Hollywood Making Cr@p for the M@sses: A Video by Taualumna

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

As for the the topic, people have been saying that America is dumbing down and that's why the movies are the way they are.

It's not just movies that are "dumbed" down. Let's not forget Harry Potter Book #1, where its REAL TITLE is "HP and the Philosopher's Stone", not "the Sorceror's Stone".

As for European movies, one thing that I definitely notice is that actors/actresses are not quite as coiffed to perfection as their American counterparts, onscreen.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

It's not just movies that are "dumbed" down. Let's not forget Harry Potter Book #1, where its REAL TITLE is "HP and the Philosopher's Stone", not "the Sorceror's Stone".

Is the former supposed to sound "smarter" or something?

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Is the former supposed to sound "smarter" or something?

I dont even think it has so much to do with foreign flicks being smarter as it is with foreign flicks don't always follow the same old formulae that a lot of Hollywood films have done over the years...some of the more exciting and interesting movies that i have seen within the past 5 or so years haven't been Hollywood flicks.

I think what this is really about is that we get sick and tired of paying for the same old crap taht;s long on hype and CG and short on story.

I was feeling what she said about The Departed and I agree, it won all teh accolades but they may as well have handed the awards to those that made Infernal Affairs.


and yeah...in actuality, the title was 'dumbed down'

http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20020123.html

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

and yeah...in actuality, the title was 'dumbed down'

http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20020123.html

Like I said, the original title doesn't sound "smarter."

The title was changed for American audiences but it wasn't "dumbed down." From what I've read, that's people putting their own spin or interpretation on it. It was changed so that people could identify the subject matter and so that people who don't know about this genre/author/story line could be drawn to it. The original work was published in 1997 in London so it was designed to familiarize others with the line of work and appeal to a larger audience. Forms of American media often have to do the same when they go national and international.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Like I said, the original title doesn't sound "smarter."

The title was changed for American audiences but it wasn't "dumbed down." That's people putting their own spin or interpretation on it. It was changed so that people could identify the subject matter and so that people who don't know about this genre/author/story line could be drawn to it. The original work was published in 1997 in London so it was designed to familiarize others with the line of work and appeal to a larger audience. Forms of American media often have to do the same when it goes national and international.

But why did it have to be changed for American audiences when it wasn't in other parts of the English speaking world? Like I said in my last post, even Canadians got the original British title, and we usually get what the US gets. The original British title for Confessions of a Shopoholic was The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopoholic. We got Confessions, not Secret Dreamworld.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

But why did it have to be changed for American audiences when it wasn't in other parts of the English speaking world? Like I said in my last post, even Canadians got the original British title, and we usually get what the US gets. The original British title for Confessions of a Shopoholic was The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopoholic. We got Confessions, not Secret Dreamworld.

Does "Secret Dreamworld" sound smarter than "Confessions" to you? It doesn't to me. "Confessions" sounds catchier and probably fits the theme better.

But we'd have to seek the answers to these questions. We could speculate all day. I'm sure the official statements from the publishers/producers/authors wouldn't tell Americans that we are dumb, even if that's why the names were changed.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Does "Secret Dreamworld" sound smarter than "Confessions" to you? It doesn't to me. "Confessions" sounds catchier and probably fits the theme better.

But we'd have to seek the answers to these questions. We could speculate all day. I'm sure the official statements from the publishers/producers/authors wouldn't tell Americans that we are dumb, even if that's why the names were changed.

Ehh...I was just asking why some titles are changed.

I also notice what a lot of people notice--American children stories tend to give the bad person foreign accents which is another message that adults are sending.

Not just foreign accents, but any accent that isn't standard American (unless story takes place in a location where a regional accent is used).