US movies overseas

[Havemercy]

Hi y'all,

I had a rather movie-intensive weekend--I saw The Aviator, Hotel Rwanda, and Million Dollar Baby. (outstanding!) The Aviator was in a generic multiscreen stadium-style theater, and the other two in an "art and independent" place.

Over here, anything "foreign" goes to the independent theater, and it must be subtitled to have any hope of an audience. Makes me wonder how American films are treated overseas.

1. Are they thought of as "American movies" or just movies?
2. Are they subtitled, or is the assumption that enough people speak English?
3. Are they advertised in mass media as here, or through reviews and word of mouth?
4. If a movie does poorly here, does it have a chance to be seen elsewhere?
5. Do people overseas have a chance to see award-contenders before the awards?

That ought to be enough questions to get something going, and help out my curiosity.

PS--Loved Candace's reference to Never Been Kissed in redux. So "chick flick" is universal.

[Darth Dave]

In Australia we get more American movies than any other countries including our own.

1. Are they thought of as "American movies" or just movies?
Just movies.

2. Are they subtitled, or is the assumption that enough people speak English?
No subtitles.

3. Are they advertised in mass media as here, or through reviews and word of mouth?
Movies in America that are hugely advertised will probably be hugely advertised here.

4. If a movie does poorly here, does it have a chance to be seen elsewhere?
It will probably still be released here, maybe a month later maybe a year later.

5. Do people overseas have a chance to see award-contenders before the awards?
Sometimes, probably about 50% of the time, but with TV shows it's another story a lot of the new shows that win awards haven’t been screened here yet. Hell a few years ago we had to wait about 6 months to see who shot Mr Burns, which kind of spoilt the whole thing because everybody already knew who it was.

Hope this helps.

Dave

[brenster]

From a UK perspective:

1. Are they thought of as "American movies" or just movies?

For the most part, just movies. Unless the film in question is a home-grown blockbuster (pretty much anything by Richard Curtis and the like) in which case it is a BRITISH film, even if the financial backing is from the US.

2. Are they subtitled, or is the assumption that enough people speak English?

No need for subtitles here - the vast majority of UK audiences speak English. There is a vibrant Indian film scene though, even in some of the US owned cinema chains. The odd subtitled for the hard of hearing film does make it through, but these are usually one off screenings of major blockbusters.

3. Are they advertised in mass media as here, or through reviews and word of mouth?

The money-making films (Spidermans, LOTRs etc) are advertised to saturation in the media. Very few films make it on the basis of word of mouth. Most tabloid newspaper reviews of rehashes of the studio's press kits. We do have one or two good film critics, of similar calibre to Roger Ebert.

4. If a movie does poorly here, does it have a chance to be seen elsewhere?

Generally no. Most outright failures in the US do not get a theatrical release here, unless the expectation was for colossal success State-side. In which case the filkm will get it's appointed release - and then gets pulled a week or two later. Like the US, everything is focused on the first weeends takings, not how a film performs over time.

5. Do people overseas have a chance to see award-contenders before the awards?

Some do, some don't. With some notable exceptions, we tend to lag anywhere between 1 and 6 months behind US theatrical releases, so unless a small film becomes award worthy early on in the year (ie Lost in Translation) we tend not to get award winners until after they've won their awards. This goes double for any films hotly tipped for an award - if a film gets either a nomination or an award, it is used to promote the film's release itself. Does make watching some award ceremonies rather pointless though...

Brenster

[Howie348]

I hope people in other countries get to see Napoleon Dynamite soon if they haven't already. If so, I'd be interested in knowing whether its humor is considered uniquely American and losing something in translation, or if the concept of nerds is the same around the world.

[Luxman]

The view from tiny Luxembourg:

1. Are they thought of as "American movies" or just movies?
I think we see them just as movies, but some of them are pretty identifiable as American movies with typical American glory (no offence), like "Independence Day" or "Armageddon".

2. Are they subtitled, or is the assumption that enough people speak English?
Normally they are subtitled, mostly in two languages (French/German or French/Dutch). Some of them are dubbed in German or French.

3. Are they advertised in mass media as here, or through reviews and word of mouth?
Blockbusters are hugely advertised in mass media.

4. If a movie does poorly here, does it have a chance to be seen elsewhere?
I think some of the movies come to Europe anyway, if they did well or not in the States.

5. Do people overseas have a chance to see award-contenders before the awards?
Oh yes, some of the "important" movies are released in our cinemas shortly after the release in the States.

Lxm

[artlover]

Interesting discussion. Reminds me of when there was a wave of Aussie films making their mark in the USA (My Brilliant Career, Breaker Morant, and so on.) A friend of mine said he liked those films, cause you could brag that you had seen a foreign film without having to suffer thru subtitles I fell in love with Judy Davis and haven't fallen out yet.

