tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post3821500222399880496..comments2024-03-08T18:49:51.289-05:00Comments on Classic Film and TV Café: Why Aren't Foreign Films More Popular Among American Classic Film Fans?Rick29http://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-87210241519210340472016-07-10T19:05:27.731-04:002016-07-10T19:05:27.731-04:00Personally, I don't get much into foreign film...Personally, I don't get much into foreign films for two reasons. <br />1) I find reading subtitles distracting. <br />2) It's very difficult to get good ratings on foreign films somewhere like IMDB (there is a bias for Betty Davis, for most foreign films, and against comedies)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-67253291489486304832016-07-01T18:42:06.546-04:002016-07-01T18:42:06.546-04:00Lesley, regardless of what we may say, I think all...Lesley, regardless of what we may say, I think all of us movie bloggers want to write posts that people read. And I think that does contribute to why lesser-known films, to include foreign-language ones, are covered less often. As I said, I am guilty, too, and hope to do better!Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-20451907675251099422016-06-29T18:15:06.219-04:002016-06-29T18:15:06.219-04:00Great post and excellent point, thank you so much ...Great post and excellent point, thank you so much for bringing it up. I came of age as a moviegoer when cities and university campuses showed all kinds of movies, from Hollywood classics to foreign films. If you were interested in movies you saw all kinds of films, and it was exciting to be exposed to different cultures and artistic movements. That environment, where art houses could make a living and when a foreign film like The Red Shoes might run at one theater for a couple of years, is gone forever. I totally agree that we should include more international films in our championing of classic movies, and at the same time (don't hate me) I worry that I won't even get the traffic I do if I write about movies most people don't know and aren't interested in learning about. In a better world I would be thrilled to lead people toward great foreign classic films, but in this one I feel like protecting and extending the reach of classic Hollywood movies may be all I can actually handle. Lesleyhttp://secondsightcinema.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-26061501441459946962016-06-29T16:56:54.785-04:002016-06-29T16:56:54.785-04:00Shortly after the dinosaurs ruled the earth and I ...Shortly after the dinosaurs ruled the earth and I was an undergrad, I loved taking film classes and seeing 16 mm films shown at some other venues. This was how I came to appreciate several foreign films. I don't know if these opportunities still exist on college campuses or if everyone simply watches DVDs.toto2https://www.blogger.com/profile/09652682900471649463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-40678135323014102202016-06-26T12:45:58.894-04:002016-06-26T12:45:58.894-04:00I think you're just watching the wrong foreign...I think you're just watching the wrong foreign films! Check out foreign films like Le Million, My Father's Glory, and Day For Night.Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/00240396644130014121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-47253509018870679372016-06-26T12:42:14.748-04:002016-06-26T12:42:14.748-04:00I agree. Plus, several of Dassin's films are e...I agree. Plus, several of Dassin's films are easily available.Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/00240396644130014121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-76268146703705367022016-06-25T14:14:27.798-04:002016-06-25T14:14:27.798-04:00In our family we have a simpler excuse for not wat...In our family we have a simpler excuse for not watching foreign films : most of them are too darn depressing. We're old-fashioned and like our entertainment to entertain. Nevertheless, I love Japanese dramas of the 1980s, French comedies ( praise to Jacques Tati ) and ALL British films ( but those don't count as foreign, of course ).The Metzinger Sistershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10728879307994086409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-61857502224048299632016-06-25T12:12:22.002-04:002016-06-25T12:12:22.002-04:00I think anyone who enjoys classic noir and crime m...I think anyone who enjoys classic noir and crime movies would appreciate the work of Jean Pierre Melville and Jules Dassin. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10761559221777035541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-28739246724585816702016-06-25T11:29:40.808-04:002016-06-25T11:29:40.808-04:00I'm glad you brought this up. I claim to love ...I'm glad you brought this up. I claim to love foreign films, and I see a number of modern foreign films, but I review very few foreign classics. This I must change.Silver Screeningshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955048716754142299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-50658617161505615702016-06-24T17:45:45.906-04:002016-06-24T17:45:45.906-04:00Can remember the '50's Sid Caesar doing Ku...Can remember the '50's Sid Caesar doing Kurosawa parodies. Just watched a '52 Jerry Lewis telethon, and he made a Bicycle Thief reference.Bill Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06041905291496937729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-75783017780070193642016-06-24T06:59:15.600-04:002016-06-24T06:59:15.600-04:00Good post. I just wanted to point out that TCM has...Good post. I just wanted to point out that TCM has shown foreign-language films in a late-night weekend slot for many, many years, at least since 2000.