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By: Guru Jay
Flashback
The best films have universal appeal. As a child, I remember one time staying awake the whole night watching movies with my brothers and a friend. Both brothers fell into a deep sleep.
We watched a lot of films that night. However, the one I most remember is Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
In those days, we saw rented movies on VCR tapes. The most popular video store at the time was Blockbuster. I used to like Blockbuster, because you could rent movies there as well as video games.
At Blockbuster, you would find the highest grossing films. True to its name, the video giant kept the best movies on their shelves. Thanks to Netflix, Blockbuster went bankrupt.
In the 1990’s, Blockbuster’s profits were unbelievable. Slowly but surely, the company lost customers to Netflix.
Now- myself, you, and 30 million others are subscribed to Netflix. Let’s be clear, I stayed with Blockbuster to the very end.
I used to ride my bicycle to Blockbuster as a boy. It was only ten minutes from my house. And suddenly, overnight the video store chain had accounting problems.
Our generation watched many movies with Blockbuster. Blockbuster symbolized the 1990’s. Blockbuster presented an alternative for moviegoers.
As an adult, I still stay awake all night watching movies on apps. I love high quality entertainment. You can appreciate the work that goes into making a film great.
I plan to become fluent in a second language in the immediate future. I love learning lingo. Furthermore, I watch many films in foreign languages.
You will find that many of the best films are in foreign languages. Here is the Top Ten List featuring the highest grossing foreign language films of all time.
Click on the movie’s title for a synopsis from Box Office Mojo.
Top Ten Foreign Language Films
10
La Cage aux Folles comes in at number ten for the genre of Foreign Language. This French comedy premiered in 1979 and grossed over $20 million at the box office. Unfortunately, it wasn’t distributed worldwide.
9
Like Water for Chocolate is a Mexican film that debuted in 1993. The movie racked in more than $21 million. It ranks 9 in the Foreign Language area. Also, the foreign film is fifth all time in the Cooking genre.
8
The Italian film Il Postino delivered close to $22 million at the box office in the summer of 1995. The success of Il Postino is impressive. It is the second Italian movie in the top ten.
7
Directed by Ronny Yu and starring Jet Li (himself) Fearless earned $25 million domestically, and $43 million internationally, for a total of $68 million worldwide. It is the second highest Chinese film on the list.
6
The French made Amelie was a major box office success. The producers made the movie with a modest budget of $10 million. They never fathomed grossing $33 million domestically and $174 million worldwide.
The impact of Amelie cannot be overstated. It is the highest ranked French movie on the list for a good reason.
5
The gory Pan’s Labyrinth out of Mexico is the fifth best. Writer, Director, and Producer Guillermo del Toro created a classic. Although the film’s domestic total is higher than Amelie at $37 million, Pan’s Labyrinth grossed far less worldwide. (only $83 million)
4
The 2013 Mexican comedy, Instructions Not Included is a phenomenon. The film grossed $44 million domestically and $85 million worldwide.
It is the highest ranked Mexican (Foreign Language) film of all time. What’s more, the comedy was made with a $5 million budget.
3
Hero wins the bronze medal. It was successful on two levels: financially and critically. Directed by Yimou Zhang and starring Jet Li, Hero is a Chinese classic.
It is the second highest Chinese film on the list. In total, the film gathered $54 million at the domestic box office. Additionally, Hero collected $123 million internationally.
2
Life is Beautiful comes in second. The 1998 movie grossed $50 million at the box office. In addition, the film made $229 million in total worldwide.
Life is Beautiful is the second best Foreign Language film of all time. Financially, it is the best Italian foreign movie ever produced. Life is Beautiful won three out of seven Oscar nominations.
1
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon comes in first place. The Taiwanese film garnered attention from everyone. It won the Academy Award for best Foreign Language Film.
In total, the movie made $128 million at the domestic box office. In addition, it eclipsed the $200 million mark worldwide.
As a side note, I watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon again before writing this piece. I can say emphatically it is one of the best films of all time.
As a movie buff, I appreciate all the special effects. Furthermore, the film is beautiful because of its accuracy and precision. There are your top ten foreign language films.
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By: Guru Jay
Upon Us
March Madness is upon us. There is no turning back now. Only move forward. The 2014 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament is a time for celebration.
The best basketball players between the ages of 18 and 22 are preparing to play with tenacity. They will display pure grit throughout the tournament. You’ll see the most competitive contests ever known. You have to travel back in time to the Gladiator days, in order to watch anything quite like it.
