The OFFICIAL BOT Top 100 Foreign Films of all Time Ever List Begins...

[chasmmi]

19 minutes ago, baumer said:

I'm here to see a countdown for films I've never seen. 🙂

I can top that. 

 

I am hosting a countdown of films I've never seen 😛 

 

[Tower]

I feel like an uncultured pleb looking at this list, and I've see 5 of the films we've had so far.

[baumer]

I think I've seen three films so far. I know 100% for sure I've seen Life is beautiful the other two I might have seen him film class about 25 years ago LOL

[Plain Old Tele]

4 hours ago, chasmmi said:

 

Assumed Plot:...

this is a film set in a future Japan, where robotic machines regulate the last natural eden-like city left on Earth, It is the final bastian of vegetation and nature, and an elite squad must fight to keep it safe from outsiders looking to destroy it. 

 

This might be your masterpiece. 

[chasmmi]

12 hours ago, Plain Old Tele said:

This might be your masterpiece. 

I have been nailing my predicted plots, it is true.

[chasmmi]

13 hours ago, Tower said:

I feel like an uncultured pleb looking at this list, and I've see 5 of the films we've had so far.

Luckily, I am an expert in all of them. 

[chasmmi]

You know this isn't your usual poll as we are 15 or so films in and not a single  or  reaction

[chasmmi]

85th: M - Germany (1931)

2 top 10

85 pts 

Assumed Plot: The Temptation to go silly and suggest this is a German take on James Bond, but with M as the hero. But that would be silly. So instead... god, how do you predict what a letter is about. 

 

In a dystopian society, identity is a thing of the past. You are not an individual, you have no agency, you are merely a cog in the machine. Your only identifier is the letter assigned to you that dictates your assigned job within society. Then, one day, a lone person in M starts to be plagued with independent thoughts. First they think it is a malfunction, a sickness, but as they independent thought become more frequent and overbearing, they realise that perhaps people are supposed to have thoughts, hopes, and dreams. 

 

 

If I had known this was from 1931, I would have guessed maybe something else. 

 

This is another European interwar film to make the list, this time from Germany. I will say that for me, this felt a lot older than the Grand Illusion despite being only about 6 years difference. By my reckoning this also must have been made pretty much in the middle of hyper mega inflation Germany and I can imagine that made producing films in any form, quite the task.

 

I also see now that it was this directors first film using sound and I can see that as the clip I almost used instead of the trailer above almost had be wondering if this was a silent film as it goes almost the entire 2 minutes without dialogue and with minimal sound effects also.  

 

This is Germany's first film on the list and I am wondering whether I should categorise this as Weimar Republic in the same way as I may potentially be splitting Soviet and Russian films, and Czechoslovakian and Czech (or is it Czechian now?). I dunno, countries in 20th century Europe are complicated sometimes. For now, it is Germany.

 

From Amazon user,  Israel Drazin

 

Fritz Lang (1890-1976) one of the greatest German film directors, who directed German and American films, considered M his greatest film. His mother was born Jewish but converted to Catholicism. Because of his family's Jewish origin, he escaped Germany in 1934 and came to the US. M was filmed while he was still in Germany in 1931. It was his first film with sound. In Germany, in 1927, he directed the sci-fi film Metropolis, which is considered by many to be the best silent film ever.
The film stars Peter Lorre (1904-1964, he died at age 59). Lorre generally, as in this film, played sinister roles, but did act as a detective in a short-lived series. He made an international sensation in M, which was his first film. He acted previously on the stage. He was Jewish and escaped from Germany in 1933. His first English speaking film was Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in 1934. He made it when he knew no English and his dialogue was written for him in phonetics.
The film takes place in 1930 when a German town is beset with about a half dozen murders of young girls for some eight months. The film is in German with easy to read English subtitles. Everyone in the town is perplexed and afraid. The police are confused. Suspects are harassed. Innocent people are arrested. People blame the police for inaction and hate them. The police raid clubs and other gatherings without success. They gather beggars who are found on most streets to look out for a man talking to young girls and offer a large award. Men talking to young girls are beaten by onlookers. There is pandemonium. The criminal element in the town is bothered by the search for the murderer because with the police watching everything, their opportunities to commit crimes is reduced. This fact plays a significant role in the film.

Fritz Lang told an interviewer that he likes a film where people can sympathize with the villain. Peter Lorre plays such a man. In the film he explains that he did not want to do what he did and usually does not remember what he did. It is an uncontrollable compulsion forcing him to kill young girls. This raises the question, assuming that he has such a compulsion should he be executed or sent to an institution where with time and treatment, he may be released and may, as some, including mothers of slain girls, scream out in the film, kill again.

