Luckily, Chinese cinemas show a considerable number of films made on the other side of the world. While the choice of English speaking films isn’t greatly varied, there are enough to happily go to the flicks once or twice a month.  I have to say, I love going to the cinema! I’m a huge movie fan, (there will probably be a movie section on this blog in the near future). And going to the cinema, how ever normal it may be, helps me miss England a very little bit less. I know that might sound a bit weird, but it’s true! However, there’s one thing that’s  a bit annoying.

Who saw Non-stop with Liam Neeson? Or Dawn of the Planet of the Apes? Great movies, I loved both of them. The thing these two movies have in common is the use of unspoken dialogue. Liam Neeson received a lot of text messages, that where displayed in Chinese characters, with no English sub-titles. And in Planet of the Apes, the apes converse very often in their own unique sign language, without English sub titles. Now I understand that I’m in China, why should there be English subtitles in China? But it is an English speaking movie that would target foreginers to watch it. Luckily, Lifei was with me both times, and she spent a considerable amount of the movie translating quietly into my ear. Hopefully she didn’t mind too much!! I’m curious now though. I have to admit, I’ve never seen a Non-English-speaking movie in England. I wonder if in cases like this, the subtitles are both sets of subtitles for unspoken dialogue? If anyone knows the answer, please let me know!

One thing that I love about Chinese cinemas, is that the movie starts more or less at the time it says on the ticket. I haven’t been to the cinema in England for a long time, but from what I remember, the movie never started on or anywhere near the time stated. There are usually at least 30 mins of adverts and trailers right? Over here, you get there and the movie is starting within 10 mins of arrival. Brilliant!

Tell me what you guys think!