Radu Mihaileanu's TRAIN DE VIE (Train of Life) on English-subtitled DVD anywhere?
12-22-09, 12:23 PM
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Radu Mihaileanu's TRAIN DE VIE (Train of Life) on English-subtitled DVD anywhere?
I'm annoyed because they were playing this movie on tv the other night (it had English subtitles) on some Hebrew or Jewish Time Warner Channel. I was watching a little bit of itand I had no idea what the name of the movie was. I did some research on imdb today and realized it's a movie that I've always wanted to see! Grrr...The Time Warner Guide didn't even say what movie it was...
So, does anyone know of an English-subtitled DVD of this film?
Here's a clip (very Kusturica-ish):
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Q-lN8Ht0Kc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Q-lN8Ht0Kc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
So, does anyone know of an English-subtitled DVD of this film?
Here's a clip (very Kusturica-ish):
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Q-lN8Ht0Kc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Q-lN8Ht0Kc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
12-23-09, 01:41 PM
#2
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Re: Radu Mihaileanu's TRAIN DE VIE (Train of Life) on English-subtitled DVD anywhere?
It's even Underground-ish (and a bit von Trier's Europa-ish), but instead of hiding underground, when the Jews learned of the Nazi threat to their lives, they took it to trains (I watched this film years ago).
You're right, a cursory look on amazon.fr shows nothing about subtitles, but that it is in French, Hebrew and German. Short of investing in a French edition of Pimsleur, I guess your best bet is invite a French friend over after buying it for watching it together.
Just curious: I somehow remember you live in NY; I suspect that from time to time the Jewish cultural centers might schedule it for viewing, since it's so funny and does not elude the sensitive theme of the Holocaust, plus the upcoming release of "Concert" in the US (when and where?). Is there a way to get cultural news from the Jewish community? (hence the need to become friends with some of it members)
You're right, a cursory look on amazon.fr shows nothing about subtitles, but that it is in French, Hebrew and German. Short of investing in a French edition of Pimsleur, I guess your best bet is invite a French friend over after buying it for watching it together.
Just curious: I somehow remember you live in NY; I suspect that from time to time the Jewish cultural centers might schedule it for viewing, since it's so funny and does not elude the sensitive theme of the Holocaust, plus the upcoming release of "Concert" in the US (when and where?). Is there a way to get cultural news from the Jewish community? (hence the need to become friends with some of it members)
12-23-09, 03:39 PM
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Re: Radu Mihaileanu's TRAIN DE VIE (Train of Life) on English-subtitled DVD anywhere?
It's even Underground-ish (and a bit von Trier's Europa-ish), but instead of hiding underground, when the Jews learned of the Nazi threat to their lives, they took it to trains (I watched this film years ago).
You're right, a cursory look on amazon.fr shows nothing about subtitles, but that it is in French, Hebrew and German. Short of investing in a French edition of Pimsleur, I guess your best bet is invite a French friend over after buying it for watching it together.
Just curious: I somehow remember you live in NY; I suspect that from time to time the Jewish cultural centers might schedule it for viewing, since it's so funny and does not elude the sensitive theme of the Holocaust, plus the upcoming release of "Concert" in the US (when and where?). Is there a way to get cultural news from the Jewish community? (hence the need to become friends with some of it members)
You're right, a cursory look on amazon.fr shows nothing about subtitles, but that it is in French, Hebrew and German. Short of investing in a French edition of Pimsleur, I guess your best bet is invite a French friend over after buying it for watching it together.
Just curious: I somehow remember you live in NY; I suspect that from time to time the Jewish cultural centers might schedule it for viewing, since it's so funny and does not elude the sensitive theme of the Holocaust, plus the upcoming release of "Concert" in the US (when and where?). Is there a way to get cultural news from the Jewish community? (hence the need to become friends with some of it members)
As a "Jew...ish" person, I'm not the best person to ask!
I had a bad experience in one of those NYC Hebrew/Israel/Jewish stuff stores. I was looking for the movie The Mad Aventures of Rabbi Jacob (this was before the NTSC Region 1 dvd). So I asked the dude if he had it, and he said "we don't carry movies here" with attitude. I then walked around the store and found some Jewish/Hebrew/Israeli DVD/VHS section which had jewish and/or Israeli movies - not just religious media. I don't know why he was lying to me. Maybe he thought I was looking for some typical Blockbuster video movie...I guarantee that if I asked about TRAIN DE VIE in any Jewish community place or some Jewish film festival, they wouldn't know what the hell I was talking about....I get the same type of attitude and ignorance when I go to Bollywood stores as well. The majority of those DVD sales people don't know what to carry, what movies are coming out, or what to recommend!Even if it came out on Israeli DVD, that would be a pain in the ass to get as well, because most Israeli online dvd stores don't take credit card or PayPal. Usually it's something old school like Western Union...
