Limited and VOD Releases: Don’t Hate Limited Releases
October 5, 2018
We are getting really close to Awards Season and there are some top-notch films on this week’s list that could pick up some major nominations. This includes The Hate U Give, which is the biggest release of the week. However, I’m also interested in The Great Buster, Private Life, Trouble, and Heavy Trip.
The Great Buster - Reviews
The Hate U Give - Reviews
Heavy Trip - Reviews
Knuckleball - Reviews
Loving Pablo - Reviews
Over the Limit - Reviews
Private Life - Reviews
Ride - Reviews
Shine - Reviews
Stavisky - Reviews
Studio 54 - Reviews
Trouble - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
A documentary about Buster Keaton. I’ve mentioned over and over again that documentaries have been performing really well at the box office and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one landed in the $10,000 club over the weekend.
This film was originally scheduled to open wide on the 19th. However, less than a month ago, Fox decided to change it up and have the film come out in limited release today, then expand wide over the next two weekends. The reviews are amazing, but it is playing in a lot of theaters for a limited release, so I’m not sure it will survive long enough to expand wide, or even semi-wide.
A Norwegian comedy about a heavy metal band that gets their first break when they are invited to play in a Heavy Metal music festival. The reviews are excellent, but this is not the kind of film that tends to do well in limited release, while it comes out on VOD on Tuesday. You can pre-order the DVD in the meantime.
Video on Demand
A Canadian horror movie that is playing on VOD as well as in theaters. That’s not a good sign for its box office chances. That said, its reviews are nearly 90% positive, so if you want to watch a good horror and don’t want to head to the theaters, then Knuckleball is a great option.
One of the biggest releases of the weekend, at least in terms of star power and buzz. Unfortunately, while it has found success internationally, it likely won’t do the same here, as its reviews are overwhelmingly negative. A Tomatometer Score of 25% would be bad for even generic actions films. It will very likely prove fatal for a limited release.
A documentary about Rita Mamun, a Russian gymnast who is about to retire, but has one last shot at Olympic Gold. There are only five reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all five are positive and it has been a good year for documentaries.
Video on Demand
Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti star as a middle-age couple dealing with infertility, which is putting a strain on their marriage. The reviews are amazing and the star power on both sides of the camera is impressive. However, the buzz is quieter than I expected. Maybe it will be a sleeper hit on Netflix, but it won’t find an audience in theaters.
Video on Demand
An Uber driver and his passenger become the target of a psychopath. The reviews are weak and it is very unlikely it will find an audience in limited release. It is only worth a rental on VOD, if you are a fan of the cast / genre.
There were some reports than this movie would open wide, which is why it is being mentioned here. It doesn’t have a lot of reviews and the ones it has are merely mixed, so it likely won’t go anywhere.
This is a re-release of the 1974 French film, which itself is based on the real life Stavisky scandal in the 1930s. Stavisky was a con man who used his talents to get in with the French elites and run financial scams. It ended with his suspicious death in 1934. The film has been released on the home market, but it is out of print, so seeing it in theaters might be the only choice for now.
A documentary about Studio 54, which was the biggest night club in New York City, for a couple of years, until it was shut down by the IRS for tax evasion. The film’s reviews are amazing and documentaries have had an amazing year, so it could wind up in the $10,000 club this weekend.
Anjelica Huston and Bill Pullman star as siblings who haven’t been on the best of terms in years and their feud heats up over their late father’s farm. There are not many reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but they are mostly positive and its buzz is louder than most.
Await Further Instructions - Reviews - Video on Demand
Bayou Caviar - Reviews - Video on Demand
Chasing the Blues - Reviews - Video on Demand
A Crooked Somebody - Reviews - Video on Demand
It’s a weird weekend for secondary VOD releases, as the first four films alphabetically are all secondary VOD releases, but none of the rest of the films are. That said, three of the four films on this part of the list are earning good reviews, so there are a lot of good options out there.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, The Hate U Give, Loving Pablo, Hevi reissu, Over the Limit, Trouble, Studio 54, Chasing the Blues, Shine, Ride, Private Life, Bayou Caviar, A Crooked Somebody, The Great Buster, Stavisky, Await Further Instructions, Knuckleball, Buster Keaton, Bill Pullman, Paul Giamatti, Kathryn Hahn, Anjelica Huston, Will Brill, Jessie Usher, Bella Thorne