Limited Releases - Starting at Five

February 23, 2007

There are a lot of numbered films being released this week. There are the two wide releases, The Number 23 and Reno 911!: Miami, as well as Starter for Ten, which is the limited release with the best shot at mainstream success.

Glastonbury - Reviews
A documentary about the 30th anniversary of the Glastonbury Music Festival, which is one of the longest-running and most popular music festivals in the U.K.. The film is also one of the best-reviewed new films of the week. It is a must see for fans of the music and musicians featured in the movie, which include David Bowie, Bjork, James Brown, and more. What an eclectic mix. Glastonbury opens tonight at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles.

Gray Matters - Reviews
This film stars Heather Graham and Thomas Cavanagh as a brother and sister who are so close that people routinely mistake them as a couple. Because of this, they decide that they need to separate and find the love of their lives, which doesn't work out as well as they hoped when they fall in love with the same woman. The film is a romantic comedy, a super cheesy romantic comedy. Not the kind of film you'd expect to do well in limited release. Add in a theater count of 15, and odds are it won't do well in limited release, but at least it should draw in a lot of curious people when it hits DVD in a few months.

Premium - Reviews and More Reviews
Dorian Missick stars as Reginald Coolidge, a struggling actor looking to break out of the stereotypical African American roles that he seems to be stuck with. One day while working at a gas station, he runs into Charli, an ex girlfriend whom he never stopped loving. But when he learns she's getting married in 36 hours, he decides to do what ever it takes to stop the marriage and win her back. Yes, it is a romantic comedy, but it is better than most. That said, it still has a tough road ahead of it as it tries to escape limited release. Premium opens tonight in 10 theaters in New York City, Atlanta, and other cities.

Starter for Ten - Reviews
There's something about British films that lend themselves to this type of release schedule. The Queen, Notes on a Scandal, Last King of Scotland, even smaller films like Venus, The History Boys, and Keeping Mum have had some success reaching mainstream audiences. This film is a slice of college life with bits of new guy in school and cross class romance thrown in. It should please moviegoers and while its theater count will likely prevent the film from topping the Per Theater Charts, it should do well enough to expand over the coming weeks. Starter for Ten opens tonight in 20 theaters in major cities nationwide, but mostly in California.

The Taste of Tea - Reviews
Written and directed by Katsuhito Ishii, who is probably best known here for Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl. ... Okay, most people here probably don't know him at all, which is a shame. His very stylized filmmaking should help him develop a cult following here, but it might take a couple more movies before that happens. The Taste of Tea opens tonight at the ImageAsian in New York City and could win this week's race on the per theater charts, but will probably have to wait until the home market to really find an audience.

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Filed under: Limited Releases, Starter for Ten, Gray Matters, Glastonbury, Cha no aji (茶の味), Premium