Fastest earns the Widest Limited Release

February 3, 2006

There's a huge selection of limited releases this weekend with nine film's listed below. And that's not counting the nearly half-a-dozen films expanding to take advantage of their Oscar Nods. On a side note, as you can probably tell by how late this story is, I am still sick. Good news, I'm over the worst of it. Bad news, according to the news story I saw, the symptoms should last another one to two weeks. (You know a particular strain is bad when they do a story about it on the local news.)

Blossoms of Fire - Reviews
A documentary about a city in Mexico that is run by woman. It's an interesting topic, but the filmmakers don't do it justice. Blossoms of Fire opened tonight at the Cinema Village in New York City.

A Good Woman - Reviews
Given the cast and the film's original release date one would assume it was Oscar bait. But obviously something went wrong because February is the wrong time of the year to release an Oscar contender. Add in mixed to poor reviews and the only Oscar this movie will have any connection to is Oscar Wilde, who wrote the play it is based on. A Good Woman opens tonight in nearly three dozen theatres in major cities nationwide.

Suits on the Loose - Reviews
The latest film aimed at the Mormon crowd. These films usually opening in a couple of dozen theatres in Utah and really struggle to attract their target audience, and have almost zero crossover appeal. There's no reason to think this film will be any different.

Tamara - Reviews
Your typical horror revenge flick with a few things going for it, mostly notably its star Jenna Dewan. The film has all the necessary scares, gore, and sex appeal that fans of the genre demand, but there's not enough originality to set it apart from the many other films of this nature that come out every year. Tamara opens tonight in more than a dozen theatres in the New York and New Jersey area before expanding on February 17th.

The Tenants - Reviews
Dylan McDermott and Snoop Dogg star as two novelists trying to finish their respective books. The film is supposed to deal with race relations, and while that is a noble goal, it just isn't up to the task. The Tenants opens tonight at the AMC Empire 25 in New York City before hitting DVD on March 7th.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada - Reviews
This first of two films opening this weekend that already had one-week Oscar qualifying runs. This one is earning marginally better reviews, but I think The World's Fastest Indian will have more populace appeal. On the other hand, while neither film was able to capture any Oscar nominations, this one did have more success during awards season. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada opens tonight in more than 2 dozen theatres, mostly in the Texas and Southern California area.

What the Bleep?: Down the Rabbit Hole - Reviews
A recut version of What the Bleep do We Know, which purports to delve deep into the very nature of reality, but is in fact a recruitment tool of the Ramtha School of Enlightenment. Call me closed minded, but I'm not taking lessons in reality from someone who thinks they are channeling a 35000-year old warrior. This version has more science, but considering how badly they messed the science up the first time, this is not a selling point.

Who Gets to Call It Art? - Reviews
A documentary look at the post-World War II art scene and the beginning of the Pop Art movement. It's only a very superficial look and the film is not informative enough to satisfy anyone truly interested in the subject but might get some newcomers curious. Who Gets to Call It Art? opened on Wednesday at the Film Forum in New York City.

The World's Fastest Indian - Reviews
After a one-week Oscar qualifying run late last year, this movie finally gets its proper release. A massive hit in its native New Zealand, this is the movie on this week's list that has the most potential for mainstream success. However, it is opening in more than 100 theatres, and I really hate the 'Select Cities' release schedule as it seems to be the most difficult to pull off. Its advertising campaign is a lot more aggressive than most limited releases and that, along with amazing word-of-mouth, should help it at the box office.


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Filed under: Limited Releases, What the #$'! Do We Know, The World's Fastest Indian, Los tres entierros de Melquiades Estrada, A Good Woman