Limited Releases look to Save America

December 13, 2013

American Hustle poster

On the one hand, this is an amazing weekend for limited releases as there are not one, but two films opening that are very likely going to earn multiple Oscar nominations. On the other hand, most films opening this weekend are earning weak releases. The two main Oscar contenders are American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks, while The Crash Reel is up for Best Feature-Length Documentary.

American Hustle - Reviews
One of two limited releases that are scheduled to open wide later on. Given its reviews and the Awards Season buzz, there's no doubt this film will find an audience in theaters. American Hustle opens tonight in six theaters before expanding wide on the 20th. We will talk about it more then.

The Crash Reel - Reviews
A documentary about Kevin Pearce, an Olympic snowboarder who suffered massive brain damage in 2009 and tried to comeback from his injury. The film's reviews are amazing and it is on this year's Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary. The Crash Reel opens tonight in four theaters in select cities.

Here Comes the Devil - Reviews
A family goes into the woods and their young son and daughter go missing. They reappear the next day, but something has changed the children. It's a horror film opening in limited release, which isn't a good sign. It is also earning mixed reviews, which is an even worse sign. Here Comes the Devil opens tonight in two theaters, as well as on video on demand. It will likely perform a lot better on the latter than in the former.

Hours - Reviews
Paul Walker stars as a husband whose wife goes into labor early during hurricane Katrina. Tragedy strikes and his wife dies in labor. The child survives, barely, and needs to be kept on a ventilator. When the power goes out, and the ventilator's battery begins to fail, Paul Walk does whatever it takes to keep his child alive. This is a posthumous release for Paul Walker and he did earn some praise for his performance; however, the overall reviews are merely mixed. Hours opens tonight in select cities.

Nuclear Nation - Reviews
A documentary about the Fukushima nuclear disaster. So far it is earning 100% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is not on the Oscar shortlist, so perhaps it won't have the buzz to thrive. Nuclear Nation opened on Wednesday at the Film Forum in New York City.

Saving Mr. Banks - Reviews
A movie by Disney about Walt Disney trying to make Mary Poppins. It opens in 15 theaters tonight before expanding wide next weekend. I'll talk more about it then.

Some Velvet Morning - Reviews
Stanley Tucci stars as a man who has finally left his wife so he can be with his mistress, Alice Eve, but learns that perhaps she doesn't want to be with him. A lot of the critics are praising the performances, but the overall film is only earning mixed reviews. Some Velvet Morning debuted on Video on Demand on Tuesday and opens tonight in theaters in Scottsdale, Arizona, and New York City.

Trap for Cinderella - Reviews
A foreign language remake about a woman whose best friend dies in a fire, a fire that badly injures her and steals her memories. The film's reviews are really bad and there's a lot of top-notch competition, so the film has very little chance of being a box office hit. Trap for Cinderella opens tonight at the IFC Center in New York City, as well as Video on Demand.

A Zombie Invasion - No Reviews
A movie about zombies invading a small town. I don't have much information about the plot and there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it opened on Thursday and we do have box office numbers for its opening day. Not bad for a horror film in limited release.


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Filed under: Limited Releases, Trap for Cinderella, Saving Mr. Banks, American Hustle, Hours, Nuclear Nation, Some Velvet Morning, Ahí va el diablo, The Crash Reel, A Zombie Invasion, Stanley Tucci, Alice Eve, Paul Walker, Kevin Pearce