Not film news per se, but amusing nonetheless. Often we complain around these parts about a certain company ran by two brothers whose family name begins with "W" and their penchant for giving often baffling new titles to Asian cinema imports (Killzone, Legend of the Black Scorpion) Some major studios were even in the game with House of Flying Daggers, and The Departed (OK, I tease, but it was hard to resist).
It cuts both ways, I guess. Here are some of the unusual titles given to Western films for Eastern consumption:
Pretty Woman = The Sparrow Becomes The Empress
Leon (aka The Professional) = This Hit Man Is Not As Cold As He Thought
The Full Monty = Six Naked Pigs
Ace Ventura = Trump Card Specialist
Liar, Liar = Trump Card Big Liar
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery = Trump Card Big Spy
Deep Impact = Earth and Comet Collide
Eyes Wide Shut = Eyes Wide Open
Also, in Taiwan, The Blair Witch Project = Night in the Cramped Forest
Nothing says a heart warming night of drama laced comedy like Six Naked Pigs.
Also, the Vin Diesel milestone THE PACIFIER is known to German audiences as... DER BABYNATOR.
Der Babynator?! HA!
I personally love "Earth and Comet Collide."
Ah, ze Germans...
They called "First Blood", yes, the first one, "Rambo".
So that caused problems when the second one was called "Rambo".
In a move showing immense foresight (with regards to the much later released "Rambo III"), in Germany the second movie was finally called "Rambo II".
The one that got me:
Eyes Wide Shut = Eyes Wide Open
Oh dear.
Ahhh, crazy international sequel labelling. The Zombi/Dawn of the Dead thing caused a number of problems.
This video focuses on video game botched sequel names from Japan to US, but ends on movies, in particular the Rocky, Rambo, Star Trek, Alien films as well as some of Bruce Lee's work, Jackie Chan's Armour of God and Fulci's Zombi2. It's very, very funny and well worth a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEVzPCY2T-g
mad lolz...
My personal favorite:
Ace Ventura = Trump Card Specialist
2nd place:
Earth and Comet Collide
As a side note, just finished Xiaogang Feng's "The Banquet" last night; retitled as "Legend of the Black Scorpion" in our United States of America.
Ahh I needed that. Good stuff!
What's with all the Trump Card movie titles?
Yeah, what happened there?
I can imagine someone translating "Ace" as "Trump Card", but after "Ace Ventura" any wacky comedy from the US, with or without Jim Carrey, was labeled "Trump Card"???
As the fellow writing the HK Standard piece says...It started out as a loose translation of Ace Ventura, went on to embody Jim Carrey in his crazy-mode, then I guess, any crazy over-the-top white guy.
I'm sure Borat would be released as "Trump Card Making Kazakhstan Glory"
:)