Good Foreign Films.....

Hope these qualify:

High Tension (French slasher flick)

Ninja Scroll (anime)

The Raid 2 is finally available and I can honestly say it's just as good as (if not somehow better than) the first movie. If you like any sort of action/martial arts movie you HAVE to get the fuck off the forums and obtain immediately!

A good, solid story ties together amazing sequences of the some of the most brutal fights I've ever seen. The directing is as awesome as the fights, often capturing the action in nice long takes instead of a bunch of little cuts stitched together.

I know this may not sound PC, but everytime I am watching a non-American made film, I am always thinking how better it would be if it was an American-made film. This probably says more about my lack of exposure to good foreign films than anything i guess. I am not one to think the USA does everything better than all other countries, not at all.
But gosh, I feel we rock the cinematic world like nobody's business.

Silver420Surfer said:

I know this may not sound PC, but everytime I am watching a non-American made film, I am always thinking how better it would be if it was an American-made film. This probably says more about my lack of exposure to good foreign films than anything i guess. I am not one to think the USA does everything better than all other countries, not at all.
But gosh, I feel we rock the cinematic world like nobody's business.

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I hear ya. IMO, American films are the best at making the audience forget that they're watching a movie. They employ many tricks to "zonk you out" and make you just go with the flow.

When watching a foreign movie, I think it's just easier to realize that you're actually watching a movie, and you don't get so lost in camera / story tricks. It can take some getting used to.

These days, I find American films to usually be so incredibly predictable that I can literally tell you what's going to happen every step of the way, in most cases. Even the "twists" are usually just shock-value surprises, not twists.

But my point (I guess) is that watching a good foreign film gives me a sense of... adventure? More of a jolt? A different kind of exposure? I have much less of an idea what's "around the bend," as it were...

You just gotta find the right TYPE of foreign, I suppose...

Anyway, just drunk, stoned, and rambling...

Lots of films mentioned in this thread that I like and have seen numerous times.

Currently I am collecting Studio Ghibli blu ray releases, as they release in Japan.

I hate dubbed, ever since I was little, always had to have original language with subtitles, although I feel some stuff is always lost in translation.

Right now I only own 4, Mononoke Hime, Gedo Senki, Kiki's Delivery Service, Nausica and the Valley of the Wind. Spirited Away comes out in blu ray July 16th in Japan, I will then own it too. If you have watched any of the films on dvd, you are blown away with the visual quality from the japan blu ray collection.

Also saw The Killer earlier in the thread, love love love early John Woo, Hard Boiled is the best action film I have ever seen!

Also really like Luc Besson films like Le Femme Nikita and the Professional.

Jahannum said:

Lots of films mentioned in this thread that I like and have seen numerous times.

Currently I am collecting Studio Ghibli blu ray releases, as they release in Japan.

I hate dubbed, ever since I was little, always had to have original language with subtitles, although I feel some stuff is always lost in translation.

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What I REALLY hate is how so many foreign films, on DVD, in widescreen, put the subtitles OVER THE FILM, instead of in the black area beneath....



Furthermore, I'd prefer the subtitles at the top of the screen. I always feel like I'm missing stuff when looking at the bottom...

Funny Games. 1997 I think...

I am from India, and would like to recommend a old classic
called
Guide
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059246/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_49

Silver420Surfer said:

I know this may not sound PC, but everytime I am watching a non-American made film, I am always thinking how better it would be if it was an American-made film. This probably says more about my lack of exposure to good foreign films than anything i guess. I am not one to think the USA does everything better than all other countries, not at all.
But gosh, I feel we rock the cinematic world like nobody's business.

Click to expand...

Definitely can't say that I agree with that one. I find most hollywood movies to be so generic and samey, from the stories to the way they are shot... to recycling the same actors in different roles all the time. I think seeing an actor that I know from roles in other movies is probably what takes me "out" of a movie experience more than anything - I just think "Oh look, its agent Smith playing the part of Elrond and only acting slightly different" (as a random example). At that point i'm thinking more about the person being an actor, and the other movies theyve been in, etc, more than i am about the actual movie being watched. Less of that happens when watching foreign movies i find, theres usually fresh new faces... tho that can sometimes be a bad thing if the person really isnt that good of an actor of course.

I mean, sure, if youre talking about a comparatively low-budget foreign film, it could be better if it was a big budget hollywood movie. but most of the time US remakes of foreign movies end up being crap compared to the original movies, so often that i'm at the point where i never want to watch another hollywood remake, I'd just go straight to the original.

And maybe it's just all my years of watching subbed anime, but I have no problem reading subtitles while still catching everything thats happening on-screen. They actually hold my interest more, out of necessity lol, i cant be looking away from the screen, fiddling with my vape or phone or something, the movie requires my full attention.

My wife is Korean so I watch nearly as many foreign movies as I do American, it seems that the high budget American movies are always so focused on the extra special effects that the main story falls to the wayside. Where as some of the lower budget movies actually need a real story to keep you watching.
For proof watch Oldboy. An absolutely incredible Korean film(on netflix).... Or as most Americans know it "that weird ass spike lee movie,that's ok I guess?" Not even close to the original.
Generally I don't like the foreign comedies as much, but I would suggest watching "going by the book". Funny Korean comedy about a bank heist drill, it's a good one.

