Many Films Still Far Away From O.C.

Although “Like Water for Chocolate” was a hit here as it has been nationally, subtitled “art” films generally remain a rarity in this conservative county.

Such foreign-language films must share limited screen space here with U.S. and British art films, as only two of the more than 60 movie theaters in the county show these specialty films on a regular basis to English-speaking audiences (Spanish-language and Vietnamese-language films are shown without English dubbing or titles at a handful of theaters catering to ethnic audiences). There are just two subtitled offerings currently in Orange County: “Farewell My Concubine,” a Chinese epic at the Edwards Town Center in Costa Mesa and the Bay Theatre in Seal Beach, and “House of Angels,” a Swedish film at the Port Theatre in Corona del Mar.

Meanwhile, subtitled films now showing in Los Angeles County include (in addition to “Farewell My Concubine,” “House of Angels” and “Like Water for Chocolate”), “Sex and Zen,” “Jamon Jamon,” “Sofie,” “Flight of the Innocent” and “Tokyo Decadence.”

The Port is one of the two regular venues in the county for specialty films. The other, Edwards South Coast Plaza Village, currently is featuring all English-language films: a British period piece (“Remains of the Day”), the latest work from U.S. maverick Robert Altman (“Short Cuts”) and the new film by director Jane Campion of New Zealand (“The Piano”).

Occasional outlets for independent and specialty films include the aforementioned Bay Theatre and Edwards Town Center in Costa Mesa, and Cinemapolis in Anaheim. The Edwards Rancho Niguel in Laguna Niguel occasionally shows independent films; a policy there of devoting at least one screen to art or foreign films at all times has been abandoned for what Edwards executives say is lack of audience.

However, the Edwards chain has announced that when it opens a new complex--the county’s largest--at the Irvine Spectrum next year, two of the 18 screens will be devoted to specialty films.