France

It's been far too long since I lobbed a rock at the crapoux. So here's one. You have to love this, France and Canada seek protection from the US film & music industry. Well, sure. We need a lot more movies from France. Let's see, there's La Fem Nikita and... um... hang on, it'll come to me... um... Well of course Canada gave us David Cronenburg, for which we must all bow to them, but apart from the one, solitary, genius we got... wait for it... Pamela Anderson. Worse than that, the rest of the world blames us for Pamela Anderson. Hey people, it ain't our fault. To quote a song, "Blame Canada."
Seriously for a moment, Alphaville was good and France seems to turn out three to four bloody marvelous actresses every year, but by and large their films suck on toast. For every Rules fo the Game there's a Hiroshima Mon Amour (I want that hour plus of my life back and someday I'll take it out of a frenchman's hide). Somehow that's our fault. It also doesn't explain how India, Hong Kong and Japan seem to be able to create film industries so vital, vibrant and powerful that the US industry regularly goes over and steals from them (Seven Samurai becomes Magnificent Seven, City on Fire becomes Reservoir Dogs). Italy has turned out great pictures for years & years, especially their horror movies (say it with me, Dario Argento is GOD). Germany, while falling on it's face when it tries to emulate France, still churns out decent films (Lang, Herzog, Wenders, Fassbinder and, what the hell, Riefenstahl, the bitch). France needs a lot more protection from itself than it needs from the US. Canada... well, go here and look at their 20 greatest movies just to feel that virile, strong, upright feeling fade, wither, withdraw and go limp. It's no wonder when, not only the US, but Italy, Germany, Japan, India and China are making better movies you need to find a way to protect your weak little psyche from all those competent people oppressing you with their ability and success.