Limited and VOD Releases: Take Off, You Hoser

September 2, 2016

Yoga-Hosers

It’s a bad week for limited releases, as the only two films earning any real advance buzz are Skiptrace and Yoga Hosers, neither of which are earning good reviews. Of all of the films on this week’s list, Zoom is the only one I really want to see. It’s just $5 to rent on Video on Demand.

The 9th Life of Louis Drax - Reviews
Louis Drax has nearly died eight times due to various accidents, but the ninth time might be the one that finally kills him. Like most films on this week’s list, this one isn’t earning good reviews. Critics are complaining that is feels like too many movies stitched together. The reviews are too weak to expect it to do well in limited release.

Antibirth - Reviews
Video on Demand
Natasha Lyonne plays a high-partying woman who wakes up after a major party with symptoms of pregnancy. ... A very unusual pregnancy. The reviews are good, but not good enough to thrive in limited release. Also, it is the wrong genre for limited release and it is playing on VOD. That’s three strikes for its box office chances, but films like this do better on VOD, so hopefully it will find an audience there.

Klown Forever - Reviews
This is a sequel to Klown. That film barely made a dent at the box office and since this film’s reviews are a little weaker, I doubt it will do better.

Max Rose - Reviews
This is the first starring role for Jerry Lewis. Fans of his might want to check it out, but they will be frustrated that his return to the big screen wasn’t in a much better movie.

Naam Hai Akira - No Reviews
A Bollywood film with no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. There isn’t even a review on Now Running, so I have no idea if it is worth it. I do like the idea of an action thriller with a female lead.

No Manches Frida - No Reviews
This is a foreign-language remake, that’s in a foreign-language. Sort of. The original move is a German film called Fack ju Gohte. It is about an ex-con who buried his stolen money before going to prison. Now that he’s out, he wants to get it back. However, the site where he buried the money is now a school gym, so he pretends to be a substitute teacher to case the school. The original was a huge hit worldwide, so I’m not surprised it is being remade. I am surprised it was remade in Mexico before a Hollywood studio got a hold of the film. There are no reviews, but Pantelion Films has had success in limited release in the past.

Skiptrace - Reviews
Video on Demand
This is the biggest film on this week’s list and it has already earned more than $100 million worldwide. It stars Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville, which means it has better star power than nearly every other film opening this week. Unfortunately, its reviews are really weak. Maybe if you like the two stars it is worth spending $6 to rent on VOD, but paying full price in the theaters isn’t going to be most moviegoers’ first choice.

White Girl - Reviews
This is one of the best-reviewed films on this week’s list, but that’s not saying much. It is about a college student, whose boyfriend is a drug dealer. When he gets busted, she takes over selling for him, but gets in over her head. Again, the reviews are good, but not great, so it likely won’t do well in theaters.

Yoga Hosers - Reviews
The latest film from Kevin Smith is being described by many as the worst movie in his career. After Cop Out, he decided to stop even attempting to make movies that appeal to a wider audience and to only many movies that appeal to him. That is certainly the case here. Also, he’s a really big fan of the creative influence of pot, but this movie won’t help sell that argument to most people, as it is an unfocused mess. That’s too bad, because the cast has been earning quite a bit of praise for their performances. Maybe Lily-Rose Depp and Harley Quinn Smith will have acting careers after this film.

Zoom - Reviews
Video on Demand
This is a Canadian movie about a comic book writer, Alison Pill, who is working on a comic book about a director, Gael Garcia Bernal, who is adapting a novel by a writer, Mariana Ximenes, who wrote a book about a comic book writer, Alison Pill, who is working on a comic book about a director... The multi-layer story is told both in live action and animated sequences, which adds to the appeal. Unfortunately, the overall reviews are merely good and not great. I do hope it does well and out of all of the films on this week’s list, this is the one I want to see the most. Zoom opens tonight in ten theaters nationwide, but will likely be seen by most on VOD. Check out the official site for more details.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Summer of 8 - Reviews
Video on Demand
Only one secondary VOD release this week. The film only has one review and it is negative. On the other hand, it costs just $1 to rent on Amazon.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Skiptrace, Yoga Hosers, The 9th Life of Louis Drax, Max Rose, Klovn Forever, Antibirth, Zoom, White Girl, Naam Hai Akira, No Manches Frida, Summer of 8, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Jerry Lewis, Natasha Lyonne, Alison Pill, Harley Quinn Smith, Kevin Smith, Lily-Rose Depp, Aiden Longworth, Mariana Ximenes