MovieChat Forums > Ying (2018) Discussion > The Distribution of Foreign Films Today.

The Distribution of Foreign Films Today.

posted 5 years ago by JustinJackFlash (161)
8 replies | jump to latest

Back in the 2000s there was a huge boom in foreign films released in the west. But where are they all today? I recall the time I would anticipate the likes of Zang Yimou's elegant, Wuxia, art blockbusters Hero and House of Flying Daggers for months before I finally got to gasp in wonder in the cinema. Now he's just returned to the genre with Shadow. And I looked forward to it for merely a week. Why? I had no idea it was coming out. There was no pre-release buzz whatsoever as it spluttered out straight to DVD.

Back in the precious era of the 2000s there would be many enthusiastic articles promoting foreign language movies as we enjoyed a wide variety of countless high profile releases from many different countries and genres. The decade blessed us monthly with the likes of Amelie, Martyrs and the French horror wave, Pan's Labyrinth, The Sea Inside, Oldboy, The Eye, City of God, Battle Royale, Audition and the J-horror wave, The Lives of Others and many, many more.

I do notice foreign films released today but they usually don't seem to get the same push as films back then and I can think of very few which have a high profile. The Raid 2 was quite a while ago and only a few spring to mind since then such as the likes of Train to Busan. And would Roma have been as high profile if it hadn't been made by a director already well known for making western films?

So where are they? And why does there not seem to be the same confidence in foreign films today?

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8711) 5 years ago

Just finished this one. It's an interesting film. A little slow, but definitely worth a watch.

Technically it was not released straight-to-video. It received a small, limited release. I think I read that it went to 53 theaters. But yeah, that's not the kind of wide release that something like Hero or Crouching Tiger got.

You can still find foreign films in the theater today, but often you have to look on the indie circuit. I have an indie theater a few blocks away from me and they are playing foreign films all the time.

And also, right now, Parasite is doing business all over the country.

Honestly, other than the kung fu movies, and Pan's Labyrinth, I don't remember many foreign films getting wide releases or a lot of buzz. You mentioned Battle Royale, for instance. It gained a cult following but I don't think the average person on the street would have ever known what you were talking about if you asked them about it. Same for City of God or Oldboy. So while I do think that there was a definite change with the wuxia films falling out of popularity, I think that for other genres things have largely remained the same.

[–] captainbucky (15252) 5 years ago

Is it lots of fun to look at and to watch on the tv there

[–] JustinJackFlash (161) 5 years ago

Are you American? Because Shadow may have been shown in cinemas over there. But I'm pretty sure it didn't here in the UK. It's the kind of film I tend to notice.

Before the release of Amelie and Crouching Tiger in 2001 there was a real stigma about foreign films. Being willing to read subtitles as you watched a film suggested to most people that you were mental, despite the fact that reading a magazine involves a similar combination of processing words and images.

But for quite a while that stigma went away in many circles. No, foreign films didn't get the kind of huge release the average blockbuster enjoys, but you could talk with moderately educated people about them and they'd usually be somewhat familiar with a lot of them. And far more than kung fu films and Pan's Labarynth. There were varied films like Night Watch, Infernal Affairs, Timecrimes, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Nine Queens, Death Note, The Experiment, I could keep going on for a very long time. There were so many of these films released every month. And the confident marketing push of these films meant that you'd have heard of them.

When Battle Royale was released the average person wouldn't have known about it. But that's because it was released
just before foreign films became more popular. Several years later it became very well known. I've had many different types of people tell me they love it.

Foreign films were, for lack of a better word, hip.

More recently it seems that aforementioned stigma is back. Mention to someone that you watched a subtitled film today and they look at you like you just farted at a funeral. And I'm not talking about the average Gary who works in a garage. I'm talking about intelligent people with good jobs. I'm not saying we don't get foreign films today. Of course I notice them. But there does seem to be less and they don't seem to be marketed well or be as prominent in our culture.

I hope the huge Oscar success of Parasite changes that.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8711) 5 years ago

I am American, yes. I didn't see Shadow available in any theaters but just looked it up on Box Office Mojo.

I remember when Crouching Tiger came out there was some people who, upon realizing the whole thing was subtitled, asked for their money back. I think at one point theaters started including a disclaimer at the ticket window. That's a shame. Obviously it did find a lot of love, though. It was a huge success, certainly, in comparison to the average foreign film.

Regarding Battle Royale, it definitely found a cult following among teens and twenty-somethings. I was right around 23 or 24 when a roommate showed it to me. I have watched it a few times since.

I'm not sure I'd say that the stigma around foreign films has returned, but I do think that there's a general disinterest among average English-speaking moviegoers. I'm a little surprised to hear that foreign films are not more popular in the UK, just because you guys are so close to the European continent. I would expect more of a penetration of films from France, Italy, Scandinavia, etc.

[–] JustinJackFlash (161) 5 years ago

Yeah, that's terrible about people asking for their money back. I knew a few people who worked in cinemas back then and they told me it happens. You'd think people would do just a touch of research before going to see a film.

[–] TheAdlerian (2092) 5 years ago

I used to see foreign films all the time in the US. I really liked French ones because they stories are good and usually have themes I like. When chinese films became amazing looking I used to see a lot of them. But, I generally like foreign films because they have different plots than the US. Our plots are the same over and over.

Then, it all stopped and now in art house cinemas we have only "indie" US films which again are about the same things. They are always quiet boring films about people meeting in college of going to a funeral in Nebraska, etc.

I do not got to those theaters anymore.

There also seems to be no real place to watch foreign films.

[–] JustinJackFlash (161) 5 years ago

Yes, I found Korean films in particular to feel very different. Their stories feel unique, their characters avoid the predictable stereotypes of western films. They always seem to take you on a unique journey and I can rarely predict what will happen.

We still get a few such as Train to Busan, The Handmaiden and Parasite but nowhere near the amount we used to get.

[–] TheAdlerian (2092) 5 years ago

I like Japanese films for that reason. They have different plot idea and even if it's a familiar plot it will play out differently. French movies are good for this reason too. They tend to be anti rich and elite and frequently about normal people instead of always rich people like American films.

I haven't seen any of that in a LONG TIME.