Limited and VOD Releases: Strange List this Week
May 26, 2017
A few films on this week’s list are earning 100% positive reviews. This includes Long Strange Trip, the Grateful Dead rockumentary. Despite these reviews, I would suggest waiting a week to see it on Video on Demand.
Buena Vista Social Club - Adios - Reviews
The Here After - Reviews
Hermia & Helena - Reviews
Long Strange Trip - Reviews
Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan - Reviews
War Machine - Reviews
Women’s Balcony - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
A delayed sequel to Buena Vista Social Club, which came out in 1999. It earned stellar reviews and nearly $7 million at the box office. That’s stunning for a documentary. This film’s reviews are only good and not great, but perhaps good will generated by the first movie will help it at the box office.
A boy returns home after a prison sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend. He’s hoping to move on and start a new life. However, the other people in the community haven’t forgotten his crime, nor has they forgiven him. The film’s reviews are great, but there’s a lot of films on this weeks’ list with even better reviews.
A theater director from Argentina travels to New York City to do a Spanish-language adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, she has trouble adapting to her new life, which then begins to match A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is one of a few films on this week’s list with 100% positive reviews; however, it is also a foreign-language film, so its chances of expanding beyond the art house circuit are limited.
This documentary is about the Grateful Dead, who only had one top ten hit, “Touch of Grey”, but had such a dedicated fanbase that their concert tours were routinely among the most profitable in America. The reviews are 100% positive, but its chances at the box office are close to zero for two reasons. Firstly, it’s nearly four hours long. Not only will this limited the number of showings per day, but a lot of people will balk at four hours in a theater. Secondly, it comes out on Video on Demand next Friday. Four-hour long movies are much better when you can pause for a bathroom break, to refresh your drink, etc.
A biographical documentary about Wendy Whelan, the prima ballerina at the New York City Ballet. She’s 46 years old and age and injury have forced her into retirement. There are only five reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all five of them are positive, so that’s a great sign.
Video on Demand
Brad Pitt plays Gen. Glen McMahon, who is “inspired” by General Stanley McChrystal. The cast is great and Netflix does have a good track record. However, this film’s reviews are mixed and it is debuting on Netflix tonight, so its box office chances are very weak. That said, it is not so bad that it isn’t worth checking out on Netflix, if you already have the service.
A new rabbi preaches for strict gender roles, causing the women to rebel against him. The film’s reviews are over 90% positive and it could do well on the art house circuit. On the other hand, it is a foreign-language film, so its chances of expanding significantly are very limited.
Black Butterfly - Reviews - Video on Demand
Drone - Reviews - Video on Demand
Black Butterfly’s reviews are good enough for VOD, but not good enough for limited release.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Buena Vista Social Club—Adios, War Machine, Efterskalv, Ismach Hatani, Black Butterfly, Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan, Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead, Drone, Hermia & Helena, Brad Pitt