thxita

I know. Luckly the book is translated properly so I'm currently keeping it on the desk to use as main reference for weird words.

Again on the visual binaries, could the "visual binaries" be referring to those wall signals made of numbers where we see confused people staring at them?

It would be ironic if the speaker voice is telling people that new numerical indications would improve their reading, while on the contrary they just get people confused.

How does the official translation treat these lines? You could just make things easy and take the existing official Italian translation on the DVD for the lines that appear in the original film, which is about 95%. Or were those subs made from the Italian dub?

Muhahah, if it only was that easy! That's what I thought at first before I realized that the DVD subtitles are not very well made. I use those as a base to work on but plenty of stuff has been altered because clearly the subtitler had no idea what the movie was about.

Wookie has been changed to expressway operator. Birthborns are translated as first-borns. The "dendrites" are called "dendrex" for some reason (direct translation would be "dendriti"). The "slipping on the thermal transfer" was dubbed as if he actually fell while walking. That's why I asked confirmation about that, just in case. Some parts are actually mute, they left them undubbed, especially during the factory operations. That's just the stuff off the top of my head... there was more. I think there is some sort of bad omen around the dubbing of this movie since they messed up twice!

I'm doing a mix sourcing from subtitles translation (which is a direct translation from English subs, not entirely matching the Italian dub), old and new dubbing. I take the best translation from each of these and I translate myself the rest of the stuff that didn't please me. If I'm asking your opinions about some weird dialogues it's because neither the two dubs nor the subtitles really made an effort in translating them correctly (or translating them at all).

Still, this will be much faster than translating Italian to English and it won't take as long as the other subtitles.

I'll list a few doubts here:

Could you guys check the scene after the first explosion (around 7 minutes). They do a loss count but the sum doesn't add up: 63+195 does not equal 242, unless I'm misunderstanding what they're saying.

Then, just at the end of thx's shift, they say that a libido-leveller has been lost near the pulse-buffering gate. What could a pulse-buffering gate be?

In the mall there are also "visual binaries" which can "previse" and improve your reading. What the hell is that?

When he says to OMM that he "slipped on a thermal transfer this morning" does it mean he made a mistake during one of the robot building procedures? That's how I always understood it.

"units of detuned escalatories have not, however, prevented virus and ordnance from invading our centers." Any thoughts on this? What image you picture in your mind when you hear of detuned escalatories not preventing virus and ordnance from invading our centers?

I know a lot of this stuff means nothing but I would like to render the same mental image. Afterall, adapting is part of the translation process. I'm also using my Italian version of THX novelization as reference for some words (like birthborns) so that there will be actually a connection between film and novelization. Sorry if I bother you with details that I perfectly understand if for most of the English-speaking people will be uninteresting. The same care was however given to the Italian-to-English subtitles.

I left it as DTO even in Italian, sounds ok still.

SilverWook said:

Someone ankle deep in dendrites because they can't dispose of them, while still dutifully buying more would have been really funny. ;)

Haha indeed. I think I'll raise plenty of speculations in the next weeks. When you go to translate every single word you start wondering stuff you never even thought about before... like what's the Department of Biological Flow (why not just Dept. of Biology?). I studied biology and I don't remember such thing as a department of Biological Flow, must be one of those things that Lucas thought they sounded cool. Like the word "wookie".

Thanks. I think I got confused, I was reading FUN on the DVD but it read 5 on the srt file.

Listen, the old guy asking for help says that he "bought one of these yesterday" but it doesn't fit his consumer. What the hell did he buy and what is a "consumer"? Is he referring to that "sucking trash can" where THX dispose his red thing perhaps?

@Silver: thanks Silver but save your strength, I might need of you Laserdisc CC again. ;)

What does DTO screen stand for?

Well I'm checking side by side with the DVD version and there is a scene that is not on the txt file so it might be the correct one afterall. Nevermind then, I'll move on ;-)

Well, the italian subs in that scene read "5" so I guess it was indeed just "5". I'm afraid I'm looking at the DVD subs then (that's what I've found on my PC). Could you re-send me the subtitles for your version msycamore?

I'll try to be as precise as I have been with the English subtitles of the Italian version, so I might be asking you some weird stuff from time to time.

For example I just read that the "are you now or have you ever been?" line was from MacCarthy period when they usd to ask "are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?".

Thanks Silver for checking some stuff, the LD might have more info on it. The DVD just cuts the words exactly as they are heard.

When at the beginning of the movie the guy is at the drugs cabinet, the voice suggests him to call 348-FUN... and then the voice is interrupted. Do you have an idea what could have been?

