January 1st, 2019
December would have been an excellent month, except it had to be compared to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The top four movies of this December might not finish with as much as that movie made. That said, the year ended on an overall positive note finishing with a lead of close to $800 million over 2017. Unfortunately, 2019 is going to get off to a slow start. Not only are there very few films opening wide this month, only one of them, Glass, is expected to be a midlevel hit or better. Granted, Glass is expected to earn more than $100 million domestically, which is something no film released last January could do. However, The Last Jedi and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle both had such incredible legs that 2019 will still get off to a slower start, even if it has stronger new releases.
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March 21st, 2016
This week, there are not many releases to talk about and one of them, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, is dominating the list so much that I could ignore the rest of the list and very little of substance would be lost. I'm not going to do that, but I could. The Box Set is a contender for Pick of the Week, but I'm still waiting for the screener. City Lights is another contender for Pick of the Week, but in the end, I went with the Canadian movie, Mountain Men on DVD, which is Puck of the Week.
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August 28th, 2015
There are practically no films on this week's list that I think have a shot at box office success. That's not to say there are no films earning great reviews, but all of them have something that will hold them back. Most of the time, it's a simultaneous Video on Demand run. This includes Turbo Kid (Video on Demand); Z for Zachariah (Video on Demand); and Queen of Earth (Video on Demand). All could find audiences, but they will find them on the home market.
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August 25th, 2014
Deadbeat is an original show made for Hulu. This week it is coming out on DVD as a Target exclusive. (Although I couldn't find the link to buy it online.) So what is the show about? And is the DVD worth picking up, when you can watch it online?
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February 7th, 2014
It's another busy week for limited releases with more than a dozen of them on this week's list. This does mean I'm not going to be as talkative about each individual film, because there are just so many of them. Fortunately, there are also a few that are worth checking out, like Vic + Flo Saw a Bear, Alphaville, etc. If I were to chose just one film, it would be Kids for Cash, but the subject matter will enrage you.
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January 19th, 2014
Best Man Down opened in the heart of Awards Season, but it wasn't aiming for Oscars. It's simply an Indie Dramedy that got lost in the crowd, in part due to its release date, but also in part due to its reviews. Does it deserve to find an audience in limited release? Or would this film have faded away no matter when it debuted?
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November 8th, 2013
There are quite a few limited releases on this week's list, including several that have earned more pre-release buzz that most limited releases earn. However, many of these films' reviews are good, but not great. The Book Thief is one such film, but it could still find an audience in limited release, although its plans to expand wide are very unlikely to happen. How I Live Now and Great Expectations are in similar positions.
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October 26th, 2013
Monsters Inc. was a huge hit in 2001 earning close to $300 million domestically and more than $550 million worldwide. This summer, a prequel, Monsters University, came out and it earned a little less domestically, but more than $700 million worldwide. If you factor in inflation and the growth of international markets, this isn't as strong a run as the predecessor had, but still very profitable. Is the quality similar, i.e., not quite as strong as the original, but still worth checking out? And are any of the four releases worth picking up?
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October 18th, 2013
It is not a busy week when it comes to limited releases on this week's list, but at least we have a couple that are earning stellar reviews and could expand wide. All is Lost has the reviews to become a big hit and an Awards Season player, but it doesn't have the buzz. 12 Years a Slave has the buzz, as well as the reviews. While opening in limited release is always a risky maneuver, 12 Years a Slave has a better shot at opening in the top ten than it does of bombing outright.
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