Limited and VOD Releases: Release Dates are Bewitching

November 11, 2016

The Love Witch

One of the more difficult aspects of this job is keeping track of release dates. For instance, we thought The Love Witch came out two weeks ago, but its release date changed at the last minute. The official site says it’s coming out this week, so if it gets changed again, it is not my fault. It arguably has the best reviews on this week’s list and it is the one I’m most interested in seeing. That said, it is too out there to expect it to find mainstream success.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk - Reviews
I don’t have much to say here, because the film is expanding semi-wide next week, so I will talk about it then.

Elle - Reviews
Isabelle Huppert plays a ruthless businesswoman who is attacked within her home. She decides to track down her attacker and gets into a cat-and-mouse game with him. The film is earning some of the best reviews on this week’s list, but its subject matter will prevent it from expanding significantly.

Kiki, Love to Love - Reviews
Normally we don’t talk about films with less than 10 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (unless they are a Bollywood film or were a hit in China) but while this film only has six reviews, they are all positive reviews. It is a Spanish film about five couples dealing with different challenges ... and sex. It’s about sex. It might do well in art house theaters, but it won’t expand significantly.

The Love Witch - Reviews
We talked about this film here and there’s not much more that needs to be added. The film’s reviews are arguably the best of the week. (There are a couple of films that have 100% reviews, but none of them have nearly as many reviews as this one has.) The film opens in seven theaters tonight with planned expansions over the coming weeks / months. Check out the official site for more details.

The Monster - Reviews
Video on Demand
Zoe Kazan plays a single mother traveling with her teenage daughter when their car breaks down on a deserted road. They soon learn they are not alone. Horror movies rarely do well in limited release, even when they are like this film and earn great reviews. Worse still, it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are nearly zero. On the other hand, it only costs $7 to rent it and it is certainly worth checking out.

National Bird - Reviews
A documentary about America’s drone warfare program, as told by three whistleblowers. The reviews are 100% positive, but I don’t think moviegoers are particularly interested in a political film at the moment.

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage - Reviews
Video on Demand
If you are a fan of Jaws, then you should know the story of the USS Indianapolis. Sadly, listening to Quint’s speech on loop for 135 minutes would be better than watching this movie.

The Wanderers - Reviews
A re-release from 1979, this film is about a gang in 1963 Bronx. Despite its impressive reviews, the film is mostly forgotten now. The DVD is out of print, but that should change if people see this movie in theaters over the weekend.

The Watermelon Woman - Reviews
This film is getting a re-release for its 20th Anniversary. Its reviews are 100% positive, but there are not a lot of them. On the other hand, the market for LGBT films has grown in the past 20 years. If you can’t see it in theaters, it is available on Video on Demand.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Come and Find Me - Reviews - Video on Demand
Dreamland - Reviews - Video on Demand
Only two secondary VOD releases this week. The first one is earning overall positive reviews, but there are only five reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so that could change with one negative review.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, The Wanderers, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Kiki, el amor se hace, Elle, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, The Love Witch, The Monster, Come and Find Me, The Watermelon Woman, National Bird, Dreamland, Isabelle Huppert, Zoe Kazan, Robert Shaw, Ella Ballentine