Yes I'll start from that then ;-)

Lucky that you managed to save everything msycamore! Your luck continues indeed!

msycamore, through my blog it's building up a discrete interest and expectation towards the original version of THX that you're working to preserve and that we've never seen in Italy. I know it's a pain in the arse but may I insist on the request of having Italian subtitles on that disc? I would of course take care of the translation

Yes, in half an hour... but on the same channel! I don't know anyone with a subscription to that channel unfortunately

http://www.syfy.it/dettaglio_film.php?codice=10049

At the moment in Italy THX is on a TV channel but I can't check which version it is because it's a premium channel (you need to pay to watch it). Leonardo made me notice that in the description on their website it even says that it's supposed to be "4:3" which suggests it's not the new DVD version. Damn it could be the Italian pre-DVD version and I can't even check nor record it! It's so annoying!

In those three pictures the original is definitely better. I also prefer haloing to the side effects of the filters.

msycamore said:

 but I cannot see that continuous change in colour/brightness you describe, it may be the fluctuations and the slightly unstable colors and brightness in this old transfer you're seeing, I don't know, whatever it is you're seeing it's not something I have introduced.

About the fluctuation of brightness and colors, try to stare at the ceiling in that scene. You see that sometimes is white sometimes it goes more yellow. I'm working on a Samsung HD LED TV so perhaps it's more noticeable on my screen. Since it's in the same scene of the white spots, I believe they messed up during the transfer of that segment.

Oh and the transition is great!

It works. Looks very good too, no audio but I know it's meant to be. I like the old WB logo, I don't think I've ever seen it in other THX versions I've visioned. Thanks again for the work you're doing. I'll love to watch it on TV.

In the scene with the robot and the kid, aside from the white dots flashing on the left, I see a continous change of colour/brightness... was that originally on the laserdisc?

Reinstalling Windows never solved anything. A format and a fresh install is the only good solution but requires backing up all the data

How many gigas of material are we talking about here?

Msycamore, my PC is not the latest technology but is not bad either (Intel Core 2 duo E4600 @2.40Ghz, 4GB of RAM, Vista Business, GeForce graphic card plugged on a 32" led TV) and I have adobe premier and virtualdub if needed but I have no idea what exactly are you doing with this film. If it's just a case of "apply these filters and wait hours for the rendering" I can do it for you. I doubt I can do more complicated things though. You can PM me if you want to discuss a possible involvement of mine.
Let me know

These are suspense moments... haven't you played the tape yet? LOL

Seems weird for holograms to have full name (3 letters and 4 numbers). In the book he even had an access card. Honestly I don't know what to believe. Lucas is often not the most reliable source of information but I guess we have to stick to his answer.

Lol about the Eloi

Finished the book today. Wow I didn't know about the ending... Ok Silver, here we go

SPOILER AHEAD

Ok before the very end I must say the final sequences are in slightly a different order. First the robots stop the chase because overbudget, then THX reaches the super-structure where furry "cavemen" attack him... and finally he goes up the ladder leading out (not before breaking through a rusty grid though).

After THX emerges from the shaft he basically sees a paradise, grass on the ground, birds in the sky, a river nearby, warm sun. From the river eight people wave at him inviting him to come closer. THX looks back and thinks they are all mad to live in there and promise himself never to go back... except once to save LUH (his child).

The very happy ending kinda relieves from the depression of LUH's tragic destiny. It would have been much worse if it ended the way Lucas initially thought (with a radiation wasteland awaiting THX)... thank God for that bird passing in the shot!

Now we wonder... were those people at the river other escapees from the underground city? Or have they always lived there and no nuclear holocaust ever happened? Open questions always make sci-fi books more interesting.

PS on a different note, I find incredible that even from the book it's not clear whether SRT is a real hologram or is an actor from the holoshow. The words they used were as ambiguous as in the movie.

Sure.

About the white limbo, in the book they make it as if it's some mind trick possibly due to the drugged food. In fact in a first attempt to escape THX  reaches a place with some coloured lights. An assistant robot tells him that he's not in the prison area anymore but in a hospital area where bodies of people that cannot be cured are kept in stasis for organ transplants. All he can see of this area though is only still white limbo, only with some coloured lights and the robot... the assistant robot explains that it's because of the drugged food and asks him to go back to the prison area.

Another thing is that in the white limbo there are only 10 beds and any time someone is brought in, someone else is carried away (to be "consumed", meaning they kill him for organ transplant). This adds to the paranoia and explains why people there are out of their minds, not knowing when they will be carried away. Food is delivered to them inconsistently as to torture them psychologically.

THX is still the father. The rape happens after she goes in the limbo to "visit" THX and tells him that she's pregnant.