The Secret Deafie is a series of anonymous columns written by different writers. Today’s Deafie tells us about a cinematic subtitle fail.
My partner and I waited in keen anticipation for The Woman in Black to come out with subtitles – perhaps because we had been told it was a good, scary thriller that makes you gasp, clutch each other and scream!
So once it became available with subtitles, we decided to throw ourselves upon the mercy of our local multiplex at the not too ungodly hour of 6.30pm.
Our arrival passed without incident, the assistant processing our ticket payments smoothly, applying our CEA discount, nominating one of us as the ‘Carer’ of the other. (Hmm, dont know about that, but who was I to argue, when we’d paid peanuts to see the film?)
Off we trotted, bypassing the rip off popcorn and hotdogs that were screaming at us from giant placards – we had cannily stuffed ourselves before we came out.
We settled into the comfy auditorium, which had a few other people in it.
The film started to roll, and we looked at each other as if to say ‘will the subtitles work?’
Daniel Radcliffe looked gloomily into a mirror, the suspenseful music rose… still no subtitles, but it was ok. He hadn’t said anything yet.
Then he muttered a womans name.
ARRRRGGGHHH!! No subtitles came up.
At this point, you think what do I do now?’ Wait until the projectionist notices the lack of subtitles, and let them correct it? Or stomp out and find someone to complain to, missing any of the film that might miraculously become subtitled in your absence?
I decided to go and find someone with any kind of authority that could sort this out.
I collared a smartly dressed man near the entrance and told him “the flaming subtitles aren’t on the film!”
His reply was ‘The same thing happened 3 weeks ago’ and to my surprise he used some sign language at the same time. This appeased my anger – at least he was making an effort to sign for deaf customers.
So I asked him what was happening next, and he told me that they were trying to find someone to stop the film and restart it, with titles this time.
In the dark cinema, the film was still rolling, albeit without any subtitles, and the longer it went on, the more I was certain it wouldn’t be restarted.
Eventually,the film stopped, the hearies all looked round in wonderment, and we waited to see what would happen next.
After about five minutes, the lights went down, and a spotty teenaged (apologies to all spotty teenagers) usher came in, and proceeded to shout something loudly into the dark to the room in general.
We collared her and asked what the heck was going on – being deaf, we couldn’t hear her nor lipread in the dark!! She smiled apologetically, gestured to the screen and mouthed `its starting again` Humph.
Five minutes later, guess what….? No subtitles!!!!!!!!! I was ready to kill someone now….
Again, I walked out to find out what was going on, and I saw the same man I saw earlier near the people at desk who were frantically talking into telephones, walkie-talkies in an effort to track down this errant manager.
I was getting ready to give him a piece of my mind when I noticed he was standing in front of the desk, not behind it.
A light bulb lit up in my head.
I realised that the pleasant chap, signing to me earlier to explain what was going on, was in fact, a fellow deaf cinema-goer!
I could have jumped into a large hole at this point.
I apologised for giving him a hard time, but he shrugged it off and smiled. I was saved any further embarassment by the appearance of the manager.
He told us that “all measures were in place to ensure the screening of the film with subtitles” and basically that they had fulfilled their end of the bargain. Right.
The pleasant deaf chap told him that the same thing had happened 3 weeks ago, to which the manager still insisted they had done what was required of them (!) He and his deaf friend then said they wanted refunds.
A full refund and complimentary tickets for any any film, any day, were given to all of us. Small compensation for a wasted evening, and no film either.
We said we certainly wouldn’t be using our free tickets to revisit that cinema.
The manager replied “Well, if you change your mind, please come and say hello and let me know how things went, I like to see customers and I value their feedback”!!!
I’m not sure how soon I’ll be taking the risk of visiting a cinema again.
Do you have a story or experience you’d like to share? If you’d like to write a Secret Deafie column, just email thelimpingchicken@gmail.com
The Limping Chicken is supported by Deaf media company Remark!, training and consultancy Deafworks, and provider of sign language services Deaf Umbrella.
Ian N
April 30, 2012
I think I’m the “pleasant deaf chap” in this story!
David H
April 30, 2012
Are you sure it was you – it also said smartly dressed man! Joking aside I took my family to the cinema to watch Pirates (by the way a great film for kids and adults alike). It was at 11.40 on a Sunday morning in Walsall and we had a choice of any seats – ended up with just 12 people watching the movie – may have had something to do with the fact that it was a Sunday morning and blowing a gale outside. As a family we have so far been unable to go to the pics due to the timings of previous subtitled showings (i.e. late at night or during school time!). Anyway despite being shocked at the prices of popcorn. coke etc (well it was a long time since I last went….about 10 years ago and we remember some hearing students behind us complaining that the words on the screen were spoiling their enjoyment!!). Have to say we had a great time and despite being a little nervous when the trailers came up as I had naively thought that they were also subtitled too I was able to relax and enjoy the film once the subttiles came up.
