# English-captioned DVD of Invaders from Mars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268 "2008-05-31T14:49:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/1 "2008-05-31T14:49:04Z")
Is it possible to get a DVD of the 1953 movie _Invaders from Mars_ with English-language subtitles or closed-captioning? There are several versions of it available for sale at online sites, but no site says whether they have subtitles or closed captions. Can anyone tell me if this is available? (It’s going to be used for an audience part of whom are deaf, so the subtitles or closed captions are necessary.) This showing will be in the U.S., so the formats have to satisfy U.S. standards (Region 1?). I suppose it might be possible to use a VHS tape instead, but I don’t think that they ever have subtitles or closed captions. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/2 "2008-05-31T15:15:14Z")
Invaders From Mars does come with Closed Captioning > **[Earn Cash Back at stores you 💜](https://www.rakuten.com/)** > > Join Rakuten for free and get a $10 Welcome Bonus. In fact, I’ve never heard of a DVD (outside of those slap-dash fly-by-night “10 movies on 1 disc!”) that didn’t have CC. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/3 "2008-05-31T15:36:01Z")
No, that’s the 1986 version. Read my OP carefully. I said that I wanted the 1953 version. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/4 "2008-05-31T15:49:45Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner] No, that’s the 1986 version. Read my OP carefully. I said that I wanted the 1953 version. [/QUOTE] Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I searched a bunch of online store listings for the movie for you (which I’m sure you’re smart enough to do yourself) and that was the first one that listed CC. All the listings for the 53 version don’t say one way or the other. But like I said. It’s the rare DVD that doesn’t have CC. I guess you’ll have to spend your $10 and takes your chances. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/5 "2008-05-31T15:59:07Z")
Justin Bailey writes: \> All the listings for the 53 version don’t say one way or the other. I know. I searched all the listings for the 1953 version. That’s why I’m asking. I wouldn’t have asked without searching first. I was told specifically by someone familar with closed-captioning that frequently if a DVD doesn’t mention closed-captioning that it doesn’t have it. I was hoping that someone here might have more information than I can discover by searching. I was hoping particularly that someone might own the DVD and can check. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/6 "2008-06-02T10:51:11Z")
bump ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/7 "2008-06-02T11:58:46Z")
> [@](#): > > In fact, I’ve never heard of a DVD (outside of those slap-dash fly-by-night “10 movies on 1 disc!”) that didn’t have CC. This isn’t true. The edition of **Beowulf and Grendel** I just watched had no closed captioning, and the film is only a couple of years old, not a fly-by-night by any stretch. Why they don’t have closed captioning is a mystery to me. But you can’t count on the captioning invariably being there. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/8 "2008-06-02T12:32:46Z")
Looks like bad news - I’ve just looked at my DVD cataloguing software which mentions every single feature of just about every DVD ever made - no mention of CC on either of the versions currently in print. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/9 "2008-06-02T14:09:15Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] This isn’t true. The edition of **Beowulf and Grendel** I just watched had no closed captioning, and the film is only a couple of years old, not a fly-by-night by any stretch. Why they don’t have closed captioning is a mystery to me. But you can’t count on the captioning invariably being there. [/QUOTE] Hmm, it could be a mistake. Because I just checked the library’s copy and closed captioning is on there. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/10 "2008-06-02T14:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Hmm, it could be a mistake. Because I just checked the library’s copy and closed captioning is on there. Not a mistake on my part – I searched through the Setup and Special Features options looking for the captioning. This film has a bizarre mix of accents, and it would’ve helped to have something to use as a guide. Note that this is the 2005 effects-poor film **Beowulf and Grenel** starring a pre- **300** Gerard Butler, not the more recent computer-animated version: [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402057/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402057/) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/11 "2008-06-02T14:41:25Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Not a mistake on my part – I searched through the Setup and Special Features options looking for the captioning. This film has a bizarre mix of accents, and it would’ve helped to have something to use as a guide. [/QUOTE] Are you looking for subtitles on the disc or the white text on a black background of [CC]? Because Beowulf and Grendel is supposed to have [CC], but you’re right, I didn’t see any subtitle listing. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/12 "2008-06-02T14:42:23Z")
I have the 1953 version of Invaders from Mars on DVD. It’s the “50th Anniversary Special Edition.” It does not say anything about Closed Captioning on the box and when I put it in just now and turned on the closed captioning on my tv nothing came up on the screen. So, as far as I can tell, this version does not have closed captioning. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/13 "2008-06-02T17:14:18Z")
Is there a possibility that it has english-language subtitles? Did you try the subtitle button on your remote? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-captioned-dvd-of-invaders-from-mars/451268/14 "2008-06-03T00:27:52Z")
I have to pop in and mention that the 1986 version is, without a doubt, the single worst DVD transfer I’ve ever seen of any major motion picture. It looks like it was dubbed from a VHS.