MovieChat Forums > Secret in Their Eyes (2015) Discussion > A question for the folks who live in the...

A question for the folks who live in the States

posted 9 years ago by dbroggi
56 replies | jump to latest

Guys, i have an honest question
Are foreign movies really that rejected in the states? From all the talking I've seen here you don't seem to have movie theaters screening european, latin american, african or asian movies that often.
The same goes to movies with subtitles. Is it really impossible to find them?
I do understand some movies having a hard time geting to other countries. It is actually sad because many powerful works of art don't get to touch as many people they could... But El Secreto de tus Ojos was not only a powerful movie, but a major success!
I love movies and I thing I was born in the perfect city for that. We have all sorts of movie festivals and all kinds of genres! But I guessed folks from cities such as NY, Washington,LA and Chicago for instance would also have access to this kind of cosmopolitan cultural heritage and would profit from it. I've been to NY and you guys have some of the best museums in the planet! Movie theaters can't be that behind!
I won't deal with the Secret in their eyes issue anymore. The damage was done... If IMDB is only about teen movies these days, there is no point in having such discussion.

[–] lnoft97 9 years ago

That's a good question! There are many, many movie fanatics who would jump at the chance to see movies from other countries. The thing is, there aren't that MANY of them to make it profitable for a theater to show those movies, unless it specialized in such things and was located in a big city. People now watch Netflix and movies online rather than take a trip into the city to the foreign film movie theater. The people who DO go to the movies are, as always, the 18-49 age group who want special effects, spectacle, spacemen and superheroes, and to see their idols up on the big screen. Those are the movies that break the records, every movie that comes along must be big, bigger, biggest - and be simple enough to be exported to other countries and attract similar crowds. So, short answer - there is an audience for foreign films, of course, but that audience doesn't necessarily see them in a theater. (back in olden days, I used to take a bus to go to the university where they showed movies of all kinds, 'art films' (meaning foreign) and even classics (the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, movies with Cary Grant, Bette Davis, etc. - in an auditorium.) Turner Classic Movies changed all that! They show not only classics, but silent films, French, Italian, Japanese, and more - 'foreign' films.

[–] carlinhoscalixtosilva 9 years ago

To be quite frank those are the best sort of movies to watch in the theater, the ones with special effects, so that you can truly appreciate visuals. Having said that it I would love to see the odd classic in the cinema every now and then.

[–] ctrader11 9 years ago

I love the original. Can't believe they're doing an English language remake. Highly doubt it can be as moving as the original.

[–] remembervhs 9 years ago

a lot of americans use the internet to watch foreign films. either through netflix, another service, or illegally. of course every major city has independent theaters that show foreign films and there are lots of film festivals as well.

in my opinion, the important thing is that foreign films are there for people who want to find them.

i've seen 5 films with ricardo darin in them. 9 queens, the aura (my favorite), the secret in their eyes, xxy, thesis on a homicide (didn't like much).

[–] diegogue 9 years ago

The Aura is probably the best argentinian movie ever. Secreto de sus ojos would be the second

all the stories must be told

[–] jackieroseb 9 years ago

Yes subtitle movies are fine and I would watch them if they are interesting enough. The only one I have watched was French Twist and I loved that movie. I think I watched some when I lived in Mexico but they were not subtitled but I understood most of it at the time. :)

[–] piazzollachick 9 years ago

I don't speak for "Americans", but I can tell you that in my (medium sized) city I'm aware of 2-3 "art house cinemas" that show foreign-language films. These theaters are inconveniently located, therefore I prefer to wait until the film is available on DVD or streaming.

In my personal pantheon of entertaining foreign-language films I find Argentine films are generally a sure thing, and I will buy the DVDs knowing nothing else about the movie. Spanish cinema is also very good, but I want to know some combination of writer, director, and/or cast. Films from Italy, Germany, or France can be hit or miss, so I wait for reviews or word-of-mouth recommendations. Films from other countries usually have to be breakout hits before they are even available here, such as Sweden's "Let the Right One In" or the Stieg Larsson "The Girl...." series.

Also, enjoyment of a foreign film hinges on more than just ability and willingness to read subtitles. Specifically, in the case of "The Secret in their Eyes" it helps to have some familiarity with Argentine history and culture, including the "Dirty War" or their civil-code based legal system. You can enjoy the film without knowing these things, but sections of it will be confusing.

Certainly _my_ preference would be to have Hollywood show a little vision and come up with original scripts. However, studios are now multinational corporations where films are made based on business decisions by committees, in which the goal is to produce lowest-common-denominator "entertainment" that will maximize profits worldwide.

The good news is, no matter how many "remakes" they churn out - it cannot "unmake" the original.

[–] JameGumbisSilent 9 years ago

"The good news is, no matter how many "remakes" they churn out - it cannot "unmake" the original."

Exactly. But for some reason people think a "remake" eliminates the original, instead of calling attention to a film that many have never heard of and now might want to watch. How is that a bad thing?

all work and no play make jack a dull boy.

[–] agustinavanni 9 years ago

I lived in New York for a couple of years and I know for sure there are a few small theaters that are pretty popular that show foreign movies with subs. Sunshine Cinema, Angelika Film Center, IFC and Film Forum are very conveniently located in Manhattan and I'm sure there must be a couple more in Brooklyn. I've been to screenings in these theaters to watch foreign films and seen the place PACKED (particularly for La Grande Belleza). I'm not in NYC anymore but one of my NY friends told me Wild Tales (Relatos Salvajes), from Argentina as well, is so popular that it has been playing for months at the Sunshine. I can't speak for the rest of the US but I'm guessing other big cities have some popular "artsy" theaters as well.

[–] katnmowse 9 years ago

We can find them if we want to. What's your point?

[–] welcometoearth-16-636057 9 years ago

The thing is that this is a problem for almost every country in the world. People tend to only watch movies in their own language and in english.
But this is to be clear not a remake per se, it is an interpretation of the novel. Just as True Grit was.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] bababear 9 years ago

If you live in a city with a population of one million or more there are probably several theaters that show foreign films. Otherwise, it's more difficult.

It's not that audiences don't wish to see them. But distribution is what makes or breaks a film financially.

A major Hollywood blockbuster like JURASSIC WORLD may be playing on 3,000 or more screens. To oversimplify it, that movie most likely played somewhere near your house because it was showing on almost every flat surface short of the wall of the barn.

Look at the box office report in Variety. A very important fact it reports is the gross per screen. Some obscure import may have a per screen gross literally four or five times that of a big popular film because there are audiences willing to do the "heavy lifting" and go a little out of their way to find a particular film.

And I, too, worked at Blockbuster and got very used to the 'we don't do subtitles' mindset. And the 'we don't watch black and white movies' and 'we don't watch documentaries' as well. The one that got me was how often people would say 'I don't want to watch anything that will make me think' because thinking goes against too many people's grain. Reading is regarded as a form of punishment, and definitely uncool.

Let's think positively. Maybe there will be some people who enjoy seeing this remake of THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES so much that they seek out the original. That's what I have done several times after seeing movies like VANILLA SKY and others that were so interesting that I wanted to get another interpretation of the story from another storyteller.