What a bummer--having a six-month delay on the Simpsons. I just wish the US exported only the good stuff. I stayed a while in Britain a few years ago, and while we did send over things like MASH, we also sent over some really mediocre material.

My favorite (dated) cross-cultural moment: seeing the old Mod Squad show dubbed into Italian. Turned out you could follow the story fine--just look for car chases and gunshots--they're the universal language!

Well, tits and ass are part of it, too. I remember being amazed but not surprised that Baywatch was a global phenomenon. Just think of all the valuable lifesaving techniques that the world has learned. Wasn't there an episode where a cute blonde was stung by a jellyfish in a sensitive area???

I wish more Australian TV showed up over here in the States. Our local affiliate ran a few episodes of "The Games" and I really enjoyed it. I'm sure you folks have produced more than one quality TV show With the sad state of American TV, we can use all the help we can get!

[Quartz]

The Netherlands:

1. Are they thought of as "American movies" or just movies?

Just movies, certainly in the multiplexes. They are at least 75% US-oriented.

2. Are they subtitled, or is the assumption that enough people speak English?

All foreign-language movies are subtitled here, except when they're for children under the age of .. six, eight, dunno. Then they're dubbed.

3. Are they advertised in mass media as here, or through reviews and word of mouth?

All of the above. All newspapers (national, regional, local) have weekly movie listings for the major cities, so there are loads of ads there. Most TV channels (national, regional, local) have movie review programs, some very shallow (just a bunch of trailers), some more critical. All TV channels have commercials, so there are commercials for blockbusters there from time to time. And of course there are trailers in the cinemas. Moreover, movie posters appear on billboards, bus stops etc.

Then there's the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which has just ended. No blockbusters there, of course!

4. If a movie does poorly here, does it have a chance to be seen elsewhere?

That depends. If it's a really all-American subject matter, probably not. If the movie has some artistic/international value that was not picked up by mainstream American audiences, it may still get a chance here. There's a large arthouse circuit in this country dealing with smaller, independent, and/or underrated movies.

5. Do people overseas have a chance to see award-contenders before the awards?

Not usually. In fact, the Oscar nominations and awards serve as the advertising medium, so as soon as the nominations are in, the ads start to appear with the number of nominations prominently on display. The movie will be in rotation within a few weeks after that. I think we are generally somewhere between 3-6 months behind the US release dates. The cinemas can't afford to wait much longer than that, because DVD release dates are chasing them, and there's the Canal+ movie channel that wants to show recent movies as well. So there's quite a lot of turnover in the cinemas. Luckily, there are a lot of them, for every corner of the market (or: for every step of the commercial ladder).

[Speedfreak]

From Germany:


1. Are they thought of as "American movies" or just movies?
Just movies, but maybe 80% or more are american movies.

2. Are they subtitled, or is the assumption that enough people speak English?
No subtitles. All movies are dubbed in German. Most american actors have their special
German synchronous speaker throughout all their movies.

3. Are they advertised in mass media as here, or through reviews and word of mouth?
The biggest movies are hugely advertised in TV, newspapers, movie posters, cinemas.

4. If a movie does poorly here, does it have a chance to be seen elsewhere?
Some movies go directly on Video/DVD if they were really poor. But most were shown in cinemas. But there are also small cinemas which show independant movies.

5. Do people overseas have a chance to see award-contenders before the awards?
It depends. Some movies were shown before the awards, but I would say that most of them will be shown some months later.

[Ozboy24]

ive noticed that american tv has been really piss poor lately....but then again so has australian, its all spin offs and reality.

and weve come along way from the days where mel gibson was overdubbed with a yank voice because they thought americans wouldnt understand his accent.....snigger!

[Longcar]

Note to ArtLover: here in Canada we have a fair number of Aussie TV shows show up on satellite service. Pretty good ones too. Water Rats, and other cop shows. Nowhere near as violent or preposterous as USA made shows. Also some good legal type shows as well, to say nothing of McLeods Daughters etc for those who like "chick flicks". Me? I'm a big fan of the Oz shows, and have no trouble understanding them. I rate even the most mundane as superior to American fare. And while I'm here and in the mood, OZBOY24, have you ever seen any of the Scottish films where they were subtitled in English because of the thickness & atrociousness of the Glaswegian accent? I know folks in Edinburgh who were appreciative of that fact

[Vid Dude]

Mcleod's Daughters? Oh my, you have my utmost sympathies.

Please tell me you haven't been stuck with The Secret Life Of Us.

