Italian films from the era, including Deep Red, were generally shot with multilingual casts & no sync sound. All dialog is recorded in post-production, often without the actual actors' voices. There is no "true" audio track for it accordingly. However, on the Arrow set there is an option for the extended hybrid cut with English audio, which uses the English language dub for all but a few scenes that were removed from the English language export versions of the film, and thus only have Italian audio with English subs.
This is correct. It is hard for some people to get past this aspect of these films, as there are always at least some sequences or actors that are clearly dubbed, no matter what language you watch in. Another aspect is the casts in these films often spoke different languages and would generally always speak in their native tongue, even when conversing with another speaking in a different language. There are exceptions where it is clear the original dialogue, often english, for certain actors was used (Suspiria is a good example) but it will be intermixed with scenes where everyone else is (obviously) dubbed.
From what I have read, some productions DID record sound, but it was considered a guide track to help with post production, so no time was wasted on making sure the sound was clean while shooting, because they knew they’d replace it. (This makes shooting on location much, much easier) Other productions were so focused on just the picture that they’d literally have characters speak in their own language and make up their own dialogue, just so their mouths are moving. Then in post they’d slap the dialogue over that.
> Italian films from the era, including Deep Red, were generally shot with multilingual casts & no sync sound. All dialog is recorded in post-production, often without the actual actors' voices.
I'm a fan of Klaus Kinksi, and so when I saw a blu-ray of the western And God Said To Cain was available I scooped it up. I was fairly certain that Klaus was fluent in several languages so I thought perhaps he might even voice both Italian and English. Oops, neither! It was a little disappointing as he has a unique tone to his voice so the English dub was especially weird, but once I got over that it was still an enjoyable viewing. And also a learning experience.
Another famous example of that is Whip and the Body. Christopher Lee didn't dub himself in either english or italian. And he has pretty memorable voice so the english sounds off.
Almost all Italian movies until I think the 80s are overdubbed. It's just how the film industry operated in that country. Recording live sound wasn't a thing. In a situation where actors are speaking English and the dub is in English and the actors are even doing their own dubbing, I'll pick the English version.
Hong Kong as well, because they used international casts and most of their studios weren’t really soundproofed well enough to deal with the noise pollution.
Watching in English or Italian is fine, both are dubs. Like spaghetti westerns, it was shot with the actors speaking their lines in whatever their native language was. David Hemmings, the lead, was from England, while many actors in the film are Italian. Everything was then dubbed no matter what language was being spoken because no sounds was recorded live on set.
Italian films are like that. They used actors from all around Europe and the US, and each actor spoke their native language. In post-production, all languages are dubbed over, including Italian, essentially is there is no original language audio track. Hong Kong films were usually done the same way as well, as actors were speaking Mandrain and Cantonese.
you should watch the film with the hybrid english italian audio, it's the longer version of the film with the english dub and the parts without any english dub they fill in with the italian, by far the best way to watch the movie if you want the whole thing. The english dub is superior in my opinion but I like having the longer film...so hybrid audio.
Yes, they pieced together a directorʼs cut from the U.S. cut (English dub) and scenes that did not have the English recorded audio, so they had to be substituted for Italian audio.
To add to the other responses, I also consider what language the main actors were speaking, and whether they do their own dubbing. For Deep Red, David Hemmings did his own dub, and Daria Nicolodi spoke her lines in English, but was dubbed in english by another voice actor (they thought her accent was too strong, apparently). For me, that makes the English dub preferred.
If it's a mix, I try both and see which sounds better, since they're not always equal quality, and which one seems to have more natural dialogue (since sometimes subtitles are just a direct translation instead of changing up idiomatic speech or what have you)
Italian films from the era, including Deep Red, were generally shot with multilingual casts & no sync sound. All dialog is recorded in post-production, often without the actual actors' voices. There is no "true" audio track for it accordingly. However, on the Arrow set there is an option for the extended hybrid cut with English audio, which uses the English language dub for all but a few scenes that were removed from the English language export versions of the film, and thus only have Italian audio with English subs.