12-23-09, 09:04 PM
#4
Senior Member
Re: Radu Mihaileanu's TRAIN DE VIE (Train of Life) on English-subtitled DVD anywhere?
I just noticed Amazon.com has some "El tren de la vida" or "Trem de vida" from third-party sellers, if you happen to read Spanish or Portuguese. Just search for "mihaileanu" to find them. Too bad these don't seem to have English subtitles, the South-American copy of "Sueno de Arizona" (right, it's Arizona Dream) I once found in a library had them.
Interesting NY experience. Either the guy was clueless, or maybe they prefer to keep the stuff for members of their community.
Interesting NY experience. Either the guy was clueless, or maybe they prefer to keep the stuff for members of their community.
11-01-10, 11:27 AM
#5
DVD Talk Gold Edition
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TRAIN DE VIE is airing on the U.S. cable channel Flix (no relation) late tonight/early tomorrow. I don't know if it will be aired in its original aspect ratio. But, even it is cropped, something is better than nothing. It gets repeat airings on Flix and Showtime during the coming month.
Also, something that might be of interest....CABARET BALKAN airs following TRAIN DE VIE. Again, I don't know about the aspect ratio. And it too gets repeat airings this month.
TRAIN DE VIE is airing on the U.S. cable channel Flix (no relation) late tonight/early tomorrow. I don't know if it will be aired in its original aspect ratio. But, even it is cropped, something is better than nothing. It gets repeat airings on Flix and Showtime during the coming month.
Also, something that might be of interest....CABARET BALKAN airs following TRAIN DE VIE. Again, I don't know about the aspect ratio. And it too gets repeat airings this month.
11-01-10, 01:45 PM
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Re: Radu Mihaileanu's TRAIN DE VIE (Train of Life) on English-subtitled DVD anywhere?
Flixtime, u got me excited there for a sec! I thought u would be telling me that both films were going to be released om english subed dvd or bluray!
11-02-10, 07:14 AM
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Whoops, sorry to have gotten your hopes up toddly.
As to the Flix channel airings, as I expected, both films were cropped aspect ratios. IMDb lists TRAIN OF LIFE as 2.35:1 and the opening credits were letterboxed but it looked more like 1:85:1, and after the credits the movie was cropped to 1.33:1. CABARET BALKAN is listed as 1:85:1 at IMDb and was cropped to 1.33:1 aka 4:3. Both films seem to be in the Paramount Classics library. As to the movie, I sampled just a bit of TRAIN OF LIFE and it seemed rather promising.
On a related note - and something I am finding increasingly annoying. I checked out ZIFT (2008) last night on Sundance Channel. And what does Sundance do...opening credits in original aspect ratio 2.35:1, then once the credits end it gets cropped to modern era fullscreen aka 1.85/1.78:1. Watching anything on television - except the TCM channel or classic Western TV shows on the Westerns channel - seems entirely useless. PBS cropped (at least on their SD airing) their airing of the British TV show SHERLOCK, and also as I learned from a poster or two in TV Talk, edited it for U.S. broadcast. And don't get me started on BBC America and their airing of the British detective show LUTHER (starring Idris Elba) with onscreen logos splashed all over the screen, and a showtime-to-commercialtime ratio approaching 2:1...and at least once instance of being censored for profanity.
As to the Flix channel airings, as I expected, both films were cropped aspect ratios. IMDb lists TRAIN OF LIFE as 2.35:1 and the opening credits were letterboxed but it looked more like 1:85:1, and after the credits the movie was cropped to 1.33:1. CABARET BALKAN is listed as 1:85:1 at IMDb and was cropped to 1.33:1 aka 4:3. Both films seem to be in the Paramount Classics library. As to the movie, I sampled just a bit of TRAIN OF LIFE and it seemed rather promising.
On a related note - and something I am finding increasingly annoying. I checked out ZIFT (2008) last night on Sundance Channel. And what does Sundance do...opening credits in original aspect ratio 2.35:1, then once the credits end it gets cropped to modern era fullscreen aka 1.85/1.78:1. Watching anything on television - except the TCM channel or classic Western TV shows on the Westerns channel - seems entirely useless. PBS cropped (at least on their SD airing) their airing of the British TV show SHERLOCK, and also as I learned from a poster or two in TV Talk, edited it for U.S. broadcast. And don't get me started on BBC America and their airing of the British detective show LUTHER (starring Idris Elba) with onscreen logos splashed all over the screen, and a showtime-to-commercialtime ratio approaching 2:1...and at least once instance of being censored for profanity.
