Non-US Movies

Hey there!
I started this thread for two reasons. First, I want to figure out why non-US movies get such little airtime. Outside of English-speaking countries, they barely ever show up on TV—if they show up at all, it’s usually some random flick after midnight. Look, I get it, the US produces a massive amount of content, but other film industries are killing it too. Take China, Russia, or even Spain, for example. There’s a whole library of old Italian horror and epic cinema out there—and sure, maybe not everything is a masterpiece, but most of them still beat the junk we see on TV daily. And don't even get me started on Indian films across all those different genres. Is it just pure laziness from the networks, picking whatever is easiest to license? Or maybe they’re scared of "controversial" stuff? It makes me wonder why you can't find a single Soviet war movie on our channels lately, or why the one South Korean film that’s even slightly anti-American, the Taegukgi Voyn, is nowhere to be found...
The second thing is this: whenever they *do* decide to air something non-American, it’s almost always some heavy drama about struggling in a place like the Middle East or the North America, or some depressing look at modern life in the European Union. Why is it so rare to see foreign thrillers, horror, epics, action flicks, and stuff like that?

It’s pretty straightforward, really. People would much rather watch American movies than anything coming out of Europe, mostly because the marketing is just on another level. Let’s be honest—it looks way more polished and exciting when they slap a title like > or > on the screen compared to some European flick. But there's another reason that matters just as much to me: the crowd watching European films tends to be a bit better looking and smarter, kind of like you and me. 😍 While the less attractive crowd sticks to the American stuff.

mellowstag17 said:It’s actually quite straightforward. People generally prefer watching American movies over those from the European Union because the marketing is just much more effective. Everything looks more exciting and polished when they promote something like Terminator or maybe Armageddon compared to a typical European production. Another reason, which I find quite significant, is that European films tend to attract a more sophisticated and intelligent audience, much like you and me. 😍 Meanwhile, those who are perhaps a bit less refined tend to gravitate toward American cinema...

🤣

I don't think it's quite that simple, honestly. Everyone has their own unique tastes. Personally, I enjoy both American and European films. The only ones I struggle with are Asian films, though I do try my best to watch them. Also, why did you group Terminator together with Armageddon? In my opinion, Terminator is an absolute masterpiece.

Gary Vaughn57 said:🤣

That’s not really how it works. Everyone has their own taste. Personally, I dig both American and European movies. I’m not huge on Asian cinema, but I still try to give it a shot. Also, why on earth did you link Terminator with Armageddon? Terminator is a straight-up masterpiece.

I'm with you on Terminator. I wasn't saying they were in the same league, just that it sounded catchy from our perspective. 😁 You should check out some South Korean films; there are plenty of solid recommendations floating around this forum. 👍

I suppose I shall be 🙂

mellowstag17 said:You make it sound way too simple. People just prefer watching American movies over anything from Europe, mostly because the marketing is better. Everything looks flashier and more exciting when they slap a title like Terminator or maybe Armageddon on the poster instead of some European flick. And honestly, another big reason is that European films tend to attract more attractive and intelligent people—kind of like you and me. 😍 Meanwhile, the less refined crowd sticks to American stuff...

Haha, I’m with you on both counts 😉. Yeah, a catchy name and massive ad campaigns really do work wonders, unfortunately. I just can't wrap my head around people who systematically ignore European or Asian cinema without ever having seen a single thing. Even more baffling are the people who flip on the TV and pick some trashy American movie with cheap CGI and acting so bad an amateur would be embarrassed, especially when they could easily put on a decent foreign film with a similar theme... there are plenty out there.

P.S. I'm looking at the Best Foreign Language Film nominees for 2009 and 2010 right now—out of ten films, it's ten dramas (maybe two have elements of another genre).

So, I just finished watching that Russian war flick *Voyn* from 2002, and man, I gotta say—after sitting through that, along with *Brest Fortress* and *Admiral*, I’ve come to a realization: Russian war movies absolutely rock. There’s just something about them. Honestly, they feel way more gritty and realistic than most American war movies, at least compared to the newer stuff we see coming out lately. The ones I just watched? I’d easily put them in the same league as heavy hitters like *Saving Private Ryan* or *Platoon*. They hit different. Tomorrow, I might dive into the German production of *Stalingrad* from '93, and if I have enough energy left, I might finally check out that South Korean one, *Taegukgi*. Wish me luck!

mistyskipper71 said:Haha, I’m with you on both counts 😉. Yeah, a catchy name and some flashy ads can work wonders, unfortunately. Honestly, I just don't get people who systematically ignore European or Asian cinema without even giving a single movie a chance . And frankly, I'm even more baffled by folks who flip on the TV to watch some trashy American flick with cheap CGI and acting so bad an amateur would be embarrassed, when they could easily put on a decent foreign film with similar themes—of which there are plenty .