What will happen? No one knows. Predictions are calculating right now by the second. March Madness officially begins tomorrow, March 20. Bet on the current reigning champion Louisville Cardinals to try to repeat.
Tomorrow, millions of eyes across the United States and around the world will be glued to the tube. There are more than 60 games scheduled. Here’s a good link for the 2014 NCAA Bracket. Who will win? Your guess is as good as mine.
Truth be told, I don’t watch as much college basketball as I do the NBA. But, I always watch March Madness. I assure you there will be clutch shots both converted and missed.
Also, I guarantee you that impossible shots will be made; and, easy layups will be missed. After all, college is a learning experience. Furthermore, even NBA players miss a dunk or two on a regular basis.
Three more things are certain: long three-pointers, big shot blocks and dunks galore. March Madness is a showcase of the most talented basketball players the world has to offer.
You won’t be disappointed. You will be amazed. March Madness makes you experience a range of emotions. One minute you’re sad. The next second, you’re mad. It’s the nature of the beast.
The Tournament is entertaining at all stages. It’s the big dance so you might want to find a dance partner. The tradition of college basketball connects with the history of basketball itself.
Dr. James Naismith first invented the game reinvented by Michael Jordan for college students. You can watch footage of Jordan at University of North Carolina on my blog. The video explains the meaning of NCAA basketball and March Madness.
Watch the Wichita State Shockers. The team made history tying the record for most wins and no losses. The Shockers went 34-0. Find the latest news on Wichita State. It was fascinating to see the college team play this season.
Pat Riley famously coined the term March Madness for the Men’s basketball tournament. March Madness symbolizes a range of emotions from sad to mad. It represents the intensity of sports themselves.
Moving Forward
As I stated before, there is no turning back now. You have got to move forward. At this point, sports history is almost irrelevant. It doesn’t matter if you beat somebody last year or even in February.
This is March 2014. And, the purpose of a “march” is to move forward. As usual, you can expect the Duke Blue Devils to go deep. Additionally, Duke’s rival the University of North Carolina Tar Heels look like strong contenders.
The beauty of it all is that it is truly unpredictable. You never know what might happen. Be prepared for anything.
All eyes are on Wichita State. The question is can Wichita State keep going at their current pace? One thing for sure is there will be answers to our questions.
Look for upsets, heartbreaks, downturns, and upstarts. The coach is just as important as the player; and, the trainer is just as important as the fans. Everybody and everything matters.
I play basketball myself. It’s one of the best games to learn. Also, it is becoming the most popular sport around the world.
One crucial basketball rule is you have to move forward. If you go backcourt with the ball, then that’s a violation. Also, you can’t step out of bounds (a predetermined area on the court).
Millions of people are filling out brackets and making their predictions. I have made predictions in the past. I’ve decided this year to not make predictions.
I plan on enjoying the tournament. One benefit is I won’t have to root against teams based on logic or intuition.
What March Madness means
March Madness is a time of pride. Obviously, the parents of the players could not be any prouder of their sons. Yet, basketball fans are proud as well.
Fans are proud of their hometown heroes, local colleges and star athletes. March Madness means family and friendships. I have watched the tournament continuously for over a decade. I’ve discovered that the NCAA Championship brings people together. It’s a perfect time for bonding.
The meaning of March Madness to you might be different. But, the bottom line is that the tournament presents a time for us to socialize with coworkers, neighbors, and even strangers shopping at the store or standing up at the subway station.
There have been many great plays in basketball history. You can watch the greatest basketball play of all time right here on my blog. It’s called “Christian Laettner The Shot 1992” It is the epitome of greatness. To some it is the meaning of March Madness.
The Bottom Line
Winter is almost over; and, spring is almost here. Transitions are tough. Sometimes in the spring it feels like winter. Sometimes in autumn it feels like summer.
If you think nature is spontaneous, you better believe March Madness is a hippie. March Madness is a mixture of all seasons rolled into one. You don’t know if it’s going to rain, snow, or earthquake. All you really know is that the sun will shine. And, the moon may come out at night.
The bottom line is the NCAA Tournament is a very lucrative event. According to the Market Place (click here for report) The tournament makes more than $1 billion in television money alone. In fact, March Madness makes more total revenue than the NFL postseason, NBA Playoffs, MLB World Series, and the NHL Stanley Cup.
The tournament is scheduled March 20 through April 7. It is upon us. Tomorrow!