Scariest Foreign Movies

[swiss tony]

On the face of it, it could be disappointing that there are so many remakes these days, as remakes are almost always poor. I think that the noticeable increase in remakes is down to Hollywood being much more receptive to the idea of adapting foreign language movies (Asia in particular).

This is a good thing when you think about it. It is exposing the people who are too closed minded/lazy to watch a subtitled movie to a wealth of culture.

As well, those with English as a first language don't have exclusivity on making quality cinema. So, if the adapted movies are well done it is a welcome development.

[TheWickerFan]

Originally Posted by swiss tony

So, if the adapted movies are well done it is a welcome development.

The key word being, "if".

[swiss tony]

Originally Posted by TheWickerFan

The key word being, "if".

Well put! You just used my absolute favourite quote from history.:)

When the Macedonians sent their message to the Spartans stating 'if we enter Sparta we will burn it to the ground' the Spartans response to the grandiose demand was 'If'.

You win, smarty pants! None of the remakes will ever do the original justice. Can you imagine the mess they'll make of Pan's Labyrinth in 20 years?:(

[BookZombie]

On the face of it, it could be disappointing that there are so many remakes these days, as remakes are almost always poor. I think that the noticeable increase in remakes is down to Hollywood being much more receptive to the idea of adapting foreign language movies (Asia in particular).

This is a good thing when you think about it. It is exposing the people who are too closed minded/lazy to watch a subtitled movie to a wealth of culture.

I agree, and as an added bonus allot of people who watch and like a remake, will then check out the original movie to just to see where it comes from, so often a remake of a foreign movie can broaden someone's horizon.

The problem is when it is very obscure that something is a remake. I watched Kingdom Hospital and loved it. However did you know it is a remake of a Danish series named Riget? I for sure did not until one time I was visiting my mother I noticed horror on the TV and it was very familiar, then and with a bit of googeling I discovered that there existed a series named Riget who was the basis for Kingdom Hospital, and I live in Scandinavia.

I also got very confused when I was looking for a DVD of Touching Evil and what I got had allot of Englishmen running around. Turns out the Touching Evil which was aired in America is a remake of a English series by the same name.

I think they should be better at announcing that something is a remake so it will be easier to check out the original if one so desires. That being said it have been some remakes I have liked better than the original. For example I enjoyed the American the Grudge better than the Japanese, not that the American movie is better, but the story is less confusing and easier to follow, while the Japanese original jumps back and forth in time with the storyline and is all over the place and unless one is really used to Japanese movies (as in I enjoy it more now after having watched a fair number of Japanese movies and anime.) and are used to the Japanese way to tell stories then the American version have a more streamlined way to get the viewer through the storyline.

[neverending]

Another way to say that is dumbing down the story....

[horrorzack]

Didnt even find the mention of the words "Vampyr" and "Onibaba"

[BookZombie]

No not dumbing it down. Every culture have different ways to tell stories. Now in the typical Western way we have a beginning, a middle and an end and storylines usually follow this almost religiously. In the first part the setting is set up and the life of the characters before anything happens is shown, then there is a mid section where most things happens, and an end to finish it all off. In Japanese most storylines these three sections of a storyline is far less defined, making them hard to follow for audiences who expect a certain dynamic to how a story progresses.

Neither method of telling a story is dumber, they are just different. Japanese people who are not used to American movies have the same problem as Westerners have with theirs, it is just different cultures for how a story is told. Western stories is more told to fit into a self contained box, while Japanese stories is often more just a piece of something happening with no clear beginning or end.

Off course not all Japanese movies or American ones follow the typical layout of where they come from, but it is often the case, and it can be a bit off putting for someone to being told a story in a completely different format than they are used to.

[neverending]

I wonder what's wrong with me. I've never had a problem following a non-linear storyline- whether the film was made in Korea, Australia, Great Britain, Brazil, Japan, Spain or even the United States.

If you've ever read any reviews of American remakes of Asian films, dumbing down is precisely the language often used, as well as making things much more obvious and less subtle. It may not be the terminology you would use, it IS the terminology I would use.

[Diabolical]

Has anyone seen Haxan? Its from 1922, Sweeden. Has to do with Witchcraft...

[slysje]

the orphanage is probably my fav foreign movie.