MovieChat Forums > Janghwa, Hongryun (2003) Discussion > Foreign films.

Foreign films.

posted 15 years ago by SomewhereFar
12 replies | jump to latest

I really can't stand that people only want to see Hollywood blockbusters and stupid comedy's instead of a good foreign films from asia or europe.
I really hate when people have a prejudice against a movie when it doesn't contain their favorite actors or costs a hundred million dollars to make.

My friends did want to watch; '' The uninvited '' but '' A Tale Of Two Sisters '' was a big no no! Its like some people find themeless to good to watch a movie like this.

I should stop my rant now...

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how'd you like to love me forever

[–] overseer-3 15 years ago

I agree with you. The general population is too stupid to see through smokescreens that are put up to grab their money. People consistently vote for idiot politicians too who rob them blind and then they go back in the ballot box 4 years later and vote for them AGAIN!

There's nothing to be done against such stupidity. You just have to pity the poor fools.

[–] thomvic 13 years ago

Yes I totally agree - though of course I don't mind Hollywood flicks as well - some are done reasonably well but I guess what you're getting at is the fact that some people simply restrict their viewings to those sort of films.

I don't care who the actors are, or how much money it took to make it - to me what matters is if the film has an engaging story and was able to draw me into that world.

Luckily I watched ATOTS a few years ago - picked it up randomly at the local video store and loved it. Was confused the first time but even though I was confused a bit, I loved the way the director made it - the music score, the emotion and the cinematography were stunning - plus it was genuinely scary.

Nowadays, if I find out a film that has been released by Hollywood was a remake of a foreign language film - I'm usually more inclined to watch the original since it is usually better - and it is cheaper to rent it than watch the remake at the movies :)

To be honest, I rarely go to the movies that much now - mainly due to the fact that the films coming out now are mediocre and nothing has really givem me that 'wow' factor - I'd rather just watch a lot of them on dvd now.

The main point most people don't like watching foreign films for those who refuse to - subtitles (they can't stand reading them) and I think it is also because they feel they can't identify with the culture, which is a shame because reading subtitles for one is easy as, and the majority of stories told are universal regardless of what language they are speaking.

[–] Adler-99 13 years ago

I think, too, a lot of people either can't see well enough or read fast enough to catch all the subtitles, but they won't admit it.

[–] amandadawnblock 10 years ago

Nowadays, if I find out a film that has been released by Hollywood was a remake of a foreign language film - I'm usually more inclined to watch the original since it is usually better - and it is cheaper to rent it than watch the remake at the movies :)

Haha, this is my first reaction to new remakes of foreign language films too! It all started with The Grudge--I absolutely fell in love with that movie and eventually bought Ju-on: The Grudge on Ebay and was instantly hooked! I haven't seen nearly enough Asian horror for my liking, but I'm working on it.

The main point most people don't like watching foreign films for those who refuse to - subtitles (they can't stand reading them) and I think it is also because they feel they can't identify with the culture, which is a shame because reading subtitles for one is easy as, and the majority of stories told are universal regardless of what language they are speaking.

I'm hard of hearing, have been all my life. I started using subtitles when I was probably around eleven or twelve and have never looked back. You'd be amazed how many people hate them--I've been told "they're distracting", "I don't want to read a movie", or "I can't focus on the movie because I'm too busy trying to read" (among other complaints). Some people I understand (like my ex, who is dyslexic and a very, very slow reader--I'm talking I would have read something five times before he was finished), but overall I think that, at least in America, it's mostly just laziness and that people are getting too accustomed to instant gratification. It's a shame really, they're missing out big time!

As far as the culture goes, I wondered about that myself when I first popped in Ju-on. But one thing I've learned is that horror is universal, and other countries have some extremely spooky superstitions/urban legends! Mostly what I've seen of Asian horror is either ghost/paranormal (Ju-on, Ringu), psychological (such as this film) or RoboGeisha, which I really don't even think fits in any one box. ;) I have a slasher waiting to be watched that is supposed to be really good too, so we shall see.

But anyway, what I was trying to say was that I think it's really a shame that people don't even give these amazing movies a chance because they either don't want to read subtitles or are worried about not being able to identify with the culture. They're definitely missing out!