Like suggested before "the raid" will fulfill anyone's need for bloody brutal fight scenes. And "ong bak"!!!!! Tony Jaa is just a straight badass, does all his own stunts and actually fights his black belt buddies for real to film some fight scenes. Dude is insane

I just the original Oldboy for the first time about a month ago, and just saw the Spike Lee remake yesterday. In a lot of ways it illustrates the differences between how stories are told in both cultures. The remake was much more modernized, no eating of live squid, just postickers, none of the hero acting like a dog. The new one was good, but it was missing all of the dark comedy elements of the original. Like when the hero breaks into the bad guy's lair and starts killing dudes, and then is told by a bodyguard "You could have just talked." Forgive me for the cultural generalization, but I find Oldboy (and the excellent other entries in that trilogy) a very detailed story of obsessive revenge. Maybe Korean culture has more of a sense of it than American films, but the remake didn't dig as deeply into the psychological elements surrounding revenge. It's made me realize in a lot of American films, revenge is just about expressing anger. But something like Oldboy made me consider the psychological cost of harboring revenge.

As another example, the scene where the hero was confronted by over a dozen bad guys and a huge fight broke out. The remake was choreographed really well. The original fight was much realistic and more brutal in terms of damage dealt to the hero. I prefer the original for its quirkiness, but I'd probably recommend the remake to most Americans. Also if a person is not used to reading subtitles, foreign films can be really hard to digest, and dubbed movies often lose the nuances of the actor's performance.

I like watching movies with the sound down. A good film you should be able to tell how the characters are feeling by watching them. Even a foreign film you can tell from tone of voice how people feel.

Here's some foreign films I've checked out this year:

Enter The Void - this one is haunting me. French film but in English so no dubbing/subtitles to deal with. Equal parts drug s, sex, and the death experience.

Irreversible - by same director, even more haunting. Unless you can steel your emotions against attack, avoid this at all costs. It is completely brutal. Story told in reverse like Memento.

Lady Vengeance/Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance - other parts of the trilogy that Oldboy belongs to. Neither quite as good as Oldboy, but Sympathy comes closest.

Madrid 1987. Man and woman locked in bathroom for most of movie. More intersting than it sounds.

Bedevilled - I think this one was Malasian, another revenge story of a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage.

The Coffin - Couple participates in Buddhist ritual of sleeping inside a coffin to erase bad karma. Pretty good, but didn't run with the concept the way I'd hoped.

El Mariachi - Love Robert Rodriguez', just missed this indie gem.

Ip Man series, Crouching Tiger, Shaw Bros., many many martial arts movies. Enjoying fantasy is a pre-requisite to most of these. The Ip Man material is much more realistic.

Battle Royal - kids made to fight to death in remote location. Think Japanese Hunger Games.

Story of Ricki - personal fave, so ridiculous with low-budget over-the-top martial arts gore.

The Housemaid - excellent Korean flick about power dynamics as a maid wedges herself in between a husband and wife.

Ju-On 1 and Ju-On 2. You may have seen them remade as The Grudge. The originals are creepier.

Kidnapped - Spanish film dubbed in English. Similar to Funny Games but more graphic. Would have preferred subtitles, but still a decent movie.

Funny Games - original German version. Haven't seen the remake but would be surprised if it is as good.

Audition - Japanese film about a widower opening an ad looking for a new wife. But his choice might not be as perfect as appears. This one has some horror scenes late in the film that are seared into my brain. Really good film.

Ichi the Killer - infamous Japanese movie.

Strange Circus. Bizarre Japanese movie with plenty of perversion and quite a shocker at the end.

Dumplings - Just how far will some Chinese women go to retain a youthful appearance? A strong performance from the odd and alluring Bai Ling.

I Saw The Devil - guessed I'm biased, but yet another Korean horror flick that gets high marks from the syrup-meister. Theme? You guessed it. Revenge. I found the late parts of the film distressing, which I suppose any good horror film should do.

End Call - high school girls discover Satan's cell phone number and call to make their deals with the devil.

Only God Forgives. In English, but set in Thailand. Has some odd acting, but the cinematography was just gorgeous.


There's more, but that's what I recall at the moment. I want to get into more mainstream foreign movies, because my taste is biased towards horror

Edit: @sasNW I added a few more.

Seen about half the flms on your list, definitely going to check out the rest. Thanks for the suggestions. And great comparison between the two films. Gotta say I love the ip man series and battle royal deserves all the money from the hunger games!

Oh yeah, some more that I've checked out the past few years.

District B-13. I wonder if half the people who watched this were expecting District.ct 9. French action film that taught me what the parkor genre is. There was a sequel which I didn't enjoy as much but wasn't bad.


Jackie Chan stuff, especially Drunken Master and Big Brawl.

Amelie. Is it possible to not be charmed by this film?

Wing Chun. I love Michelle Yeoh, and it's awesome seeing her strong personality wreaking havoc on foolish men that challenge her.

There's also a Japanese series I forget the name maybe Zombie Ass or Mutant Girl Squad about chicks with guns growing out of their butts or something similar. Not really my thing.

Re-Cycle. I really enjoyed this Chinese film about a novelist's imagination coming to life for her. Kind of trippy too.

Insomnia. The original, not the remake. Wow, this kicked so much ass on the remake. Really captured the feeling of sleeplessness.

On my about-to-watch list: Dream Home, The Host (Japanese), Let the Right One In ( original I think it's Swedish). I tried to watch the Girl With Dragon Tattoo and Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, but they were so dialogue-heavy my eyes were stuck reading the subtitles the whole time and I couldn't enjoy the visuals.

Silver420Surfer said:

I know this may not sound PC, but everytime I am watching a non-American made film, I am always thinking how better it would be if it was an American-made film.

Click to expand...

That's a pretty common comment I hear. I laughed hard when the show The Office came out with Steve Carrell. When I checked out the original BBC show, I laughed even harder and cried a few times too. But I like British movies and think stuff like Hot Fuzz or End of The World is incredible.

Delete.

There is an edit button and it works well.