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Topic: Australian Box Office Question

Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-30-2002 05:58 AM

Hi all

As many of you know I like to watch good foreign (non-English) flicks.

This has caused me to wonder. In terms of non-English films, which film has been the highest grossing foreign film ever shown in Australia? (or the US for that matter)

What would it be? La Cage Aux Folles? Delicatessen? Cinema Paradiso? Il Postino? Police Story? Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon?

Anybody have the list of the biggest foreign grossers?

Thanks Peter

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 01-30-2002 09:08 AM

Here's a link:
http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10ever.html

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
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Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-30-2002 01:52 PM

The highest grossing foreign film in the United States is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

I believe that #2 is Life is Beautiful.

Landmark Theatres is the largest chain of alternative movie theatres in the United States. They have a readers poll of the best foreign films done before Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

Click Here

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Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-31-2002 01:35 AM

Thanks

Life is Beautiful is available at my local video library. I shall have to borrow it.

Anybody have some Australian statistics?

Thanks Peter

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Joe Beres
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 606
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-31-2002 09:11 AM

Ian, you might know the answer to this. How is Amelie fairing in relation to the two films you mentioned? I imagine it would be in the number three spot.

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-31-2002 02:37 PM

Amelie has hit 22 million dollars in the United States so far as of the last EDI report I have. That puts it in the Il Postino, Cinema Paradiso area. It would have a long way to go to hit the $80 million that Life is Beautiful or the $105 million that Crouching Tiger did.

Crouching Tiger did $105 Million in 12 weeks on many screens but Life is Beautiful took a year on a lot fewer screens to hit $80 million, that is remarkable.

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Dave Macaulay
Film God

Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-31-2002 03:01 PM

"Life is beautiful" is one of those polarizing movies, either "wow fantasic gawd it was great" or "what the hell was that crap".
I'm in the latter camp.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 02-03-2002 06:16 AM

Peter, it's Crouching Tiger at number 141 in the all-time stakes. It took 10.891 million AUD. It's the ONLY foreign language film to be in the top 150.

BTW...Moulin Rouge is at number 15.

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"It's not the years honey, it's the mileage". - Indiana Jones.

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Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 02-04-2002 01:00 AM

Hmmm John (I'll ignore the comments about the film 'that dares not speak its name')

With a successful foreign film what is the behavoir of the takings? Do such foreign films have a very long run and tend to build up takings gradually or are they like English language films in that most of the takings are earned in the first month or so?

I vagually remember back in the 70s noticing that 'La Cage Aux Folles' seemed to run for years.

cheers Peter

ps latest figues show that Amelie has taken $A4.4 million in Australia (thats about $US2.50 at current exchange rates )

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