[Ozboy24]

i know what you mean... a really good scottish movie a few years back was awful to understand....i think it was "my name is joe" (check it out) it had subtitles and i was glad!!

i miss "good guys bad guys"....where did that go??

[artlover]

I second the comment about the Glaswegian accent. I knew a guy who spoke in Glaswegian rhyming slang--holy moly!--at first I asked him to explain what he said, but the explanation was just as incomprehensible. Luckily he hooked up with a girl who could translate. (Visited Glasgow once, though--has an outstanding museum.)

The last American TV show I followed was "The West Wing"... until it began to turn preposterous. Most of the good stuff is on cable, which is too bloody expensive. Sadly, you can surf thru 80 channels and still find nothing better than slightly-above-average. I get 8 channels on my antenna (remember them?) and can achieve the same effect at far less cost. Watching a cat/dog/goldfish/paint dry offers more entertainment...

[Longcar]

VidDude : I did see "the Secret Life of Us" listed once, but did not watch it. Something else on I suppose. If nothing else on from about 50 channels I subscribe to on satellite, then I'll watch McLeods Daughters.
Artlover: I have NEVER been able to sit through an hour of US posturing, preening and "we are the best" found in the "West Wing". Now 73, I can only take so much US BS. Until my daughter in law gave me a satellite dish, I was on antenna only. Five stations, two of them 90(125kms) miles away north and south, two about 120 miles (235 kms) and the other about 180miles( 300km) away. The three furthest had repeater transmitters in our district, NOT a strong signal. lol. I have about 400 channels available, covering the country through 6 timezones, US networks, sports channels and "family" channels, movie channels, and of course Pay per view, which includes hardcore XXX, no holds barred. I only get the basic package, and about 6 others I pay extra for, for about $70CAD per month which gives me a choice of about 50 channels. And as always, a LOT not worth watching. But there is always BlackAdder, Thin Blue Line, Fawlty Towers, Waiting for God,. One Foot in the Grave, etc., on BBC Canada. US "comedies" I refuse to watch. What little intelligence I possess, I try not to insult too badly.

[BigSpud]

...US "comedies" I refuse to watch. What little intelligence I possess, I try not to insult too badly.

I am in the US and I refuse to watch them for the same reason

[Longcar]

I realize that my comments in stating what I think of The West Wing may offend some Yanks. No personal offence intended. Just an honest comment. Despite what you may think, the USA is NOT universally loved around the world, and that's not just in the Middle East. I know many fine Americans who summer in my area, who completely pissoff the local merchants and their neighbours with their airs of personal and national superiority. The same people will travel to Europe and use their Canadian addresses on baggage labels so they aren't thought to be Yanks. As a nation we have been accused of not blowing our own horns loudly enough, denigrating our abilities etc, but I have never had a bad experience anywhere in the world as an obvious, flag toting and wearing, Canadian, except in a good many of the States. I realize this thread is not intended for this purpose, but I just had to clarify my remarks.

[masssive]

switzerland:

1. Are they thought of as "American movies" or just movies?
just movies. other movies are thought of as "german movies", "french movies" or "swiss movies".

2. Are they subtitled, or is the assumption that enough people speak English?
all subtitled, mostly in german and french. some big movies you can choose to watch dubbed or subtitled.

3. Are they advertised in mass media as here, or through reviews and word of mouth?
lot of ads allover for blockbusters. but i think most of the people look for reviews and opinions of friends.

4. If a movie does poorly here, does it have a chance to be seen elsewhere?
i don't think so, if it's not a independent productions.

5. Do people overseas have a chance to see award-contenders before the awards?
i think we get to see most of the movies before, but of course after.

i think it's poor that we are a lot influenced by these hollywood-studio-movies. not that there are no good ones. but a bad movie from hollywood has a much bigger chance to come in european theatres than a movie from another country or culture...

[masssive]

What a bummer--having a six-month delay on the Simpsons.

we have about 12 to 18 months in german tv.
so i'm actually downloading new simpsons episodes to be up to date... even better, because it's the original language.

i recognized, that almost every time "german" homer says something really weird that makes no sense, it's a play on words in the original, that's badly translated.
but that's another chapter - bad translations... *sigh*

[Tank]

Hey Longcar,

Thanks for the coment about McLeod's Daughters. I was able to tell the good wife that I was reading about McLeod's (her favorite show). Now she know's I'm not just looking at & discussing porn.

