Foreign language tracks on DVD (especially French!)

[on:]

Is anybody here handy with French?  On the R1 DVD, there's a French track.  But does anybody know if it is France French or Canadian French?  The only foreign language I can speak is German, so I can't identify the differences between France French and Canadian French.  CGEF isn't that specific in the listings of foreign language tracks on the DVD.  For example, there are actually two different versions of Futurama in Spanish:  The Castilian/Spain Spanish version would be on the European R2 discs, and the Latin American version is on the R1 discs.

P.S. Anyone else notice on the R1 discs that the Robot Hell song was actually translated into Spanish and French?  Freaky!

[Reply #1 on:]

I'm curious as to why you are curious about that. It seems like it wouldn't effect you if you don't speak French. On the other hand, if it is French Canadien (note the e, which is how those crazy Quebeckers spell it) then I could take it to school and use it in a French class, which would be funny.

[Reply #2 on:]

I'm just really interested in linguistics.  So that's, in short, why I'm so curious  .

[Reply #3 on:]

 

Originally posted by Evil Fox Exec:
I can't identify the differences between France French and Canadian French.

They're different?

[Reply #4 on:]

Depends whether the Canadian stations (Global, isn't it?) have a special version to air in Quebec.

If they have a special version, I'm sure that's the one on the region 1 set (just like the Latin American is on), but if it's just plain Amerienglish that's aired in Quebec, then it's the French version.

[Reply #5 on:]

When I watched the first 2 DVD sets, I only ever listened to the commentary/French tracks (never the 'normal' version - I've seen them so many times already!).  I study French at university, so I thought listening to them might help (well, it taught me how to say 'ass' in French at least  )

Anyway, I've not really looked at Canadian French much, but it seemed to be France French to me. The accents definitely weren't what Canadian French accents are supposed to be like, anyway, and I didn't notice any weird Canadian vocabulary (not that I understood all of the French by a long shot, anyway!)

[Reply #6 on:]

The Frech audio track on the R1 DVD set is proper France French.  Canadian Frech sounds quite a bit different, the accent is "harder" and it's peppered (hehe) with slang.  A roommate of one of my old bandmembers was from France,  he had a hard time grasping and didn't particularily like all the slang and "idiom?" of Quebec French.  It got to the popint where he stopped watching the French CBC channel.

[Reply #7 on:]

I think its like Austrailian english vs. american english. They're the same thing, but the slang is incredibly different, almost to the point of incoherence.

[Reply #8 on:]

Evil Fox Exec: The french track is, like spice weasel already said, from france. There is no French canadian version of futurama.

But there is one of the simpsons, and it's way better from the french version. On season 1 r1 dvd set, they took the france's french track and it sold well everywhere except in Quebec. But for season 2, they took Quebec's french version and BAM! Sold out.

Mike: French accent and french canadian accent are 2 VERY different things ... Believe me! 

[Reply #9 on:]

Spice Weasel and Fromage, thank you so much!  I was really curious as to what type of French that was, considering that in Quebec, some stuff is shown in France French, and some stuff is shown in Quebec French, so you never really know.  Anyway, I also found that stuff concerning the Simpsons DVD really fascinating.

I also know that Frence French and Quebec French are very different.  The problem with me is, I don't know what to hear for, since I'm not used to hearing either accent, so it sounds the same to me, even though they are very different.   

[Reply #10 on:]

 

Originally posted by Chump:
I think its like Austrailian english vs. american english. They're the same thing, but the slang is incredibly different, almost to the point of incoherence.

Incoherent? Flamin' hell! You better watch yourself, mate or you'll find yourself up
S%^t Creek without a paddle...!!   

Was that slang enough for you? (I'm from Oz, if you hadn't already guessed). Great post, chump. Oh, I mean, "Chump".

[Reply #11 on:]

I don't know whether or not you're angry. Is that enough of an indication?

However, I have heard that saying before (Up shit's creek without a paddle). Oddly enough, my mom says that.

[Reply #12 on:]

I listened to the French and Spanish versions on my DVD last night. The dubbing was so bad! 

[Reply #13 on:]

Yeah, the dubbings are pretty bad.  I'm most familiar with the German dubbed version.  Incidently, I was a foreign exchange student in Germany for the 2001-2002 school year.  It was then I started watching Futurama.  So, even though I'm an American, for a very long time I was only familiar with the German version, never having seen the original American version!

Which, to get the the point, the dubbed versions of Futurama, or anything for that matter, fits under the category of "what you don't know can't hurt you".  I bought the German version of Season one on video in February 2002 (I couldn't get the DVD because we don't having a region-free DVD player, however, we do have a multi-system TV and VCR).  Anyway, after I came home to the U.S., I started comparing the German version to the original.  Then, you notice all the translation errors.  But if you've never seen the original, you usually don't recognize the errors.

Also, the voices aren't bad if you've never ever heard the original version.  But if you have seen the original, than you notice problems with the intonation 'n stuff.

Conclusion:  Dubbing sucks, original version rules.

[Reply #14 on:]

 

Originally posted by Evil Fox Exec:
Conclusion:  Dubbing sucks, original version rules.

Yeah!
The Season 2 Box had some examples from other language versions and they sounded even worse than the german one...

[Reply #15 on:]

It's pretty much like Chump said. The thing is I enjoy The Simpsons in both languages. The translation is actually not so bad (if you can believe this!). Matt Groening came to Montreal for the Just For Laughs festival and said that the translation for French Canada was one of the best in the world. How can he make that statement if he doesn't speak french ? I don't know, but it was in the papers (so you know it MUST be true     )

All this to say I'm glad it's the Qc version on the DVD 'cause I like both versions (preference to english, but still).

Thanks

[Reply #16 on:]

Hi there!

Being a french canadian, i really can tell you there is a lot of difference between our colourful language, and the one in France. The Simpsons dubbed in Quebec is really close to the real version, jokes and everything.

I post here especially because i want to know if any of you KNOW if Futurama is aired in east Canada, like around Montreal or Ottawa. I went to the Global network site, and it seems like it was on the air there, but no more. I'd like to watch the show weekly, and yes, I DO have cable   

And i mean the original english version of Futurama. Even if it should be fun to hear by the same who dubbed The Simpsons.

Salut, ma gang de ....vous autres!! 

''If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you''  Contemporary Zen wisdom

[Reply #17 on:]

well i try to avoid as much as possible hearing Futurama in spanish cuz it plainly sucks!!

yeah slangs are very different and can sometimes make people to misunderstand things