Chronicles of a Bionic Woman
April 30, 2012
Totally feel u! I’ve had this same experience so many times with a certain cinema that I really try to avoid visiting that cinema at all! So far I’ve stuck with another cinema and not been disappointed!
Nothing really compensates the wasted evening cos being able to visit a cinema and enjoy a film with subtitles is priceless. This is the 21st Century….I hope we’ll live to see subtitled screenings to be the norm rather than the exception.
Ron Southwick (@DeafRanger)
April 30, 2012
Check this: Deaf, Get Closed Captioned Movies in Your Area http://wp.me/p2fWI4-3P and also Go to: http://www.captionfish.com/ to find out what’s playing in your area. This is USA, though. Perhaps you can get this in your country. Become activists and advocates.
thedeaftaffia
April 30, 2012
This is nothing new – have made lots of effort over the years with Screen Scotland (when in Glasgow), cinema chains, EHRC, deaf orgs, Facebook and Twitter but I and others like me get nowhere. I am convinced the cinema chains fail us deliberately to break our demand for the service. Lots of deaf tell me they have given up and wait for DVD. Shame. It happens all over the UK, repeatedly and the solution is always the same – a bland apology and free tickets. I had four free tickets with a date of 6 months to use them at Cineworld Cardiff (as a result of article in South Wales Echo – see link below) but in that time there was not one accessible film that appealed to other than one or two that were screen during the day when I was at work (so couldnt go). Deaf need to get together and do something…direct action as talking has been happening for years.
See http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/03/24/cinema-subtitle-debacle-leaves-deaf-customer-fuming-91466-28392907/
yourlocalcinema (@yourlocalcinema)
May 2, 2012
Most UK cinemas screen available films – there are around 1,000 subtitled shows nationwide each week and far less than 1% of subtitled shows go wrong every week. But of course when they do go wrong it’s a BIG problem – people with hearing loss can’t just hang around for the next show, or pop along to another cinema to catch the film. There’s usually only one or two chances to catch the film on the big screen.
It’s getting better. Before 2000, the only way people with severe hearing loss could enjoy cinema was to watch a foreign-language film. Today people with any level of hearing or sight loss can enjoy the popular social activity of a trip to the cinema.
These days the major film studios try to ensure that 100% of their cinema releases are subtitled, usually in time for the first week of release too. This year it’s expected that around 150 titles will be released with English language subtitles & description. The top 20, and most of the top 100 films of each year are usually available.
The cinema industry is ‘going digital’ – eventually there will be at least 500 UK cinemas with built-in digital subtitle facilities.
When it goes right it’s fantastic. Here’s some comments from people who have discovered – or rediscovered – the joys of cinemagoing thanks to subtitles (and audio description): http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/quote.html
Around 1,000 subtitled shows from this Friday onwards will be available on the Your Local Cinema .com website on Thursday.
Derek
http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/now.showing.html
bettyhoven
May 6, 2012
Yes, yes, yes! You hit the nail on the head! Cinemas are really horrible about subtitles. Subtitled movies are shown at ungodly hours, indeed! And even with the subtitling technology here in Canada (Rear-window Captioning and personal Closed Caption machines), they hardly ever work! I blogged about this a few weeks ago: http://bettyhoven.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/going-to-the-movies/
Also, YouTube is still pretty behind-the-times in subtitling their videos as well. And the worst thing is when you wait for the DVD, and the dvd doesn’t have subtitles either! (This happened to me when I got the box set of Jeeves and Wooster. No subtitles, and then they wouldn’t let me return it because I had taken the plastic off the box set). Something must be done. Good post!
Phil Jones
July 8, 2013
Given the advances in 3D technology, meaning that two images are shown on screen together – one for the left eye, one for the right, it should be possible to create a film that could be broadcast in 2D, with subtitles, and issue the viewers with glasses that will either show or hide the subtitles. If this viewing were cheaper than average, I think hearing people would cope with having to wear the glasses, and deaf people would love the benefit of being able to see the subtitles. Also, couples and families of mixed hearing ability can enjoy the same film, each in their preferred format. Hmmm, the more I think about this, the more I think I should patent this idea!
Phil Jones
July 8, 2013
Further to my idea above, I’ve just realised that those who want to see the subtitles don’t need to wear glasses at all. Only those who want to hide them would need to wear glasses with two identical lenses, to filter out the subtitles.
zannamj
December 10, 2013
My local cinemas refuse to put subtitles on, after numerous requests from me, my family and friends via email,phone and in person, they very rarely put subtitles on on if ever. If they’re are put on (a rarity…about once every few months if that) they are put on late on school nights or are films especially for children. It frustrates me so much!!
Secret Cinema Goer
July 30, 2014
I watched a few films with subtitles only when I was living next to a building site in London, I worked nights so the noise during the day was ridiculous. When Id slept as much as I could (not much) id watch a subtitled film. Harder than listening undoubtedly but I always came away having a much greater understanding of the film than I would when I just watch and listen!