[–] wreckage-1 13 years ago

Just let your friends miss out on one of the most beautiful pieces of art I've ever encountered. It's their loss.

[–] sallytomato100 13 years ago

Amen.

[–] MariaDeluca 12 years ago

Well first off sadly not everyone cares to read subtitles and a lot of younger people I hung out with in the US talked during movies let alone would care about another culture. I think it goes more into watching something getting into that culture and watching more which is what I did with South Korea and Japan.

Now you can't blame the US if everyone just won't watch subtitles for example. They won't make any money. Did you know when I saw the movie Safe in theaters people behind me complained about the little bit of subtitles in the movie? This is a reflection of why remakes happen.

I will say not every original movie is great and sometimes remakes are better in my opinion but overall yes it would be good for Hollywood to slow down on them and people to not be so prejudice but sadly that is the world we live in. I say I watch Korean dramas and some people give me a look like really?

[–] samsblood 12 years ago

I know that look, but hey, just get them to take a taste, and they may change their attitude^^ I accidentally hooked a co-worker on K-dramas and changed her life! A year ago I got her to watch a YouTube clip of the young heroine from 'You're Beautiful' singing the hymn 'Panis Angelicus' in Latin. She was intrigued by the scene and read up on the series, and before you could say Minamishineyo, she was totally addicted! Since then, she's watched several dozen K-dramas, and says it's like a whole new world opened up for her^^ Now I'm in the processing of hooking an older male colleague on K-dramas, and the hook this time was a clip from 'My Name Is Kim SamSoon', in which the chubby, awkward heroine imagines herself doing a sexy slinky dance. He thought it was the funniest thing ever and decided to watch some more of it -- that was a week ago and as of now he's up to episode 5.

[–] overseer-3 12 years ago

Very encouraging. My biggest success was my friend from high school, Alison, whom I sent I'm Sorry, I Love You -- she took 5 months to crack it open -- and then was emailing me constantly how intense it was and how hooked she was on it. After awhile reading subtitles it doesn't even phase you, you get so used to it. Now this friend has watched even more K-dramas than I have! :)

Another friend, Lexi, watched several when she was staying at my house trying to find someplace to live. I have Instant Netflix and there were several K dramas on my queue and she became completely hooked on three of them in a row. Just too funny!

[–] trixi-b 12 years ago

I'm Hungarian, so 99% of the movies I watch are foreign for me, because the majority of Hungarian movies suck in my opinion (at least the new ones). Probably English-speaking people don't like foreign films because most of the movies shown in cinemas are in their mother tongue. They are spoilt in a way. Here, all of the movies (except the very rare ones) are dubbed (and our dubbing is pretty good too, we have great voice actors), but I always watched movies with original audio, because that's how the director made them (plus language humour can't be translated).
My roommate is one of those people who are too lazy to read, she doesn't even read books, because "the woman has the attention span of a gnat" :) She doesn't like long movies either and she talks through every movie. BUT I'm disciplining her slowly. She actually watched movies with me like A Tale of Two Sisters, or (Kubrick's) The Shining, subtitled. And spoke very little. She trusts me now. Next: Asian war films :)
Her boyfriend is very annoying though (in many ways). He fell asleep during A Tale of Two Sisters after he had to read three lines ("The subtitles are so quick!", well I can read it, so could you).

[–] overseer-3 12 years ago

My 16 year old daughter watched all 20 hours of the K-drama 49 Days with me. Never ever would I think she would sit for 20 hours and read subtitles but she did! When films or shows are that gripping then reading the subs don't seem like a hassle at all.

[–] overseer-3 10 years ago

Since I wrote this post a year and a half ago my now 17 year old daughter has watched several K-dramas with me:

My Love From Another Star
Love Rain
Twenty Something
Mimi (a ghost story)
Secret Garden
It's Okay, That's Love
A Gentleman's Dignity
You're Beautiful
Heartstrings
Shark
Personal Taste
Faith
and parts of IRIS, believe it or not.

Never thought she would sit down and watch all those shows with subtitles.

K-dramas RULE!