 

Films by Nation

 

5 - France

2 - Bollywood

2 - Italy

1 - Hong Kong

1 - Mexico

1 - China

1 - Denmark

1 - Soviet Union

1 - Sweden

1 - Germany

[chasmmi]

Hold onto your hats folks, the next film is something that I have actually seen!!

[chasmmi]

84th: The Host - South Korea (2006)

1 top 5

85 pts (More Votes)

 

Assumed Plot: Well There is nothing all that assumed about this one, I watched in a cinema in Seoul. I imagine if I did not know this, I would take a punt on it being about a virus (possibly a horror where people are infected by evil or something). Funnily enough there is a vague virus subplot to this, but it's all smoke and mirrors. 

 

 

This was one of the first big Korean films to get more than super-niche status in the Western world. 

 

This film broke all the records upon release in Korea, It is still one of the most successful films of all time to this day. It was the film that showed Bong Joon Ho could do more than pure character films, and it was yet another film that shows Song Kang Ho is one of the most versatile and talented actors from anywhere and anytime in the world. 

 

This is also the first (and long overdue) entry from South Korea to our list. It is also the first live action 21st century film in a fair few entries (although Korean cinema pre 1996 is... it's not great 99% of the time). It will be interesting to see if there are many more from Bong to come (excepting the obvious one).  

 

From Amazon user,  Jeff

 

This is a brilliant Korean movie and is one of south Korea's most celebrated movies of today. I wouldn't say it is much like "Jaws" or "Jurassic park" like it says on the DVD but is still "hugely entertaining." It is about a chemical spill in a river in Seoul that mutates a fish into a monster. The monster comes out of the water and attacks a park before snatching a little girl and takes her to it's lair. The whole film is about the family desperately trying to get her back, But will time run out?
The film has a good mix of action, sadness and comedy (although sometimes the comedy can get a bit over-powering and can come in at the wrong times). The first monster attack scene at the park is full of great action. I loved the characters and they have a great bond. Please don't be put off with it being in Korean as the subtitles are very easy to read.
Is it worth the money?
With great action and special effects I'd say it is worth the money. If you buy the 2 disc-edition DVD it has almost 3 and a half hours of interesting special features that shows you many things that you don't notice and appreciate during the film. the second disc includes things like deleted scenes, making of's, getting to know characters and crew members, what the CGI looked like before and after, Gag reels and tonnes of other stuff. That is really worth the money!
I enjoyed this monster movie and would happily watch again. I can see why it was a box office hit!

 

Films by Nation

 

5 - France

2 - Bollywood

2 - Italy

1 - Hong Kong

1 - Mexico

1 - China

1 - Denmark

1 - Soviet Union

1 - Sweden

1 - Germany

1 - South Korea

[SchumacherFTW]

84th? Madness

[charlie Jatinder]

1 hour ago, chasmmi said:

84th: The Host - South Korea (2006)

1 top 5

85 pts (More Votes)

 

too high.

[Daxtreme]

SK overdue indeed

[chasmmi]

83rd: Drishyam - India (2013/15)

1 top 10

88 pts 

 

Assumed Plot: So Drishyam means something along the lines of visual or vision. Therefore, here goes... Drishyam is the story of a guy who is luckless in love but never loses faith that the perfect girl is out there. Then one day he see her, she is everything that he could dream she would be. But then he wakes up. Did he overdrink? Was she a dream? A mirage? No, surely she was real, it was all too real. He meets her again and again but each time only as a vision, as a dream. He strives to believe that this girl must exist, that they are being connected across a higher plane. Is she real? Or merely a vision? 

 

 

Ok, this seems to involve death by car into icy water. 

 

So I am pretty far off again with my guess. And again this appears to be a Hindi movie that errs more on the serious side as opposed to having 17 peppy songs each with 42 sari changes per song. 

 

I am also aware that there appears to be two language versions of this, one in Hindi and one in Malayalam.  I have assumed Hindi as that is the most prominent cinema industry/language, but I am aware that this may be a slightly more ambiguous entry than most because of how India will sometimes essentially produce the same film in multiple regional languages. 

 

This tentatively bumps Bollywood up to 3 entries on the countdown, continuing its strong showing so far. 

