Classic & Foreign Films

[Theli]

Fantastic! Browning also re-adapted the film later (so far as I understand) as Mark of the Vampire starring Lugosi and Lionel Barrymore. A fun little flick.

[needfulthings]

[Theli]

You somehow always manage to exceed my expectations!

[mae]

If anyone is paying attention, countries have started announcing their submissions for the Best Foreign Film Oscar. A full list will be announced in October (a record 83 countries submitted last year), and a nine-title shortlist will be announced in December.

There are already some strong contenders, I think, at least on paper as far as reviews and trailers. I would highlight five at this point: Goodnight Mommy (Austria), Wolf Totem (China), Son of Saul (Hungary), Arabian Nights (Portugal), and A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (Sweden).

I'm a huge foreign film fan so this period of the awards season is always exciting!

[fernandito]

The Lobster will probably be Greece's submission.

90% sure.

[mae]

Isn't it in English?

[Heather19]

I've been super curious about Goodnight Mommy for awhile. I'm hoping it gets released in a theater nearby.

[Still Servant]

I'm most familiar with Goodnight Mommy. I've heard some good things.

[Mattrick]

I only care about Best Foreign Film when Canada loses in the category! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE

[mae]

I'm most familiar with Goodnight Mommy. I've heard some good things.

I posted a trailer which is amazing in the Trailers thread not too long ago.

[Still Servant]

I'm most familiar with Goodnight Mommy. I've heard some good things.

I posted a trailer which is amazing in the Trailers thread not too long ago.

Yeah, that's where I first heard about it.

[mae]

Brazil just nominated The Second Mother (a trailer was also posted in the Trailers thread), and that looks great as well and has been receiving good buzz, including from Leonard Maltin.

[mae]

So the official Foreign Language Oscar list just came out:

http://www.oscars.org/news/81-countr...age-film-oscar

Eighty-one countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Academy Awards®. Paraguay is a first-time entrant.

The 2015 submissions are:

• Afghanistan, "Utopia," Hassan Nazer, director;
  
• Albania, "Bota," Iris Elezi, Thomas Logoreci, directors;
  
• Algeria, "Twilight of Shadows," Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, director;
  
• Argentina, "The Clan," Pablo Trapero, director;
  
• Australia, "Arrows of the Thunder Dragon," Greg Sneddon, director;
  
• Austria, "Goodnight Mommy," Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, directors;
  
• Bangladesh, "Jalal’s Story," Abu Shahed Emon, director;
  
• Belgium, "The Brand New Testament," Jaco Van Dormael, director;
  
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Our Everyday Story," Ines Tanović, director;
  
• Brazil, "The Second Mother," Anna Muylaert, director;
  
• Bulgaria, "The Judgment," Stephan Komandarev, director;
  
• Cambodia, "The Last Reel," Sotho Kulikar, director;
  
• Canada, "Félix and Meira," Maxime Giroux, director;
  
• Chile, "The Club," Pablo Larraín, director;
  
• China, "Go Away Mr. Tumor," Han Yan, director;
  
• Colombia, "Embrace of the Serpent," Ciro Guerra, director;
  
• Costa Rica, "Imprisoned," Esteban Ramírez, director;
  
• Croatia, "The High Sun," Dalibor Matanić, director;
  
• Czech Republic, "Home Care," Slavek Horak, director;
  
• Denmark, "A War," Tobias Lindholm, director;
  
• Dominican Republic, "Sand Dollars," Laura Amelia Guzmán, Israel Cárdenas, directors;
  
• Estonia, "1944," Elmo Nüganen, director;
  
• Ethiopia, "Lamb," Yared Zeleke, director;
  
• Finland, "The Fencer," Klaus Härö, director;
  
• France, "Mustang," Deniz Gamze Ergüven, director;
  
• Georgia, "Moira," Levan Tutberidze, director;
  
• Germany, "Labyrinth of Lies," Giulio Ricciarelli, director;
  