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05577274295584935366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-11476889737233585702016-06-23T22:57:22.613-04:002016-06-23T22:57:22.613-04:00There may be some truth in that. The 1950s were wh...There may be some truth in that. The 1950s were when Fellini, Bergman, and Kurosawa burst on the scene. Heck, Sophia Loren won a Best Actress Oscar for a foreign-language in the early '60s. Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-62198382835022906212016-06-23T19:06:59.380-04:002016-06-23T19:06:59.380-04:00I read that Foreign film had it's highest visi...I read that Foreign film had it's highest visibility in the US in the 50s, which surprised me since one doesn't think of the 50s as a particularly cosmopolitan time. But there's the 50s we've been told about, and the 50s that people actually lived in!antoniodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08484223213688377817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-60671561851280993322016-06-23T18:11:55.350-04:002016-06-23T18:11:55.350-04:00That's a great story, emeraldcity, and proves ...That's a great story, emeraldcity, and proves that there are thousands of fascinating foreign films out there that most of us don't even know that--but, if given the chance, would love them. I haven't seen many Indian films, and know it's a recent one, but I really enjoyed BRIDE AND PREJUDICE.Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-32210187206847722492016-06-23T08:35:31.663-04:002016-06-23T08:35:31.663-04:00Excellent point Rick. I think too many people have...Excellent point Rick. I think too many people have a fear of foreign films, cultures and anything that is different. John/24Frameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14719659042858962026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-61889223136916751342016-06-23T04:00:55.068-04:002016-06-23T04:00:55.068-04:00I love Indian Movies , I became enamoured of them ...I love Indian Movies , I became enamoured of them when I lived in London during the 80's and 90's, the BBC showed one every Saturday afternoon and they were magical. <br /><br />The classics like Mother India and Pakeezah to The Bandit Queen and newer ones such as Devdas, they manage to cram something for everyone into every movie, drama, tears, laughter, grand romance, great production numbers for the fans of musicals, strong story lines , sympathetic characters, fabulous costumes and sets, great historical sagas and complete cultural immersion for 2 to 3hrs (the average length of an Indian movie), you certainly get your money's worth.emeraldcityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15944171047574404495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-77111838118921132582016-06-22T22:05:56.357-04:002016-06-22T22:05:56.357-04:00There seems to be a perception that foreign films ...There seems to be a perception that foreign films are heavy, artistic affairs. I've often wondered whether the Foreign Film Oscar nominees have contributed to that myth. (Not to go off on a tangent, but there's also something wrong with a process in which a single film is submitted to represent a country for the Oscar.) But, as you said, there are foreign films for all tastes. I find it especially interesting to see how Hollywood films have been influenced by foreign cinema and vice versa. Plus, lest we forget, many of the classics from "Hollywood's Golden Era" were made from filmmakers who immigrated from Europe: Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, Jules Dassin, Fred Zinnemann, etc.Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-18532222301802530432016-06-22T19:27:26.050-04:002016-06-22T19:27:26.050-04:00Rick, thank you so much for bringing up this issue...Rick, thank you so much for bringing up this issue and directing readers to the Foreign Film Classics Facebook group. I will be messaging you about the proposal you put to me earlier, which got lost in my vacation plans and some personal issues, including illness. You'll hear from me shortly. I thought you made a very strong case for the appeal of foreign language films to the general movie-lover. If you choose wisely, you can find foreign language films that appeal to your particular tastes. And, as with lots of the best movies, whether in English or another language, many deal with themes of universal appeal and truth that transcend cultural differences.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-81538473214837434852016-06-22T19:02:11.507-04:002016-06-22T19:02:11.507-04:00Thank you for bringing up this issue, it's one...Thank you for bringing up this issue, it's one I've meant to call attention to for some time. It worries me, in fact, that American classic film blogs are so deeply American-centric (and so focused on the time when American films were at their least diverse). CMBA somehow can find two blogs about Hitchcock, one about Chaplin, one about Bing Crosby, and none at all about Akira Kurosawa? There's something amiss here. So many of us seem to be serious about film history, and it doesn't make sense for historians to have a major blind spot about the rest of the world.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16273431993463071264noreply@blogger.com