedo = Scared to death

Edit: Spain is a goldmine for these

2hfkm5g.jpg


Jet Li: Fist of Legend becomes...

Jet Li es el mejor peleador = Jet Li is the best fighter ever
 
K

KimiNewt

Scored 3/100 on an Exam
Israel. We have a lot of those:

The Hangover - On the Way to the Wedding We Stop at Vegas (Baderech LaChatuna Otzrim BeVegas)
Scott Pilgrim - My Girlfriend's Exes (HaExim Shel HaHavera Sheli)
Alien - The Eighth Passenger (HaNosea HaShmini)

And then there's these (same theme):
Superbad - Horny all the Time (approximately - Harman Al HaZman)
Knocked Up - The Date That Screwed Me (HaDate SheTaka Oti)
Forgetting Sarah Marshell - Take it Like a Man (Kach Et Ze Kmo Gever)
 
ResidentDante

ResidentDante

Member
Norway here!

haisommer.jpg


Jaws = Shark summer

1142796646_chrismas_v.jpg
147114027.jpg


National Lampoons Christmas Vacation = Help! It's Christmas Holiday

Same goes for the other Lampoon movies. Help! We are on Vacation etc.
 
E

El Topo

Member
Night Hunter said:
In Germany, sometimes they replace an obscure sounding english title with another english title ...
Click to expand...

Safety Not Guaranteed -> Journey of Love

Okay, fair enough, that one had a German subtitle: Das wahre Abenteuer ist die Liebe (Love is the true adventure).
 
A

Altazor

Member
SxzTyHk.jpg
Click to expand...

Translated in some parts as "El Primer Año Del Resto De Nuestras Vidas" ("The first year of the rest of our lives").

A bit of a mouthful.

EDIT: oh, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World became "Scott Pilgrim vs. Los Ex De la Chica de sus Sueños" ("...vs. His Dream-girl exes", WTF) in LatAm
 
G

GCX

Member
A classic Finnish example:

Shawshank Redemption = Rita Hayworth - The Key to Escape (Rita Hayworth - Avain Pakoon)

Way to spoil the whole goddamn movie.
 
N

Nander

Member
The worst ever is when the translated titles follow a theme that the original titles do not.

For example, "The Producers" is called "Springtime for Hitler" ("Det våras för Hitler") in Swedish. That's not too bad, since the play in the movie is actually called "Springtime for Hitler" in English as well. However, then the Swedish translators decided that all Mel Brooks movies should be called "Springtime for..."

The Twelve Chairs = Springtime for Mother-in-law
Blazing Saddles = Springtime for the Sheriff
Young Frankenstein = Springtime for Frankenstein
Silent Movie = Springtime for Silent Movies
High Anxiety = Springtime for the Madmen
History of the World = Springtime for the History of the World
To Be or Not to Be = Springtime for Hamlet
Spaceballs = Springtime for Space
Life Stinks = Springtime for the Ghetto
Dracula: Dead and Loving It = Springtime for Dracula.

Same thing for Goldie Hawn's movies:
Foul Play = The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Private Benjamin = The Girl Who Joined the Army
Best Friends = The Girl Who Didn't Want to Get Married
Swing Shift = The Girl Who Worked Shifts
Wildcats = The Girl Who Won the Game
Overboard = The Girl Who Fell Overboard
 
W

wildfire

Banned
Nander said:
The worst ever is when the translated titles follow a theme that the original titles do not.

For example, "The Producers" is called "Springtime for Hitler" ("Det våras för Hitler") in Swedish. That's not too bad, since the play in the movie is actually called "Springtime for Hitler" in English as well. However, then the Swedish translators decided that all Mel Brooks movies should be called "Springtime for..."

The Twelve Chairs = Springtime for Mother-in-law
Blazing Saddles = Springtime for the Sheriff
Young Frankenstein = Springtime for Frankenstein
Silent Movie = Springtime for Silent Movies
High Anxiety = Springtime for the Madmen
History of the World = Springtime for the History of the World
To Be or Not to Be = Springtime for Hamlet
Spaceballs = Springtime for Space
Life Stinks = Springtime for the Ghetto
Dracula: Dead and Loving It = Springtime for Dracula.

Same thing for Goldie Hawn's movies:
Foul Play = The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Private Benjamin = The Girl Who Joined the Army
Best Friends = The Girl Who Didn't Want to Get Married
Swing Shift = The Girl Who Worked Shifts
Wildcats = The Girl Who Won the Game
Overboard = The Girl Who Fell Overboard
Click to expand...

Now this is legendary, marketing branding at its most vapid.

What do they do for Tom Cruise or Nic Cage?
 
M

Manu

Member
Nander said:
The worst ever is when the translated titles follow a theme that the original titles do not.
Click to expand...

Same in Latin America, apparently someone decided every spoof movie had to be called "Y dónde está [something]?", even when they belong to totally different series.

Examples are too many to list.

And a personal one for me, since they're subtle about their awfulness.

The second and third Nolan Batman movies were translated as "Batman, el caballero de la noche" and "Batman, el caballero de la noche asciende".

While the actual titles are pretty good... did they really need to cram "Batman" in there?

BATMAN-RAIN.jpg


Gee, I would've never guessed what this movie was about without the title specifically saying "Batman". Thanks, translators!
 
openrob

openrob

Member
When I visited Jerusalem, went into a cinema to watch Avatar and saw a sign for:
Rain of Falafel.
04.jpg

Israel keeping it Kosher I guess...
 
A

Aureon

Please do not let me serve on a jury. I am actually a crazy person.
It's not BAD, but:
In italy, Shawshank Redeption is known as Le Ali della libertà, or "The wings of freedom".
I mean, how did it even...
 
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