• Greece, "Xenia," Panos H. Koutras, director;
  
• Guatemala, "Ixcanul," Jayro Bustamante, director;
  
• Hong Kong, "To the Fore," Dante Lam, director;
  
• Hungary, "Son of Saul," László Nemes, director;
  
• Iceland, "Rams," Grímur Hákonarson, director;
  
• India, "Court," Chaitanya Tamhane, director;
  
• Iran, "Muhammad: The Messenger of God," Majid Majidi, director;
  
• Iraq, "Memories on Stone," Shawkat Amin Korki, director;
  
• Ireland, "Viva," Paddy Breathnach, director;
  
• Israel, "Baba Joon," Yuval Delshad, director;
  
• Italy, "Don't Be Bad," Claudio Caligari, director;
  
• Ivory Coast, "Run," Philippe Lacôte, director;
  
• Japan, "100 Yen Love," Masaharu Take, director;
  
• Jordan, "Theeb," Naji Abu Nowar, director;
  
• Kazakhstan, "Stranger," Yermek Tursunov, director;
  
• Kosovo, "Babai," Visar Morina, director;
  
• Kyrgyzstan, "Heavenly Nomadic," Mirlan Abdykalykov, director;
  
• Latvia, "Modris," Juris Kursietis, director;
  
• Lebanon, "Void," Naji Bechara, Jad Beyrouthy, Zeina Makki, Tarek Korkomaz, Christelle
  
• Ighniades, Maria Abdel Karim, Salim Haber, directors;
  
• Lithuania, "The Summer of Sangaile," Alanté Kavaïté, director;
  
• Luxembourg, "Baby (A)lone," Donato Rotunno, director;
  
• Macedonia, "Honey Night," Ivo Trajkov, director;
  
• Malaysia, "Men Who Save the World," Liew Seng Tat, director;
  
• Mexico, "600 Miles," Gabriel Ripstein, director;
  
• Montenegro, "You Carry Me," Ivona Juka, director;
  
• Morocco, "Aida," Driss Mrini, director;
  
• Nepal, "Talakjung vs Tulke," Basnet Nischal, director;
  
• Netherlands, "The Paradise Suite," Joost van Ginkel, director;
  
• Norway, "The Wave," Roar Uthaug, director;
  
• Pakistan, "Moor," Jami, director;
  
• Palestine, "The Wanted 18," Amer Shomali, Paul Cowan, directors;
  
• Paraguay, "Cloudy Times," Arami Ullón, director;
  
• Peru, "NN," Héctor Gálvez, director;
  
• Philippines, "Heneral Luna," Jerrold Tarog, director;
  
• Poland, "11 Minutes," Jerzy Skolimowski, director;
  
• Portugal, "Arabian Nights – Volume 2, The Desolate One," Miguel Gomes, director;
  
• Romania, "Aferim!" Radu Jude, director;
  
• Russia, "Sunstroke," Nikita Mikhalkov, director;
  
• Serbia, "Enclave," Goran Radovanović, director;
  
• Singapore, "7 Letters," Royston Tan, Kelvin Tong, Eric Khoo, Jack Neo, Tan Pin Pin,
  
• Boo Junfeng, K. Rajagopal, directors;
  
• Slovakia, "Goat," Ivan Ostrochovský, director;
  
• Slovenia, "The Tree," Sonja Prosenc, director;
  
• South Africa, "The Two of Us," Ernest Nkosi, director;
  
• South Korea, "The Throne," Lee Joon-ik, director;
  
• Spain, "Flowers," Jon Garaño, Jose Mari Goenaga, directors;
  
• Sweden, "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence," Roy Andersson, director;
  
• Switzerland, "Iraqi Odyssey," Samir, director;
  
• Taiwan, "The Assassin," Hou Hsiao-hsien, director;
  
• Thailand, "How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)," Josh Kim, director;
  
• Turkey, "Sivas," Kaan Müjdeci, director;
  
• United Kingdom, "Under Milk Wood," Kevin Allen, director;
  
• Uruguay, "A Moonless Night," Germán Tejeira, director;
  
• Venezuela, "Gone with the River," Mario Crespo, director;
  
• Vietnam, "Jackpot," Dustin Nguyen, director.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

[mae]

Looks like China dropped Wolf Totem in favor of some obscure romcom with no chance... Weird.