They air them because they're dirt cheap, just like those repetitive series. Every month they pick up maybe five or six slightly better movies and market them as "Crazy August on RTL," but the rest of the lineup? God help us
.

Ronald Smith87 said:I just finished watching the Russian film Voyn (War) from 2002. Honestly, after seeing that alongside Brest Fortress and the ninth company, I can confidently say Russian war movies absolutely rock. They are simply more realistic than American ones—at least compared to the newer stuff we see today. In my book, the ones I've watched rank right up there with Saving Private Ryan and Platoon. Tomorrow, I might dive into the German Stalingrad from 1993, or maybe that South Korean Taegukgi.

Voyn is fantastic! Personally, I thought the ninth company was a bit weak, and even that fortress wasn't anything special.
When you talk about Russian war films—and let's be honest, Russians have made some of the best war movies ever—you really have to stick to the older classics. The Poles do some great work in this genre too...

......

And of course, American movies are incredibly easy to find; you can basically just buy them. Every TV network orders these massive bundles. You get the movies you actually want mixed in with whatever junk they try to force on you, so you end up with all sorts of garbage...
Buying European titles isn't nearly as simple, and frankly, most people don't even want to watch films if they aren't starring huge Hollywood celebrities.

Jerry Martinez50 said:And of course, getting your hands on American films is easy—you just buy them. All the TV networks order massive packages. Those bundles include the movies you actually want alongside all the filler they try to push on you, so you inevitably end up with a fair amount of junk...
Acquiring titles from Europe isn't quite that simple either, and frankly, most people don't have much interest in watching anything that doesn't feature a major Hollywood star.

In reality, purchasing European films is just as straightforward as buying American ones. At major trade shows like the one in Berlin, I would even go so far as to say there is an increasing number of non-American companies selling their content... there was a time when representatives from our local networks used to attend those events personally, but now they seem to have stepped back, relying instead on whatever packages the domestic distributors secure for theaters, DVDs, and television rights.
Indeed, there remains a vast collection of excellent European films that went unsold in the former territories of the North America, which can still be picked up specifically for television broadcast.

One cannot help but wonder how incredibly powerful the genre-driven, commercial productions have become in major European nations like France, Russia, Germany, or Sweden... and don't even get me started on the Asians.

Look, Ethan Howard45, I get what you're saying, but when TV networks buy movies, they deal directly with production houses. Every studio has its own catalog, promo materials, and authorized distributors. Film festivals are another way to go, but the offerings vary wildly. It often happens that certain studios don't even show up to a festival, even if they just pumped out ten high-quality genre hits. Plus, our TV stations—or rather, their authorized reps—tend to operate on assumptions and have fixed ideas about what works. They mostly grab whatever is trending globally, which is why shows like Lost, soap operas, or specific blockbusters are constantly playing on network TV. And sure, price is a factor, but European films are generally cheaper...
I honestly think there's a certain level of fear within US TV networks regarding foreign cinema, whether it's European, Asian, or South American.

I agree, genre productions are solid in Europe. But what do people actually want to watch? A new Statham flick or that Russian crime movie Bummer?🤷

While you won't find the major Hollywood heavyweights rubbing elbows at these local film festivals, the sheer volume and caliber of the selection more than make up for their absence. One has to wonder, though—are the folks running the television networks simply uninterested, or perhaps just out of touch? I truly cannot say. While Asian cinema stems from a vastly different cultural landscape, why should that deter anyone from enjoying a gripping German thriller or a chilling French horror flick? It isn't as if we're being forced to sit through some Russian spectacle like "Prince Yaroslav" in 3D, ha! But there is plenty of variety here; the Spanish filmmakers are quite formidable as well, among many others. You know how it goes.

In Europe, much of this is structured by specific regulations, which is precisely why the quality of European productions has surged so significantly. In contrast, our own national networks seem content to broadcast nothing but nonsense, ranging from cheap soap operas to mindless tabloid segments.

Americans aren't stars. Period. TV is just a product you gotta sell, and it’s way easier when you wrap it in that flashy packaging Americans are so good at providing.

Matthew Anderson4 said:Americans aren't the stars of the show. It is as simple as that. Television, for instance, is essentially a product designed to be sold, and it is far easier to move such a product when you wrap it in the highly attractive packaging that Americans excel at providing.

