The MoFo Top 100 Foreign Language Film Countdown

Yeah, let the snobs have their Tokyo Story while the rest of us watch the people's classic, Nightbeast.

You’re really pushing this Nightbeast, aren’t ya?

Just spreading the good word.


(I'll try to write something in the horror thread this weekend. I like the movie, but it comes with a few caveats. )

Watched The Return today.



The Skin I Live In is the only movie on the list I haven't seen.

Are you American?

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

There are people that simply love watching film (pure escapism), there are people love film (or cinema, whatever) as a medium, the craft, and there is also, let's say, both types merge.
If someones feel they're onto laters two, one doesn't simply miss the essence, the Umami of cinema which is Ozu.

There's nothing snob about watching Tokyo Story.
It's just a life story, as it is.

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Tokyo Story was on my long list but got cut so I could make it to 25.

I’m not sure how you feel this is a appropriate response.

Nope, but there is something in presenting its viewing as some life duty.

For a long time, I've actually overlooked quite a few genuinely delightful films and novels (or even poets and singers) because they were being presented as school obligations, or used as social distinction tools, implicitly making their experience in itself the lesser purpose compared to cultural baggage (having had experienced it) and status (being able to claim having had experienced it).

When something is presented as a requirement for something else than itself (such as "calling yourself a self-respected this or that"), it devalues its own interest, makes it a tool instead of a goal, displacing the rewarding factor elsewhere. It also hints at a strange significance of it, in the world of the presenter.

I know it's often just a matter of more or less playful phrasing. But I'm pointing out the effect it has on people. It transforms a work of art into some passport or medal, that not everyone may be after.

Where else can you find awkward soft core cop porn in movies? It's a one of a kind film.

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IMDb
Letterboxd

Let us not forget that scene is equal opportunity in presenting male and female buttcrack. Truly a progressive film.

And Tokyo Story features none of that. It's all the more reason why Nightbeast is the true essential film.

Eat your heart out, Ozu.

Two movies I've seen. I think that's a first for me and this countdown. I've discounted 5 of the films on my list of 25 as being too 'out there' to appear in the top 50, but I'm still convinced that the other 18 will appear.

The Celebration I saw sometime in the past year. It put me in a profoundly dark mood, but I feel the need to rewatch it, considering the love it's garnering.

Tokyo Story is a classic, and came so very very close to making my list. It's the first film in this countdown that I was compelled to get the Criterion edition of.

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Films I've seen : 14
Films that have been on my radar : 3
Films I've never even heard of : 30
Films I've heard of : 3

Films from my list : 2

#57 - My #21 - Memories of Murder - (2003) - South Korea
One pointer - My #25 - Audition - (1999) - Japan

In the context that assumes most persons in this forum are sincere cinephiles, there are things that transcend that lousy hunger for -ism on identity.
If someones really enthusiastic with the medium, spiritually, then I believe there should be a tendency of interest toward the significant, either historically, culturally, or aesthetically.

If I correctly get what your cynicism about, on how prone it could become a mere pretext of a shallow simulacrum of oneself, but the impression that distorted a passion perhaps just inevitable, talk about the nature of how we interact, what the projection becomes on platforms especially on the internet--social media and stuff.

I think you are right. A few people seemed to have a 'one film per director' policy too.

But it might also have suffered from the assumption that everyone else would vote for it. A lot of the people expressing surprise that it wasn't higher did not vote for it themselves. Only six people actually did. Raul had it highest at #4.

But will any other Ozu films show up? And if so, which?

I can tell you there won't be one today, because today's films both come from countries that have not yet made an appearance on the list. Any guesses?

Genovia and Wakanda?

45/50

No votes for any of the latest batch, though they are all very good. Tokyo Story is probably my favourite of the bunch, kind of surprised it didn't crack the top half of the list at least since it seems to have such an undeniable reputation (but maybe then I should've voted for it - oh, well). I'm due for a Three Colours rewatch, but on the basis of one viewing each I'd still pick Red as my favourite (have to wonder what Blue's chances are now). I've seen La Haine and Festen a couple of times each now and they hold up very well as confrontational, technically bold pieces of work.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Wrong, it was actually Sokovia and Ruritania.

Dayum, I was originally gonna go with them as well