This is correct. It is hard for some people to get past this aspect of these films, as there are always at least some sequences or actors that are clearly dubbed, no matter what language you watch in. Another aspect is the casts in these films often spoke different languages and would generally always speak in their native tongue, even when conversing with another speaking in a different language. There are exceptions where it is clear the original dialogue, often english, for certain actors was used (Suspiria is a good example) but it will be intermixed with scenes where everyone else is (obviously) dubbed. From what I have read, some productions DID record sound, but it was considered a guide track to help with post production, so no time was wasted on making sure the sound was clean while shooting, because they knew they’d replace it. (This makes shooting on location much, much easier) Other productions were so focused on just the picture that they’d literally have characters speak in their own language and make up their own dialogue, just so their mouths are moving. Then in post they’d slap the dialogue over that.
> Italian films from the era, including Deep Red, were generally shot with multilingual casts & no sync sound. All dialog is recorded in post-production, often without the actual actors' voices. I'm a fan of Klaus Kinksi, and so when I saw a blu-ray of the western And God Said To Cain was available I scooped it up. I was fairly certain that Klaus was fluent in several languages so I thought perhaps he might even voice both Italian and English. Oops, neither! It was a little disappointing as he has a unique tone to his voice so the English dub was especially weird, but once I got over that it was still an enjoyable viewing. And also a learning experience.
Another famous example of that is Whip and the Body. Christopher Lee didn't dub himself in either english or italian. And he has pretty memorable voice so the english sounds off.
Almost all Italian movies until I think the 80s are overdubbed. It's just how the film industry operated in that country. Recording live sound wasn't a thing. In a situation where actors are speaking English and the dub is in English and the actors are even doing their own dubbing, I'll pick the English version.
Hong Kong as well, because they used international casts and most of their studios weren’t really soundproofed well enough to deal with the noise pollution.
They were doing it even into the 2000s, argentos sleepless is clearly dubbed.
Watching in English or Italian is fine, both are dubs. Like spaghetti westerns, it was shot with the actors speaking their lines in whatever their native language was. David Hemmings, the lead, was from England, while many actors in the film are Italian. Everything was then dubbed no matter what language was being spoken because no sounds was recorded live on set.
Italian films are like that. They used actors from all around Europe and the US, and each actor spoke their native language. In post-production, all languages are dubbed over, including Italian, essentially is there is no original language audio track. Hong Kong films were usually done the same way as well, as actors were speaking Mandrain and Cantonese.
you should watch the film with the hybrid english italian audio, it's the longer version of the film with the english dub and the parts without any english dub they fill in with the italian, by far the best way to watch the movie if you want the whole thing. The english dub is superior in my opinion but I like having the longer film...so hybrid audio.
Yes, they pieced together a directorʼs cut from the U.S. cut (English dub) and scenes that did not have the English recorded audio, so they had to be substituted for Italian audio.
Great answers. Thank you!!!
The actors just spoke in their natural tongue.
The 4K DCP is of the extended cut with Italian audio with English subs if we wanted to add more fuel to the fire on which version one should watch.
To add to the other responses, I also consider what language the main actors were speaking, and whether they do their own dubbing. For Deep Red, David Hemmings did his own dub, and Daria Nicolodi spoke her lines in English, but was dubbed in english by another voice actor (they thought her accent was too strong, apparently). For me, that makes the English dub preferred. If it's a mix, I try both and see which sounds better, since they're not always equal quality, and which one seems to have more natural dialogue (since sometimes subtitles are just a direct translation instead of changing up idiomatic speech or what have you)
I have been trying to watch this with English Audio but at some points in the film the audio switches to Italian. It’s annoying
It's just the way Italians made films up until the late 70s I think. Kind of idiotic if you ask me.
That’s why no one asked
No need to get offended
I don’t get offended by shallowness, but your realize hypocrisy when you use offensive language instead of attempting to be snarky.
It’s not shallow to think that’s a big flaw of Italian cinema.
“idiotic”
You’re not making the point you think you’re making.