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Recently I've started watching a lot more foreign films. Some Japanese and Korean horror, some Spanish stuff, etc. Does anyone know of any resources for finding out more about this sort of thing? Or have any recommendations? By "contemporary" I mean something other than classic stuff. (past 10-15 years or so)

I have no idea where to start, I'm pretty much just blindly putting stuff on Netflix. Recently I've watched The Host, The Orphanage, Pan's Labyrinth, Retribution (AKA Sakebi), Re-cycle, Thirst (South Korean) and Machine Girl. Have a few other notables like Let the Right One In queued up.

Park Chan-wook's The Vengeance Trilogy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vengeance_Trilogy) is a good place for some South Korean thrillers.  Of the bunch (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), I liked Oldboy the most. It's one of the best films to come out of Asia, ever, IMO.

Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Royale_%28film%29) is pretty awesome too, if you don't mind gore and lots and lots of killing.

Finally, I haven't seen them myself but I've heard that the Danish Pusher Trilogy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pusher_trilogy) is worth a watch. Maybe someone else has seen and and can comment more.

Dead Snow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Snow) :P

Oldboy will make you throw up in your mouth a little.

I have a friend who joined some film noir group in Philadelphia. It was like a book club where you'd watch the film and then discuss it.  It was hosted by some famous French guy who's name I don't remember.  Sorry.  He loved it and basically got his list of films to see from that group.  I think he might have even taken some classes after, but I lost touch.  I bet you could find something like that in your city.

Audition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audition_(film)) is a pretty good (but grisly) Japanese thriller.

If you like westerns, there's Sukiyaki Western Django (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0906665/), and The Good, The Bad, The Weird (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901487/).  The first is Japanese, the second is Korean, and they're both made of awesome.

Sadly there's probably nothing like that in LA.  :awesome_for_real:

I have the Vengeance movies in my Netflix queue and I own Audition.

It could be fun, Margalis, and you've always seemed to be a rather social sort of guy.  It'll give you someplace to wear that oxblood leather sports jacket!  (if you ever found one)

2ldk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2LDK) and Aragami (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragami) are both decent Japanese action films. Suicide Circle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_Club_%28film%29) is pretty good, if fucked up and weird.

Survive Style 5+

Thank me later.

 :uhrr:  :awesome_for_real:  :ye_gods:  :uhrr:  :awesome_for_real:  :drill:  :ye_gods:

EDIT: I saw the Argentinian winner of the 2010 Best Foreign Film Oscar, The Secret in their Eyes, and loved the hell out of it. Feels like a classic film from a bygone era, but with modern cinematography and sensibilities.

Another vote!

If you're gonna recommend 'Dead SNow' (tongue in cheek or not), you have to include Versus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versus_(film)) as well imo.

I don't know a good place to go to find all the good ones lumped together.  Sadly I have seen many of the best suggestions here.

I suggest The Devil's Backbone.

The Brotherhood of the Wolf is a whole lot of fun.  Historical action-adventure in 18th century France revolving around the truth behind the Beast of Gevaudan.  MONICA BELLUCI, in all her glory.  And the (US) Iron Chef Chairman plays a Mohawk indian. 

The Nest.  Another French action movie, very similar to Assault on Precinct 13.


The only Guillermo del Toro movie I liked: Cronos.  Neat take on a vampire movie.

That's quite a memory you have. I mentioned that I wanted an Oxblood jacket in one thread like 3 years ago!

Anyway thanks for the suggestions all.

Anyone suggested Thesis (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117883/) yet? Spanish horror/thriller. Came out late 90s?

Rec.  Spanish zombie movie that the U.S. movie Quarantine was based on, and one of the better zombie movies I've seen. 

Also going to repeat the suggestion for El Secreto de sus Ojos/The secret of their Eyes.

Ill have to check that one out, thanks. Is it another one where Asians seem to be under and extreme amount of pressure?  :grin:

I shall also toss on the pile "Let the right one in (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/)" and "City of lost children (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112682/)".

Kontroll (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373981/) is just about the only Hungarian film I can recommend. It's not a full-blown thriller and it can be quite beret-heavy, especially toward the end... but it's quite enjoyable imo.

It's not exactly recent, but if you haven't seen City of God, you should. 

I thought Louis 19, le roi des ondes (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110390/) was a pretty good comedy, I was lucky enough to see it before edTV came out, so I'm not sure how much having seen a bad remake spoils it.

Couple old Jean Reno flicks that are worth a rent.

Les Visiteurs. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108500/) Jean Reno is a medieval knight who gets sucked through a timewarp into modern France along with his servant. Gags about messy eating and hygiene ensue.

Wasabi. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281364/) Jean Reno is a badass cop who travels to Japan after discovering that he has a long-lost daughter there. Hijinks and dudes getting the shit kicked out of them ensues.

"What's your purpose in life?"

Not terribly new, but Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Delicatessen is one of my favorites. Post apocolyptic comedy for the win. Has a very Gilliam vibe to it.