The Visitors (1993)

A medieval knight and his servant ask a familiar wizard to move them back in time to prevent father-in-law's accidentally killing. Instead, they fly away to the 20th century.

Director:

Jean-Marie Poiré

Writers:

Christian Clavier, Jean-Marie Poiré

Stars:

Christian Clavier, Jean Reno, Valérie Lemercier

1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christian Clavier	...	Jacquouille la Fripouille / Jacquard
Jean Reno	...	Godefroy de Papincourt, Comte de Montmirail
Valérie Lemercier	...	Frénégonde de Pouille / Béatrice de Montmirail
Marie-Anne Chazel	...	Ginette la clocharde
Christian Bujeau	...	Jean-Pierre
Isabelle Nanty	...	Fabienne Morlot
Gérard Séty	...	Edgar Bernay
Didier Pain	...	Louis VI le Gros
Jean-Paul Muel	...	Marechal des Logis Gibon
Arielle Sémenoff	...	Jacqueline (as Ariel Séménoff)
Michel Peyrelon	...	Edouard Bernay
Pierre Vial	...	Wizard Eusebius / Monsieur Ferdinand
François Lalande	...	Priest
Didier Bénureau	...	Intern Beauvin
Frédéric Baptiste	...	Freddy

Storyline

A medieval nobleman and his squire are accidentally transported to contemporary times by a senile sorcerer. He enlists the aid of his descendent to try to find a way to return home, all the while trying to cope with the cultural and technological changes distinguishing his time from ours.

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Plot Keywords:

time travel | year 1123 | 12th century | 20th century | trapped in the past | 

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Taglines:

They Weren't Born Yesterday!

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name "Jacquouille la Fripouille" translates roughly as "Jack the Knave" or "Jacques the Scoundrel" but the original French contains a pun which is very audible to French-speaking listeners, as the first name is pronounced as "Jacques Couille", "couille" being the French slang word equivalent to the English "balls" (for "testicles").

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Goofs

The dinner plates that Jacquouille drops and smash on the floor totally shatter yet a complete plate is kicked by Jean-Pierre as he walks through the smashed plates.

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Quotes

Jacquouille la Fripouille: Don't drink it
[the potion]
Jacquouille la Fripouille: , Sire! You might turn into a frog, a bat, a goat, or a nun's arse!
Godefroy de Papincourt, Comte de Montmirail: You're right. Drink first!
Jacquouille la Fripouille: Me?
Godefroy de Papincourt, Comte de Montmirail: Let's see if you turn into a nun's arse. If you do, I'll seek revenge.

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Crazy Credits

After the final credits role, stick around for a "Hello to all you credits-lovers!" accompanied by a waving medieval knight.

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Connections

Referenced in Presque adultes: Le + 1 de sa vie (2017)

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Soundtracks

Concerto pour violon et orchestre en Mi mineur
(Extraits)
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn (as Félix Mendelsshon)
Performed by The Czech Symphony Orchestra

User Reviews

Brilliant, funny movie, if you speak/understand french well, a medium slapstick comedy if you read subtitles

I just finished watching the movie, and it was hilarious. I was laughing outloud at many many points. However, as my title indicated, it was the original french track that made me laugh. As is always the case for biliguals, one cant help but listen to the track and read the subtitles at the same time. Unfortunately, the subtitles do not do justice to the movie.

There are just too many semantic jokes that play off names and locations that could not be translated and make sense. That is why in so many reviews there seems to be a sharp contrast in views of whether or not this was a joke-a-minute movie.

The hollywood remake is awful, in fact,it never really made any sense and and the jokes were far and few in between. This one makes much more sense, and the meeting of people and their descendants makes for many more laughs.

The other factor is the acting and casting. This is just the nature of subtitled movies - one very rarely gets the fantastic acting and language ability of actors when reading the watcher is reading a yellow line, especially in comedy. Those who listen to the movie in its original french thikn the acting was fantastic, the voice casting (something i think is terribly important in acting [say, could Ashton Kutcher play Maximus from Gladiator, no, a high pitched voice could not do it]) is brilliant, but reading a crummy translation (and it was crummy) wont do the film justice.

8/10 for francophiles 6/10 for subtitle readers

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French German English

Release Date:

12 July 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Besucher

Filming Locations:

Frémécourt, Val d'Oise, France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,792, 14 July 1996

Gross USA:

$659,810

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$659,810

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alpilles Productions, Amigo Productions, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1