Hmm... though I would argue that this dynamic is beginning to shift. Is it not an interesting fact that nearly 50% of cinema ticket sales in France consist of domestic French films? Similar high percentages can be observed in Germany and various Scandinavian countries. Furthermore, China possesses an incredibly powerful production engine, and even the Russians have staged a significant comeback, despite facing some turbulence over the last two years. Things are becoming quite intriguing, wouldn't you agree?
Of course, I am not suggesting that Hollywood is on the verge of total collapse, but rather that the world is slowly—very slowly and almost imperceptibly—changing, much like the global political map itself.

I don't know, I feel like our TV lineup has gone downhill fast over the last few years. It used to be that you couldn't find a decent soap opera during prime time—now they basically own the slot. Movie selection feels weaker than ever, documentaries seem to have vanished entirely, and sports coverage is hit or miss at best. I get it—commercial networks just want to chase the bottom line—but it’s like people have become so addicted to the screen that they don't care what's actually playing, as long as something is on.

Ethan Howard45 said:Hmm... actually, we are starting to see a shift. It is an interesting statistic that nearly 50% of movie ticket sales in France come from domestic French films. You see similar high percentages in Germany and the Scandinavian countries as well. Meanwhile, China has an incredibly powerful production engine, and the Russians have stepped up their game (even if they have faced some crises over the last two years). Things are becoming quite intriguing... I am certainly not suggesting that Hollywood is collapsing right now, but the world is slowly—very slowly and almost imperceptibly—changing. Much like the political map of the world itself, wouldn't you agree?

I am not trying to defend American cinema, but I truly enjoy and prefer European filmmaking. I absolutely love French movies; even their more gritty, low-budget stuff appeals to me. The Danes are unbeatable (we tend to act a bit superior ourselves, yet even the Swedes and Norwegians seem stronger). Then you have the Spanish, who are traditionally excellent, the Italians, and so on. Even the Romanians are producing great films lately.

Latin America—Brazil, Chile—they are all quite good too.

Honestly, one could easily live without Hollywood, provided that when searching torrents, non-American films come with subtitles or can be found easily enough.

Ethan Howard45 said:hm..well things are starting to shift. It’s an interesting fact that nearly 50% of cinema ticket sales in France are local, French films... there are high percentages in Germany and the Scandinavian countries too... China has a massive production engine, and the Russians have bounced back (even if they’ve been in a bit of a slump over the last two years). Things are getting interesting...
Of course, I’m not talking about some sudden downfall of Hollywood here—rather, the world is slowly, very slowly and almost imperceptibly—shifting (just like the global political map, for that matter)

That’s because the French started—about 15 years ago, I think?—making high-octane crap that tries to mimic Hollywood. Sure, it helps preserve their own cinema, but garbage is still garbage (you know, those generic horror flicks, historical epics, and cheap comedies).
But alright, that’s beside the point.
It’s silly to frame the topic as "non-American films." Movies are either good or they're bad. Americans have a massive cinematic history; the real issue is simply that people aren't interested in anything else, or perhaps they're just too lazy to bother looking. It’s much easier to just watch whatever is being served up at the local multiplex or on TV rather than doing any actual digging. Or, as the slogan from that trashy channel RTL 2 might put it: just pure entertainment.

Walter Garcia7 said:I could live a perfectly comfortable life without Hollywood, provided that non-American films on torrent sites come with subtitles or are actually easy to track down.

Personally, I have never run into an issue where I couldn't find subtitles. Usually, whenever I download one of those foreign films, the subs are included right in the package 🤷

On networks like ABC or CBS, they occasionally throw in a gem from European, South American, or Asian cinema, though even that is becoming increasingly rare—it’s either repetitive or they schedule three great movies on a Sunday at times that overlap completely. ☕
Now, look, it's not that I rely on television for my movie fix, but I truly cannot fathom how these networks can treat their audience like idiots by airing Steven Seagal's 'Crossfire' for the eight hundred and sixty-eighth time this month. I wouldn't mind them pushing American movies as high-quality cinema (even if they are just cult classics), and there is plenty of material to work with; I highly doubt they actually need ten cycles of Clint Eastwood per year.
But of course, as Benjamin Thompson66 pointed out, the issue also lies with people who clearly aren't genuinely interested in film. It’s the exact same thing with music—it doesn't matter what is being "served" to you on a silver platter; the internet is vast and incredibly powerful. If you actually care about finding something good, you will find it.

I haven't read through this whole thread yet. Any suggestions for some solid movies from Europe that are worth downloading? (Not that it matters)

rustywalker1 said:I haven't bothered reading this whole thread. Just suggest some decent international movies I can download for free.

Look, this is the specific thread for recommendations.

http://www.forum.com/showthread.php?t=259483