The Way of the Limited Releases
May 30, 2008
It's summertime. We should be seeing a lot more potential sleeper hits coming out in limited release. This week there is one such film, The Foot Fist Way, but its reviews don't suggest it will be a massive hit. It does have the best shot at box office success out of all of the film on this week's list, but it will still be an uphill climb.
Bigger, Stronger, Faster* - Reviews
The Foot Fist Way - Reviews
Savage Grace - Reviews
Stuck - Reviews
The Unknown Woman - Reviews
A documentary that examines the American culture and steroids, and the link between the two. It starts out making the claim that the media, and politicians, are over-hyping the issues for their own gain, which is an easy case to make. It then goes on to suggest that since the media is over-hyping the issue, steroids are safe, which is a lot harder case to make. However, at least the movie does help start a dialogue on the issue. Bigger, Stronger, Faster* opens tonight in 6 theaters, mostly in the Los Angeles area.
Not too long ago there was a tremendous buzz about this film with more than a few saying it could be the indie sleeper hit of the year and with Son of Rambow not exactly taking off, there was certainly an opening for such a film. However, sadly the film's reviews are only mixed. While not a complete success, it does show that writer / direct team of Jody Hill and Ben Best have a lot of potential and perhaps their next project, the TV movie / pilot East Bound and Down, will be more praiseworthy. The Foot Fist Way opens tonight in 4 theaters, half in New York City and the other half in the Los Angeles area.
A movie that touches on subjects like incest, suicide, and murder all happening inside a severely dysfunctional family. This is not a film that ever had a shot at winning over the average multiplex moviegoer. However, the reviews suggest that it is just too difficult to watch for even fans of art house films. There are some great performances, but that probably won't be enough to save the film's theatrical release. Savage Grace opened on Wednesday in two theaters in New York City.
This movie's plot was, 'ripped from the headlines' and is about a young nurse, Mena Suvari, who after a night of drinking is involved in a hit-and-run accident that leave the victim, Stephen Rea, stuck in her windshield. However, instead of saving the victim, she simply leaves him there to die. This doesn't seem like a very cinematic story, by the writer / director Stuart Gordon seems to have done well with the film as reviews are good. That said, they are not great and this is not the type of film that tends to do well on the limited front. Stuck opens tonight in two theaters, Angelika Film Center in New York City and the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles.
Written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, who previously made Cinema Paradiso, which is considered an absolute classic by many. This film is not earning that level of reviews, in fact, its Tomatometer score is barely above the overall positive level. That said, it still has a very healthy amount of buzz and did win several awards in Europe, so there's still a chance it can do reasonably well on the limited release front. The Unknown Woman opens tonight at the Angelika Film Center in New York City.
Filed under: Limited Releases, Savage Grace, Bigger, Stronger, Faster*, The Foot Fist Way, Stuck, La Sconosciuta