Limited Releases: Oscars Steal the Spotlight

January 11, 2013

With the Oscar nominations announced yesterday, the focus is on the the high-caliber films from 2012 that are still in theaters. This will hurt the new wide releases coming out this week, but it will be devastating to the limited releases. There's only one film on this week's list that looks like it might escape relatively unharmed: Quartet.

Clandestine Childhood - Reviews
Written and directed by Benjamin Avila and inspired by his real childhood as a political fugitive in Argentina. It's an interesting story, but the reviews are only mixed. Clandestine Childhood opens tonight in two theaters, Lincoln Plaza Cinema and Quad Cinema, both in New York City.

Horrid Henry: The Movie - Reviews
The first British kids movie shot in 3D. Given the reviews, that might be the only reason to see it. Also, kids movies rarely do well in limited release, which further reduces its box office potential.

Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola - No Reviews
A Bollywood movie with the usual caveats. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but that is not an issue. It is opening in more than 100 theaters, which is normally too many, but again, that's normal for a Bollywood release.

Quartet - Reviews
Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut. By itself, this would make the film interesting. However, the film also has a really good cast, including Dame Maggie Smith. The film takes place in an old folks home for retired musicians. The lives of some of the residents are thrown into chaos when their former singer, played by Smith, becomes the latest resident of the home. The reviews are great and the film even picked up Golden Globe nominations, so perhaps it will find an audience, despite its weak release date. Quartet opens tonight at the The Paris Theatre in New York City and the The Landmard in Los Angeles.

Storage 24 - Reviews
A couple go to a storage unit, each with their best friends, in order to split up their belongings after a tough break-up. What they don't realize is the place is under quarantine after a military cargo plane crashed and its cargo escaped. Now they have to get out before whatever it was the military was transporting kills them all. The film is earning mixed reviews, which is fine for a low-budget horror film you can check out on DVD, but will likely be fatal for its limited release run. Storage 24 opens tonight in Columbus, Ohio, after playing on Video on Demand.

Struck By Lightning - Reviews
Chris Colfer wrote and stars in this movie, which is about a high school student who is struck by lightning and killed. We then flash back to his recent life as he narrates what happened to him. The film's reviews are mostly negative, but not aggressively so. You see a lot of critics talking about Chris Colfer needing a bit more experience as a screenwriter before being able to come up with a fully fleshed-out script, but he has some raw talent. Maybe his next movie will be strong enough to recommend. Struck By Lightning opens tonight in eight theaters nationwide, while it is also playing on Video on Demand.


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Filed under: Limited Releases, Quartet, Horrid Henry: The Movie, Storage 24, Struck By Lightning, Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola, Infancia clandestina, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Smith, Chris Colfer, Benjamin Avila