Limited and VOD Releases: Limited Releases have Therapeutic Value
June 10, 2016
There are a few limited releases coming out this week that have a chance of finding an audience, but none that will expand significantly. De Palma is a must see for fans of the director, or of movie business documentaries in general. King Jack has perfect reviews, but it is also playing on Video On Demand. Therapy for a Vampire is the film I'm most interested in seeing, but while its reviews are great, it likely won't escape the art house circuit.
Careful What You Wish For - Reviews
De Palma - Reviews
Diary of a Chambermaid - reviews
From Afar - reviews
Genius - Reviews
King Jack - Reviews
Last Cab to Darwin - Reviews
Te3n - Reviews
Therapy for a Vampire - reviews
Tikkun - Reviews
Secondary Video-on-Demand Releases:
Nick Jonas plays a young man who has an affair with a married woman, Isabel Lucas, and has to deal with the repercussions. The film's Tomatometer Score is 25% positive, so that's at best a VOD rental, and that's only true if you like the cast and genre.
A documentary about Brian De Palma that is currently earning 97% positive reviews. If you are a fan of his work, or just like documentaries about filmmakers in general, then this is a must see. On the other hand, documentaries rarely have breakout success.
Lea Seydoux plays Célestine, a young woman mixed up in political and sexual intrigue after accepting a job working for a rich French family. The film is based on a novel by Octave Mirbeau. This is not the first time the novel has been turned into a movie, nor is it the best. That said, Lea Seydoux does have better star power than most French actresses have here, so that could help the film's box office chances.
Art house films tend to have more deliberate pacing, which can negatively affect how the average moviegoer will react to the movie. When art house critics warn viewers about pacing issues and a frustratingly opaque narrative, you should heed their warnings. The overall reviews are still good, but the chances of expanding significantly are nearly zero.
A biopic starring Colin Firth as Max Perkins, an editor who discovered a number of literary giants. The reviews are mixed and a lot of critics are complaining about the film's reliance on clichés. Genius opens tonight in 16 theaters, which might prove to be too many given its reviews.
Video On Demand
This film is the best-reviewed film of the week. It is also opening on VOD, so its box office chances are nearly zero. Then again, clearly most studios understand the VOD market is large enough that it doesn't matter. Hopefully it does find an audience, because critics are praising Charlie Plummer's performance and Felix Thompson's first feature-length film as writer and director is a home run.
Michael Caton stars as a misanthropic cab driver who learns he's dying. He decides to drive across Australia to where doctor-assisted suicide is legal. This is one of the best-reviewed films of the week, so hopefully it will find an audience before the home market. Last Cab to Darwin has played in a number of Film Festivals throughout the year and begins its theatrical run at the Cinema Village in New York City. Check out the official site for more details.
A Bollywood film opening in just over 100 theaters. Unlike most Bollywood movies, there are reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Okay, there are only two of them, but they are both positive. That's a lot better than most similar films open with.
A German film set in 1930 about a vampire who goes to Sigmund Freud for therapy. The film is certainly out there compared to most limited releases. On the other hand, the reviews might not be strong enough to help it thrive on the art house circuit, while it's a foreign-language film, so its chances at expanding significantly are practically zero.
An orthodox Jewish man dies, but his father is able to resuscitate him. However, afterwards, the man is no longer passionate about his studies and the father worries resuscitating him was against God's plan. The film is earning 100% positive reviews, but it isn't earning a lot of buzz.
Be Somebody - Reviews - Video on Demand
Go With Me - Reviews - Video On Demand
Len and Company - Reviews - Video on Demand
Puerto Ricans in Paris - reviews - Video on Demand
Len and Company is the only secondary VOD release of the week earning positive reviews. However, it has so few reviews that if the next review posted is negative, it will barely be in the overall positive level. That said, it would still be good enough for VOD.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Careful What You Wish For, Len and Company, Blackway, King Jack, Genius, Puerto Ricans in Paris, Last Cab to Darwin, Tikkun, De Palma, Desde allá, Be Somebody, Le Journal d'une femme de chambre, Der Vampir auf der Couch, Te3n, Michael Caton, Brian De Palma, Colin Firth, Nick Jonas, Isabel Lucas, Lea Seydoux, Felix Thompson, Charlie Plummer