 

From Amazon user,  Dr. Garabet

 

After the execrable flop of Action Jackson Ajay Devgn returns to the screen with a memorable well acted, well scripted thriller. It is not for the faint-hearted. The only weak link is Tabu's overacted performance as the cruel police chief cum tender mother of her only son (the killed ultra-scoundrel of a teenager). To see Tabu at her best watch the towering Haider, where she plays the mother to Shahid Kapoor's Hamlet. A powerful movie laying bare India's bleeding social wounds.

 

Films by Nation

 

5 - France

3 - Bollywood

2 - Italy

1 - Hong Kong

1 - Mexico

1 - China

1 - Denmark

1 - Soviet Union

1 - Sweden

1 - Germany

1 - South Korea

[grim22]

1 minute ago, chasmmi said:

83rd: Drishyam - India (2013/15)

1 top 10

88 pts 

 

Assumed Plot: So Drishyam means something along the lines of visual or vision. Therefore, here goes... Drishyam is the story of a guy who is luckless in love but never loses faith that the perfect girl is out there. Then one day he see her, she is everything that he could dream she would be. But then he wakes up. Did he overdrink? Was she a dream? A mirage? No, surely she was real, it was all too real. He meets her again and again but each time only as a vision, as a dream. He strives to believe that this girl must exist, that they are being connected across a higher plane. Is she real? Or merely a vision? 

 

 

Ok, this seems to involve death by car into icy water. 

 

So I am pretty far off again with my guess. And again this appears to be a Hindi movie that errs more on the serious side as opposed to having 17 peppy songs each with 42 sari changes per song. 

 

I am also aware that there appears to be two language versions of this, one in Hindi and one in Malayalam.  I have assumed Hindi as that is the most prominent cinema industry/language, but I am aware that this may be a slightly more ambiguous entry than most because of how India will sometimes essentially produce the same film in multiple regional languages. 

 

This tentatively bumps Bollywood up to 3 entries on the countdown, continuing its strong showing so far. 

 

From Amazon user,  Dr. Garabet

 

After the execrable flop of Action Jackson Ajay Devgn returns to the screen with a memorable well acted, well scripted thriller. It is not for the faint-hearted. The only weak link is Tabu's overacted performance as the cruel police chief cum tender mother of her only son (the killed ultra-scoundrel of a teenager). To see Tabu at her best watch the towering Haider, where she plays the mother to Shahid Kapoor's Hamlet. A powerful movie laying bare India's bleeding social wounds.

 

Films by Nation

 

5 - France

3 - Bollywood

2 - Italy

1 - Hong Kong

1 - Mexico

1 - China

1 - Denmark

1 - Soviet Union

1 - Sweden

1 - Germany

1 - South Korea

There are 4 versions actually, 5 if you count the Telugu dub. The best one is Malayalam followed by the Kannada one. Hindi, Tamil and Telugu are good but make just enough changes to the original to miss something.

[Eric the Ape]

2 hours ago, charlie Jatinder said:

too high.

You're too high.

[charlie Jatinder]

7 minutes ago, Eric Skywalker said:

You're too high.

[charlie Jatinder]

14 minutes ago, grim22 said:

There are 4 versions actually, 5 if you count the Telugu dub. The best one is Malayalam followed by the Kannada one. Hindi, Tamil and Telugu are good but make just enough changes to the original to miss something.

I was gonna say same. What version actually users voted for. I have only watched Hindi version though and refuse to believe that originals will be any better. Too lazy to watch same story but without Tabu and Ajay now and ofcourse language which one actually understands helps too.

[ZeeSoh]

4 hours ago, charlie Jatinder said:

I was gonna say same. What version actually users voted for. I have only watched Hindi version though and refuse to believe that originals will be any better. Too lazy to watch same story but without Tabu and Ajay now and ofcourse language which one actually understands helps too.

I've only seen the Hindi version which is what I voted for. 

[grim22]

1 hour ago, ZeeSoh said:

I've only seen the Hindi version which is what I voted for. 

I love watching remakes across Indian languages to see what they add and what they leave in and remove to suit the different cultures. And since I can understand Kannada and Telugu (some of Tamil, have literally no idea about Malayalam) it is easier to watch the South movies as well. 

 

Drishyam in Malayalam and Kannada is literally the same movie. Kannada took the Malayalam movie as is and apart from a few setting changes everything else is the same. Tamil added more time and made Kamal Hasan a more repenting person than the calm person from Malayalam and Kannada. The Hindi version of course, supercharged almost everything.

 

The best ones are Wanted's south indian counterparts (Pokri, Pokiri and Porki), all the 3 movies look restrained compared to Salman Khan, only time the Southern movies are more grounded.