Limited and VOD Releases: Into the Light

May 3, 2019

Shadow

There are not a ton of limited releases coming out this week, but there are some that are certainly worth checking out. This includes two documentaries, Ask Dr. Ruth and Meeting Gorbachev. However, the movie I most want to see is Shadow.

Ask Dr. Ruth - Reviews
 A documentary about Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who has had a fascinating life, but is best known as a sex therapist. The reviews are among the best of the weekend, but there is another biographical documentary coming out this week, so the two films could split the market. Hopefully both will thrive.

Clara - Reviews
 A movie that mixes real world astronomical science with pseudo science and that’s hurting its reviews. Furthermore, its reviews are weak enough that it has almost no chance at finding an audience in limited release.

El Chicano - Reviews
 This is the widest limited release of the week playing in 605 theaters. However, its reviews are among the worst of the weekend. I am not optimistic about its chances.

Meeting Gorbachev - Reviews
 The latest documentary by Werner Herzog, who this time teams up with Andre Singer to tell the story of Mikhail Gorbachev. The reviews are nearly 90% positive and we are due for a documentary hit, so I remain cautiously optimistic. On the other hand, there is competition in this genre this week.

Non-Fiction - Reviews
 A French film set in the publishing world where an author decides to use his real-life affairs as the basis of his next book. However, these affairs include sleeping with the wife of his editor. The reviews are solid and the film has more star power than most limited release could hope for. It could do well in limited release, but its chances of expanding beyond the art house circuit are limited.

Redcon-1 - Reviews
 A British zombie movie about a group of special ops soldiers, who need to rescue a scientist, who might have found the cure. There are ten reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which is much more than I was expecting a film like this to have. However, most of them are negative, so it likely won’t find an audience in theaters.

Shadow - Reviews
 This film is co-written and directed by Zhang Yimou, who previously made House of Flying Daggers and Jet Li’s Hero. In other words, he’s a master of the genre. The film’s reviews are amazing and I really hope to get a screener for this one. I seriously doubt it is going to play anywhere near where I live. That said, if you do get a chance to see this movie in theaters, definitely take advantage of that opportunity.

Tell it to the Bees - Reviews
 Video on Demand
Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger star as a doctor and a mother respectively. They begin a lesbian relationship when the former’s marriage ends. This wouldn’t be a big deal now, but it is a major scandal in a small town in 1950s Scotland. The reviews are good, but not good enough to thrive in limited release. On the other hand, they are perfect for a VOD rental.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Bardo Blues - No Reviews - Video on Demand
The Convent - Reviews - Video on Demand
Dead Trigger - No Reviews - Video on Demand
I’ll Take Your Dead - Reviews - Video on Demand
I’ll Take Your Dead only has one review, but it is positive, so perhaps it is worth a VOD rental.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Clara, Jing Zhou, Doubles vies, Meeting Gorbachev, Tell it to the Bees, El Chicano, Redcon-1, Ask Dr. Ruth, Dead Trigger, Bardo Blues, Heretiks, I’ll Take Your Dead, Werner Herzog, Anna Paquin, Zhang Yimou, Holliday Grainger, Andre Singer, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Mikhail Gorbachev