Notes on a talk I will give on Wed. (fwd)

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of course, US vulgar movies are strongly penetrating into the markets of
other countries, rapidly taking control over their film industry through
cultural imperialism. It is difficult to escape this given that film
industry is a capitalist sector everywhere. But, for sure, we had better
movies once, and still many in the margins though film producers are
having extereme difficulty to compete with american movies.I
remember once that there was a hot debate among turkish film
producers and directors about who is responsible for the declining
signifigance of the turkish movies after the 1980s (to many, decline of
the left)--american movies or our technological backwardness and
resistence to deny western forms of entertainment? These are typical
"modernity" debates in a semi- peripheral country like ours. Should we
take the technology or should we take the content? What if we take the
first and reject the latter? What if we reject both?,and similar ongoing
dabates like these. Whatever you say,audience goes to "Cocktails",
"Rainmans" and "Terminators", systematically denying to see alternative
visions. I can hundred percent guarantee you that even in the worst
financial and technological period of the turkish film industry, we still
had better movies than those above.Yilmaz Guney movies can never be
forgatten, in terms of class issues, and male-femele thing content wise.
Thus, producers are facing two fold situation now: either americanize your
movies or stay as you are!!! Another solution are dramatized and
over-romanticized popular movies.


Mine

New York Times piece:

>The success of some recent films in markets outside the United States is
>striking. As big a hit as the film ''Fatal Attraction'' was in the United
>States, it has made even more money at the box office overseas. So has
>last
>year's winner of the Oscar for best film, ''Rain Man.'' Even
>''Cocktail,''
>with the all-American actor Tom Cruise playing the lead role of a
>bartender, has done better at the box office abroad.