Maybe I'm just getting old, but each year it seems there are fewer and fewer movies I want to see. I've seen only 12 new releases this year, and there are only about 4 or 5 left in 2008 that I have interest in. That's why it frustrates me that films with interesting subject matter, films that are a little left of center (or foreign, even) rarely ever make it into American cinemas. A recent example (mentioned below) is Sweden's "Let the Right One In" (which I drove to San Rafael to see as part of a local film festival). LTROI will get an art-house release (hopefully) and then be remade into something else entirely (this happened with Mostly Martha, a wonderful small German film about a chef that was unfortunately remade for US audiences starring Catharine Zeta-Jones. Spanish thriller REC has been remade into Quarantine. Ringu was remade as "The Ring", Ju-On became "The Grudge", etc etc).
Kristin Scott Thomas is generating oscar buzz for her role in "I've Loved You So Long" which is currently playing in one theatre here in San Francisco. I hope I have time to catch it before it disappears.
Then there is Der Baader Meinhof Komplex, a film about a German terrorist organization during the tumultuous late 60s. The film currently has no distribution deal in the US; Why? because it deals with the T-word? Because Americans don't care about historical events of other countries? Who knows, but it appears the US film studios are balking again at something interesting. It looks like an amazing film that (god forbid) someone might have a chance to learn something by watching.
Remember how good "The Lives of Others" was? Well, it looks like DBMK will be Germany's entry for oscar consideration for 2008.
Here is the full trailer for the film (in German):
Jeffrey Wells has written much more about DBMK at Hollywood Elsewhere.
Hopefully this one will turn up in the US sometime next year.
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9 comments:
I completely agree Ted. I hear that even something like Hamlet 2, starring Steve Coogan who is fairly well known, doesn't even get an Australian release. I don't even recall Der Untergang (Downfall) getting an Australian release. It's a sad shame really.
weird, i ponder that all the time. i hardly watch movies anymore seems like. part of it is because my family is growing and rather spend time with them, but really movies these days just suck and are so repetitive dishonest.
but, maybe im just getting old, or wise. or both.
>oVi
I'm curious about your feelings about your "youthful" movie going experience. was there a period when your taste matured and things that you spent time seeing began to loose their interest?
I see most everything on video for any number of reasons (parenthood,work,whatever..) and i know I'm giving up a lot by consuming film in video form. It compromises the art. I also notice that I indulge in less satisfying movies as a result.
What difference do notice in your viewing habits as a result of not going to the theatre? Do you pursue those "art house" movies on video or compromise your viewing habits?
elite squad, Brazilian movie winner of several awards, got just 1 room in NY...
I saw The Bader Meinhof Complex a few weeks ago (here in Stockholm, Sweden) and it was really good. If you do get a chance to see it I recommend you do. And it was extremely beautifully shot.
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wow! looks like a punch in the stomach.
i loved booth actor Moritz Bleibtreu and Martina Gedeck (she's really intense) on the movie "The Elementary Particles"
yeap, 'went from several hundred movies in theatre few years ago to ten twenty each year... I guess living in Europe helped too (ticket price way cheaper, movies from all over the world every week everywhere)...
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex seems really interesting, Hope that Mesrine (same subject, a french terrorist from the 70's) will found a distributor here too.
(two trailers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117G4Opapaw or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOfUbthtDhQ).
Is it really that bad in the States-don't most cities have at least one art house cinema running 'alternative' fare? I guess we're lucky in Europe-here in France there is a very well established film industry with 2 or 3 new releases a week. Foreign films get distribution deals mainly at the Cannes Film Festival & show up in cinemas soon after & throughout the year. American films are the alternative here!
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