Can I be silly and recommend some French Canadian films? I don’t know that any of these are classics by any means in the Grand Scheme of Things but for pure entertainment value, may I suggest the Roch Demers movies? **Opération Beurre de Peanut ** (actually, I hate this movie - scared me half to death when I was a kid, but I know lots of people like it) , Bach et Bottine, La Guerre des tuques, Vincent et moi etc.
I hear that the current Quebecois movie, La grande séduction is a hoot, and I can’t wait to get to see it myself!
I’m sure there are other Dopers here more educated in the Quebec movie scene, but odd bits of conversation all day had me thinking about the Demers films and I just felt I had to add a comment about them!
That’s a movie that had a cult following if there ever was one. It’s not perfect, but it’s very powerful. Also, it looks fabulous - in grainy black & white. Definitely worth watching. (Just remember, though, that things are that bad in Paris (usually, kind of).) It might be very hard to understand without subtitles as the street slang is a bit thick.
Doberman was positively the worst movie I have ever been forced to watch. Puke-inducingly bad, violent and stupid.
Well, I suppose, but that’s like recommending Home Alone…
Must-see French Canadian films: Mon oncle Antoine
Les bons débaras
Régeane Padovani
Le déclin de l’empire Américain and its sequel, Les invasions barbares
There’s plenty of (recent) American movies in the library as well (with optional French dubbing and/or subtitles). All the French ones come in French only though. They** are **marked for rental, so maybe there’s a difference with what you can buy. We never buy DVD’s, so I don’t know. The library is just for the convenience of the staff and has about 200 DVDs of main-stream movies (in addition to books and CDs).
Anyway, if you want to order some French DVDs, it’s worthwhile checking whether they include subtitles.
I second to see “la haine”. I found that one in my regular Blockbuster one day. Not a master piece but I liked it.
jovan, it can be that bad, believe me. The “cites” (I guess we can compare or translate to the projects) are getting pretty bad. I have experienced and seen the problems when growing up in France and that was 10 years ago almost… It’s gotten worse now.
If you found it in your local Blockbuster, then it doesn’t fit the OP’s request: French films that are not available on DVD or VHS in the United States.
Jean-Luc Godard: La Chinoise, Sauve qui Peut, Le Gai Savoir, Hail Mary, Tout va Bien, Nouvelle Vague, Made in U.S.A., Le Vend d’Est & The History of Cinema series Robert Bresson: , Angels of the Streets, Trial of Joan of Arc & Au Hasard, Balthazar Jean Renoir: A Day in the Country, La Marseillaise & Toni Claude Chabrol: The Cousins, Violette Noiziere & Poulet au Vinaigre Jacques Rivette: La Belle Noiseuse, Paris Belongs to Us, Out One, L’Amour Fou & Love on the Ground Marcel Carne: Hotel du Nord & The Adultress Alain Resnais: Melo & Smoking/No Smoking Jacques Becker: Casque d’Or, Rendezvous in July & Goupi Mains Rouges Eric Rohmer: The Sign of Leo & The Tree, the Mayor, and the Mediatheque Jean Gremillon: Lumiere d’ete, La Croisiere de l’Atalante & The Lighthouse Keepers Jean Vigo: A Propos de Nice Jacques Tati: Jour de Fete Louis Feuillade: Judex & the Fantomas series Louis Malle: Lacombe Lucien, The Fire Within, The Metro, Zazie in the Subway & Au Revoir, Les Enfants Henri-Georges Clouzot: The Truth, Woman in Chains & L’Assassin Habite au 21 Rene Clair: 14 Juillet Jean-Pierre Melville: Army in the Shadows & The Red Circle Bertrand Blier: My Best Friend’s Girl & Our Story Abel Gance: J’Accuse!, La Roue, End of the World & Cyrano et d’Artagnan Georges Franju: Blood of the Beasts, Therese, Judex, Shadowman & Le Grand Melies Jacques Demy: Bay of Angels & The Pied Piper Maurice Pialat: L’Enfance Nue & We Will Not Grow Old Together Chris Marker: Le Joli Mai & Letter from Siberia Jean-Marie Straub: The Death of Empedocles, Sicilia!, Fortini/Cani, Moses and Aaron & From the Clouds to the Resistance
If I were to pick 7 that I’d most like to own, I’d pick the ones in Red
