Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Australian Box Office Question

This is topic Australian Box Office Question in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Peter Berrett (Member # 672) on 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

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-30-2002, 09:08 AM:

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

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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 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

Posted by Peter Berrett (Member # 672) on 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

Posted by Joe Beres (Member # 678) on 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.

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 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.

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 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.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 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.

Posted by Peter Berrett (Member # 672) on 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 )