Beloved Limited Release
January 9, 2015
It is still a really bad time of the year to release a film in limited release, and will continue to be so until Awards Season ends. Fans of art house theater have far too many films to watch and the Oscar contenders are drowning out the competition. That's not to say there are no good films on this week's list. In fact, there are many that are earning good reviews. Unfortunately, there are almost none that are earning great reviews and that's a problem.
Beloved Sisters - Reviews
Black November - Reviews
Dark Summer - Reviews
Farewell, Herr Schwartz - Reviews
It's All So Quiet - Reviews
Let's Kill Ward's Wife - Reviews
Predestination - Reviews
Preservation - Reviews
Tevar - No Reviews
Vessel - No Reviews
The World Made Straight - Reviews
A German film about two sisters who are both in love with the same man. The older sister marries the man, but they both agree to be romantically involved with him. This turns out to be a bad decision. Like too many films on this week's list, its reviews are good, but probably not good enough to thrive in limited release. Beloved Sisters opens tonight in ten theaters, mostly in the Los Angeles area. Check out the official site for more details.
A drama set in Nigeria dealing with corrupt governments and corporate malfeasance. The reviews are weak and film is playing on Video on Demand, so its box office chances are terrible. Black November opens tonight at the Quad Cinema in New York City.
After stalking his classmates, and in particular one girl, 17-year old Daniel is stuck under house arrest all summer. However, after his mother leaves for a business trip, things get spooky in his house. The reviews are really bad and it is the wrong genre for limited release. Dark Summer opens tonight at the IFC Center in New York City.
A documentary about a family dealing with secrets that extend back to the Holocaust. The film's reviews are excellent and it might do well, for a documentary. Farewell, Herr Schwartz opens tonight in two theaters, both in New York City. Check out the official site for more details.
A movie set in a small town about a middle-aged man living with his bedridden father. There's more to it than that, but I don't want to enter spoiler territory. The reviews are good, but not great, and limited releases tend to need great reviews to thrive. It's All So Quiet opens tonight at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City.
Scott Foley makes his directorial debut. He was able to get a great cast together, but the reviews for this film are terrible. Also, it is playing on Video on Demand, so the theatrical run is an afterthought. Let's Kill Ward's Wife opens tonight in two theaters, one in New York City and the other in Los Angeles. Check out the official site for more details.
A time-traveling cop tries to stop a terrorist before he kills thousands in New York City in a bombing. That's the short version of the plot. The long version is so complicated it would take less time to watch the movie than it would to explain it. The reviews are good, but perhaps not quite good enough to thrive in limited release. Predestination opens tonight in select cities and on Video on Demand. Check out the official site for more details.
Three people head to a cabin in the woods to unwind. One of them is a returning soldier combating PTSD, another is his friend trying to help him out, the other is the second man's girlfriend. The three of them awake one day to find all of their possessions stolen and Xs marked on their faces. Soon they become hunted. It's an interesting setup and the reviews are good for the genre. However, it is the wrong genre for limited release and the film is also playing on Video on Demand, so its box office chances are neglible.
A Bollywood film about an athlete who rescues a woman from an unwanted marriage and has to go on the run. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but that's not unusual for this genre. Tevar opens tonight in select theaters. Check here for more details.
A documentary about Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, who sailed international waters trying to help women get safe abortions. There are no reviews, which in itself is a bad sign. Vessel opens tonight two theaters, one in New York City and the other in Chicago. Check out the official site for more details.
This film takes place in a small town that was the site of a Civil War massacre. It follows a high school dropout who falls into a life of dealing drugs. The reviews are good, but probably not good enough to be a hit in limited release. Additionally, it is currently playing on Video on Demand, which further reduces its box office chances. The World Made Straight opens tonight in select theaters.
Filed under: Limited Releases, Predestination, Boven is het stil, The World Made Straight, Die geliebten Schwestern, Let's Kill Ward's Wife, Preservation, Black November, Dark Summer, Tevar, Farewell, Herr Schwartz, Vessel, Scott Foley, Keir Gilchrist, Grace Phipps