Tank
"The wall was high and I fell asleep"

[mlod11]

Longcar, just an honest comment and I realize that this is the wrong thread to post in, but since you are so obviously anti US I was just wondering what we here in the South had did to personally PO you? I thought that we were just discussing American movies instead of going in for Yank bashing. In my 63 years I have been on all continents excep Anartica and found little of the anti american sentiment that you seem to strongly embrace. But this is the wrong thread for this and I am sorry for venting, but it is just my honest comment. Very proud to be an American
MLOD

[Philos]

Mlod, a possible answer is that the US and Canada are neighbours. Countries that share a border irritate each other far more that those that are separated by a good distance, e.g. Norway/Sweden, England/Scotland, India/Pakistan.... Also, I think I should feel uneasy if I lived next-door to "The World's Only Superpower" (You make me pretty uneasy from 3000 miles away!)

[Luxman]

Hey guys,

I think we should stop "political" & border discussions now. I don't want the boards launching World War III.
No nation is universally loved around the world (perhaps except Luxem.....forget it ).
There are good and bad elements in every nation and every culture, that is human nature.

So, now that everything is said, I invite you to the movies (back on topic).

Lxm

[Dafydd]

Truth be told, I don't watch much television anymore, if for no other reason than I can hardly ever find anything worth watching. I was an ardent fan of The West Wing until its creator and principal writer left the show; since then it's been so incredibly bad I can't bear to watch. (I still collect the good seasons on DVD, though. ) I've come to appreciate many British shows, like Father Ted, Blackadder, Waking the Dead, and pretty much anything Andrew Davies sets his pen to, but I don't get to watch much except for what I can get on DVD.

I've found that the American movie scene is like prospecting for gold — if you winnow enough chaff, you'll find the occasional nugget. But I've also developed a taste for non-American movies, especially British, French, and Australian ones. (And the occasional Canadian, Swedish, or German one.) Why? Because American filmmaking is getting so homogenized, in style, in vision, in mentality, that I find myself casting about looking for alternate ways of seeing the world, and other manners of making movies. There is just no way an American studio would make The Five Senses (Canada), My Life as a Dog (Sweden), Swimming Pool (Britain/France), The City of Lost Children (France), Sirens (Australia), Spirited Away (Japan), or Ratcatcher (Britain). Hell, even The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert would be unlikely at best.

Although now that I think about it...would Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films be considered American, or New Zealander?

[Vid Dude]

Lord of the Rings is both, but it's also British if only because it's based on a British book and European cultures. It is spearheaded by New Zealanders most assuredly, filmmakers who understand that movies are about entertainment first (which is rare in NZ film! Take it from someone who knows: I used to work on the fringes of NZ film). But the American funding and studio certainly mean it's definitely got a lot of US influence, even if it was an unorthodox relationship in some ways.

[timbit]

From Canada (NO politics )



1. Are they thought of as "American movies" or just movies?

-American movies are just movies and many Canadian films are treated as foreign films, ie. shown only in the little crummy theatres with tiny screens and pathetic sound systems.

2. Are they subtitled, or is the assumption that enough people speak English?

-There is no need for subtitles in most places (Quebec and a few other area would have French).

3. Are they advertised in mass media as here, or through reviews and word of mouth?

-Generally the amount of advertising and the quality of the movie are inversly related. I suppose they need to get people in on opening weekend before word of mouth gets out.

4. If a movie does poorly here, does it have a chance to be seen elsewhere?

-Dunno

5. Do people overseas have a chance to see award-contenders before the awards?

-Some movies get released here first as a test market. Usually at the same time as in the USA.

Timbit

[Ozboy24]

dont get me started on new zealand!!!

may i ask daffydd who andrew davies is and what he has written??

actually... ill look at imdb.com

now this post will be meaningless...

might post it anyway...just to get the new zealand crack in

[artlover]

Luxman, I am trying to think of the last time I heard anything bad about Luxembourg.... and I come up blank! I know it has at least one fine fellow living there. Rock on!

tho I am proud also to be a citizen of the United States (not the same as being "American" you know) I must admit that since discovering this site, Australia has moved WAAAY up on my list of countries I like. It must have the highest proportion of cute-girls-willing-to-strip of any nation on earth!

As Martha says, it's a good thing

[Luxman]

Luxman, I am trying to think of the last time I heard anything bad about Luxembourg.... and I come up blank!

As a US citizen, you should know that Condoleeza visited us last week.
Even if we are a tiny & not very important country.

Lxm

[Dafydd]

There you go, artlover.

[Luxman]

I know it has at least one fine fellow living there. Rock on!

Oh, I forgot to say thanks for this (if it was for me), I appreciate.
I'm sure there are some more fine fellows around here.

As I said some posts before, there are good and bad guys everywhere, and what I've learned in my 45 years, people should not at all give a judgement about an entire nation, because of a (bad) experience they made one day.

I have a very good contact (real friendship in some cases) with people from Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and last, but surely not least the United States.

I think, we're all here because we like nice, young, fresh & naked ladies. People with this same interest in photographical art can't be bad.

Lxm