Limited Releases: Put a (Bling) Ring On It

June 14, 2013

This week's list of limited releases is dominated by horror films and documentaries, which is not a good sign, as neither genre tends to do well at the box office. Documentaries tend to have a better shot at thriving in the art house circuit, but rarely expand wide enough to earn any of mainstream success. On the other hand, one film is opening that has a lot of buzz: The Bling Ring. Given its pedigree, it should open well. But given its reviews, it likely won't last very long.

Berberian Sound Studio - Reviews
A horror film of sorts. A man travels from Britain to Italy to work on the sound design for a horror movie. However, his work begins to have an effect on his psyche. The films reviews are very good, but it is the wrong genre for limited release. On the other hand, it is being described as more of an art house horror film, so maybe it will find an audience before the home market. Berberian Sound Studio opens tonight in six theaters, as well as Video on Demand.

The Bling Ring - Reviews
The biggest new release of the week, at least in terms of buzz. It is directed by Sofia Coppola and stars, among others, Emma Watson. It is based on a true story and focuses on a group of kids who broke into celebrity homes and stole from them. The film's Tomatometer Score has fallen below the overall positive level. The biggest complaint from critics seems to be that we don't get enough insight into why these people did what they did. We just get a recap of what they did. The Bling Ring opens tonight in five theaters, split between New York City and the Los Angeles area.

Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story - Reviews
A documentary about an artist / writer whose work includes kids books, as well as erotica for adults. Because of these divergent subjects, he became "blacklisted" from kids books and his career never recovered. So far there are few reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but they are overwhelmingly positive. Far Out Isn't Far Enough opens tonight in Lincoln Plaza Cinema in New York City, and expands to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Quebec next week.

Fukrey - Reviews
A Bollywood movie set in college that focuses on four friends trying to make the most of their lives before being forced to become adults. There's only one review on Rotten Tomatoes, and it is negative. On the other hand, most Bollywood films have no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of their release, so it is hard to judge the film's chances on one review. Fukrey opens tonight in 60 theaters.

The Guillotines - Reviews
A Wuxia martial arts film that is earning reviews that are barely above 10% positive. Even if you are a major fan of the genre, and there are a lot of you out there, there are simply too many better options to bother with this one.

Hatchet III - Reviews
The third film in the Hatchet franchise. It's a teenage slasher opening in limited release. It is earning mixed reviews, which is better than most similar releases, but it will likely completely fail to find an audience in theaters. On the other hand, it should do better on the home market. I previously reviewed the first two films and I might get a chance to review this one as well.

More Than Honey - Reviews
A documentary about bees, their importance to our food supply and the dangers that exist if colony shock isn't fixed. There are only eight reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all of them are positive. Hopefully it will find an audience, but it will likely have to wait until the home market to do so. More Than Honey opened in theaters on Wednesday.

Pandora's Promise - Reviews
A documentary about the upcoming energy crisis and the need to overcome these issues in an environmentally friendly way. The filmmakers have decided the only way forward is nuclear power. The reviews are mixed with some critics complaining the movie is one-sided and the science is a little suspect. Pandora's Promise opened on Wednesday at the Sunshine Cinema, but it expands into more than a dozen theaters on Friday.

The Stroller Strategy - Reviews
Raphael Personnaz plays Thomans Platz, whose girlfriend just dumped him because he refuses to grow up. When he becomes the guardian of an infant, he decides to use this as an opportunity to convince his ex-girlfriend he has grown up. It's a French farce, but not one that is winning over a lot of critics. In fact, it currently has no positive reviews. The Stroller Strategy opens tonight at the Angelika Film Center in New York City.


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Filed under: Limited Releases, The Bling Ring, Xue di zi, More Than Honey, Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story, Hatchet III, Berberian Sound Studio, Pandora's Promise, La stratégie de la poussette, Fukrey, Sofia Coppola, Emma Watson