Favorite foreign films?

[insanecow0]

I got into foreign films a lot recently. My favorites are Oldboy, which was a gateway for my interest, as is the case for many people. I like many of Takashi Miike's films, like Ichi the Killer, Audition, his part in Three Extremes, Gozu, and The Happiness of the Katakuris. Dude has crazy range. Tale of Two Sisters is an excellent K-horror film. I've been watching a lot of Polish movies recently, and I really like Dzien Swira, Kiler, and Przypadek. I've also taken an interest in Russian films, and really like Bumer, Brat, and Igla. There are many more I could name, but I do not want to write a book here

[SirGawain]

I am a huge fan of Italian films. Some fantastic ones are I Cento Passi, based on the life of an activist who goes against the mob in Sicily and anything with Marcello Mastroianni, especially Divorzio, all'Italiano.

[fastbilly1]

Russian Ark and the movies of Ingmar Bergman are spectacular. But if you want a complete mindscrew watch Czeck film The Fabulous World of Jules Verne:


I am also a fan of Metropolis, though I have never finished it...

[cha cha]

Kinda OT but not really. (I am a fan of many foreign films, mainly action oriented or comedy ones)

But since this board in particular has a large amount of posters from other countries than the USA... do they consider watching Hollywood movies- "watching a foreign film"? Or is this a purely American distinction for non-American made movies? Are Hollywood movies universally accepted as 'same as anything' movies in other countries not located in NA? Or do they carry distinctions like "US-made movies"? Are there separate movie theaters for US movies in other countries or do they mix their film industry with ours?

I find that angle of conversation for this topic far more interesting than creating another list of films I like in another thread about making favorite lists

[insanecow0]

Kinda OT but not really. (I am a fan of many foreign films, mainly action oriented or comedy ones)

But since this board in particular has a large amount of posters from other countries than the USA... do they consider watching Hollywood movies- "watching a foreign film"? Or is this a purely American distinction for non-American made movies? Are Hollywood movies universally accepted as 'same as anything' movies in other countries not located in NA? Or do they carry distinctions like "US-made movies"? Are there separate movie theaters for US movies in other countries or do they mix their film industry with ours?

I find that angle of conversation for this topic far more interesting than creating another list of films I like in another thread about making favorite lists

I'd say foreign is any country that's not yours, no matter what country you live in, so someone not from America would consider American movies foreign films I suppose, at least I would.

[cha cha]

That's way too simplistic an answer though. It's obvious that the definition of "foreign" is something of non-domestic production... What I was wondering moreso is- since the US film industry dominates the number of movies created and released worldwide, do people in far off places consider them "foreign" or accept them as just 'blockbuster' movies etc. and just as much a part of their film culture as their own domestic productions? I also wonder if they keep Hollywood films separate or segregated in their theaters and what not?

Any non-US film enthusiasts wanna comment on how it goes down in your neck of the woods?

[insanecow0]

That's way too simplistic an answer though. It's obvious that the definition of "foreign" is something of non-domestic production... What I was wondering moreso is- since the US film industry dominates the number of movies created and released worldwide, do people in far off places consider them "foreign" or accept them as just 'blockbuster' movies etc.? I also wonder if they keep Hollywood films separate or segregated in their theaters and what not?

Any non-US film enthusiasts wanna comment on how it goes down in your neck of the woods?

Ok, I understand now. Another issue is that many films are produced jointly with another country, like US/UK or something. Do you go by where the director is from? The actors?

[Nemoide]

It's true that the label "foreign film" can be murky - I watched The Fifth Element in a class on French cinema (the director, producers, and I believe much of the crew are French), I think the label as used by the thread's creator can be generally understood as "non-American." If anyone wants to say something like The Fifth Element... just give a little explanatory note.

Anyway, I studied cinema for my undergraduate degree, but I'm generally not a big fan of listing favorites... BUT I'LL TRY ANYWAY! And with little explanatory notes. ANYWAY, I'M JUST BROWSING MY DVD COLLECTION AND PICKING FAVORITES, so this isn't all-encompassing but it's also a pretty large list.
HERE IT GOES:

8 1/2 - Probably Fellini's most iconic film and I'm inclined to prefer it over the others of his that I've seen... although it's also kind of a cliche pick and I would also recommend it mostly to people who have seen at least one of his earlier films (like La Strada)

Barefoot Gen - An anime film based on a semi-autobiographical manga about the experience of a young boy who survives the bombing of Hiroshima. This stuff is haunting and intense.

The Beyond - my favorite horror film by Italian director Lucio Fulci. Some people think he was cheap/cheesy and that this movie doesn't make sense. I will admit that this is true, but he also really knew the craft of filmmaking and this movie evokes a feeling of horror unlike any other I can think of.

Diva - a beautiful French film about artificiality and recording... it's been a while since I've seen it actually but I remember thinking it was great.

Dogville (yes it's starring Nicole Kidman and set in America, but it's totally Danish) - So this was the first film of Lars Van Trier that I saw and I found it profoundly disturbing in a fascinating way. The minimalist technique which I would normally think might distract from the quality of the film instead heightens the story and it really hits home hard. The follow-up, Manderlay is another great one.

The Hole (1998) - a Taiwanese musical about social isolation that I consider SERIOUSLY GREAT.

The Holy Mountain (I'm fairly sure this is a Mexican-US coproduction but I'll count it!) - the whole thing is basically beautifully shot Hermetic/Rosicrucian symbolism. I'd say it's essential viewing for anyone with an interest in that sort of thing!

House (1977) - all that needs to be said about this movie is that it's NUTS. I love it!

Inferno - it's been a while since I've seen this one, but it's my favorite Dario Argento movie. Very evocative and I still clearly remember some of the surreal scenes clearly. Yes it's a sequel to Suspiria, but IMO it's better!

Inside (2007) - this French slasher is probably the greatest slasher movie ever made AND an interesting portrayal of women in horror films.

Godzilla (or Gojira if you prefer) - I love giant monsters and unlike the sequels, this one is actually serious business as far as monster movies go. I also completely love the score.

Seven Samurai - another "typical" answer, but I do think this is probably the most representative of Kurosawa's films, I've also seen it more times than any of his others.

The Silence - my favorite of Ingmar Bergman's movie even though I only saw it once years ago. It's SUPER-HEAVY and depressing. (In a turn of irony it was advertised as basically being softcore lesbian porn... I have to assume viewers expecting that were extremely confused.)

Videodrome - My favorite Canadian movie by David Cronenberg, an exploration of a person's relationship to mass media/technology... (full of body horror weirdness).

Wings of Desire - I love this movie and it's stuck with me for reasons I can't easily describe. A beautiful film that I suppose is more of an exploration of life than anything else. (The plot could be summarized as being about an angel who wants to be human but that sounds cheesy and cheapens the high quality of the film.)

[insanecow0]

awesome list

I want to see many of those you listed, and saw Hausu recently, totally bonkers and worth watching.

[Hobie-wan]

Just a quickie to toss in, I love Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt). Everything about the movie is kinetic with small stops for a breather. The pacing, the visuals, and the soundtrack all combine really nicely.