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Info Wanted: OT Preservation projects - Non-English soundtrack / audio versions?

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 (Edited)

Which versions are available with non-english soundtracks? What would be the easiest way to aquire the soundtracks?

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For sure French and German. Japanese always has subs (the best way to do it). I believe Spanish editions were subbed, too? Not sure.

The best way to get the audio from these versions is to buy 'em, and cap them yourself. That's what I've done for anything I've needed, anyway...
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Many years ago, there was a montage of movie clips on the Academy Awards telecast demonstrating how many popular Hollywood films were dubbed into many different languages. Among them was a clip from SW with Vader speaking in Japanese. So it's curious a Japanese dub track has never appeared on any of the imported LD's.
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I know this isn't on the topic of the OT, but does anyone know where to find (anywhere) an alternate language track for Episode I, aside from Spanish, French, or German? I'm desperately looking for this for my prequel edits (for subtitled alien languages) and have had no luck. Was there ever a foreign DVD with some kind of odd language track on it?

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

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www.dvdcompare.net is usually a great resource for questions like this (and was the lone site that allowed me to distinguish why exactly I should buy the UK Shaun of the Dead DVD), but I didn't see any alternate languages than the ones you specified on any of the foreign TPM discs. Didn't check AOTC, though.

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Thanks for that link! I'm disappointed that there's only French, Spanish, and German for Episode I. (and only French and Spanish for II). The OT DVD's were available in Portugese, for crying out loud.

Oh, well- that's a handy site, though.

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

Emperor Jar-Jar
“Back when we made Star Wars, we just couldn’t make Palpatine as evil as we intended. Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, it is finally possible. Finally, I’ve created the movies that I originally imagined.” -George Lucas on the 2007 Extra Extra Special HD-DVD Edition

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They look cool, wouldn't mind buying them just for the laugh.
"A Jedi can feel the force flow through him".
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<no message> error
"A Jedi can feel the force flow through him".
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Originally posted by: SilverWook
[...]SW with Vader speaking in Japanese. So it's curious a Japanese dub track has never appeared on any of the imported LD's.


Not really, I don't think. In Japan, most movies are subbed for theatrical release. The exception being animated films for kids (think Shrek, for example) which get both dubbed and subbed releases. Usually playing at the same theatre, but at different times of the day -- early showings are dubbed, and later showings are subbed.

There are sometimes both dubbed and subbed VHS releases, too, but the subbed versions are way more popular (as they should be). Not sure how most DVDs are these days.

On TV, films are usually dubbed on one audio channel, and the original language soundtrack on the other channel.

All these situations sort of point to dubs being the lowest common denominator sort of thing (i.e. for the young and/or dumb), whereas subs are preferred by film buffs, audio- and videophiles. LD was always a sort of elitist format, so it sort of stands to reason that LDs are subbed.

It could be that some of the earlier releases on LD have Japanese-language audio, but I know the four best releases (the Collector's Set, the DC, 1997 SE and 2000 SE re-release) are all English-language only with subs.

On a sort of related tangent, I wish Disney would stop messing with Miyazaki movies by adding crappy Hollywood dubbing. I want to see Howl's Moving Castle with the original voice talent, not some Hollywood has-beens and never-weres!

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I actually have the earliest Japanese LD release of Star Wars. Stereo, English, with subtitles all the way. What really bakes my noodle is a subtitle appears right where "Close the blast doors!" would be uttered in the mono mix.
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Are the subtitles in the picture, or under it?

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

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Originally posted by: SilverWook
I actually have the earliest Japanese LD release of Star Wars. Stereo, English, with subtitles all the way. What really bakes my noodle is a subtitle appears right where "Close the blast doors!" would be uttered in the mono mix.


Got a screen cap?? I can translate...

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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
Are the subtitles in the picture, or under it?


I would be very, very surprised if a Japanese release had subs in the picture.

Sadly, this almost-reverential attitude to the inviolable nature of the original presentation is changing with HD -- I've heard it's now a stipulation of the studios that the Japanese subs are in the picture, since a lot of cool movies (Alien, Blade Runner) were broadcast in HD in Japan well before they were broadcast in North America (if at all?) and it wouldn't do for high-quality HD boots to make it over without something to screw up the picture a bit...
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It's in the picture as it's pan and scan. (The disc dates from 1983.) I'll try to get a screenshot for you guys.
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TWO different Spanish dubs with different voice casts.


Probably the European dub and the South American dub. They are different enough.
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Originally posted by: SilverWook
It's in the picture as it's pan and scan. (The disc dates from 1983.) I'll try to get a screenshot for you guys.


D'oh! Of course I was thinking solely of widescreen releases...
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Okay, here's a pic! Note the subtitles run on the side of the screen. A translation would be appreciated. http://www.jetlink.net/~grysken/SilverWook/BlastDoors.jpg
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That says, "Bouka tobira shimero!" which means "Close the blast door!"

Actually, 'bouka' is like something along the lines of fire prevention, 'tobira' is door, and 'shimero' is the imperative / command form of 'shimeru' -- to close.

From my favourite J<->E dictionary site:
??????? (n) fire prevention; fire fighting; fire proof; (P)
?????? (n) door; opening; (P)
???????? (v1,vt) to close; to shut; (P)

Aw, damn. Looks like this forum doesn't support Japanese encoding. Too bad.
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Thanks for the translation, Karyudo. This just deepens the mystery, as it's not the mono mix. I'll put up a couple more screencaps tonight, just to see if any other missing lines are there.
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That's actually a very cool pic.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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I have to wonder what the people doing the subtitles were listening to.
Now then, does it say Biggs or Wedge in this one? http://www.jetlink.net/~grysken/SilverWook/BlastIt!.jpg
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This one's easy! I don't even have to hit a dictionary...

It says, "Uejji ka?" where 'Uejji' is, of course, 'Wedge'. The feeling is maybe, "Is that Wedge?" I don't know what Luke is supposed to be saying right then, but this is that.
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This is where Luke says "Blast it Biggs! Where are you?" in the stereo mix and "Blast it Wedge! Where are you?" in the mono. Very interesting!
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