I still need to do more research but at this point I'd single out these as my picks for the January shortlist:

1. Goodnight Mommy (Austria)
2. The Second Mother (Brazil)
3. Mustang (France)
4. Son of Saul (Hungary)
5. Rams (Iceland)
6. Court (India)
7. Arabian Nights (Portugal)
8. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (Sweden)
9. The Assassin (Taiwan)

With the following other possibilities: The Clan (Argentina), The Summer of Sangailė (Lithuania), and Aferim! (Romania).

Son of Saul is a lock to win.

[mae]

And every trailer is here: http://thefilmstage.com/features/you...ar-contenders/

[mae]

One of the most epic films ever made is coming back in a new restoration in theaters and on blu-ray:

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=19532

The British Film Institute has confirmed the release date for the upcoing Blu-ray release of Abel Gance's epic silent film Napoléon (1927), newly digitally restored by Photoplay Productions and the BFI National Archive, as November 21.

The film will have its premiere screening, with a live performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra of Carl Davis' score (the longest ever composed for a silent film), on 6 November at the Royal Festival Hall. It will be released in cinemas by the BFI from November 11.

Abel Gance's heroic depiction of the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte has long been hailed as a landmark in cinema history. Reconstructed after decades of painstaking work by film historian Kevin Brownlow, the film has developed a legendary status. Featuring ground-breaking technical innovations – including its famous triptych finale – and an epic running time of 5 ½ hours, the film's exclusive availability on 35mm has limited it to a rare number of (highly popular) screenings.

This definitive restoration (with music recorded in 7.1) presents Gance's masterpiece in all its glory and is a must-see on either the big screen or small screen this autumn.

[zelig]

I don't know how I missed this thread. Just noticed it now with pablo's last post bumping it. I've been a fan of foreign movies for a long time. Some of the best films I've seen.

It made be go back and check my list and come up with some of my favorites. I'm sure there's more but this is what I came up with. I've included movies that may be in the English language, but were not made in the USA. Loved them all, but the starred ones are my absolute favorites.

Anything by Pedro Almodovar.
Amélie
Amores Perros (**)
Babette's Feast
Battle Royale
Black Orpheus
Cinema Paradiso
City of God (**)
Contempt
Dead Mans Shoes (**)
Grave of the Fireflies
IP Man I & II
Jean de Florette
Manon of the Spring (**)
La Belle Noiseuse
Les Destines
Let the Right one In (**)
Leon: The Professional
Life is Beautiful
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Monsoon Wedding
Muriel's Wedding (**)
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Il Postino
Rabbit Proof Fence
Salaam Bombay!
Sex and Lucia
Walkabout (**)
Y Tu Mama Tambien

[Jean]

wow, there are some on that list that bears haven't watched

[zelig]

Which ones?

[Jean]

Many, almost half the list.
I anticipate a feast (if I can find the films, that is)

[zelig]

Oh man, you're in for a treat. Hope you enjoy them, I know we can all have different tastes. If you watch any, post back what you thought.

[Jean]

I will!!
(now that bears got back to posting, there's no stopping them...)

and - I see Amélie on the list, but no Delicatessen or La cité des enfants perdus
is it that you didn't see them or didn't like them?

[zelig]

I have a vague memory of watching both of those, but just can't remember how I felt about them. I have a feeling I didn't much care for La cité des enfants perdus. Might have to watch them again some time to refresh my memory.

[Jean]

do it! do it!!!

[killjoy72]

Nice list Paul. Have you seen any of Guillermo Del Toro's Spanish films (Cronos, Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth)? The latter two are excellent and are personal fave's of mine.