Limited Releases: I Wish I Were Watching a Limited Release

July 18, 2014

Wish I Was Here poster

It is a really bad weekend for limited releases. There are a dozen films on this week's list, but the best-reviewed release is Alive Inside, which is earning 64% positive reviews. On the other hand, the film with the loudest buzz is Wish I Was Here, which is opening in 68 theaters.

Aftermath - Reviews
A group of survivors of a Nuclear war band together in a Texas bomb shelter. This is one of only two films coming out this week to earn overall positive reviews, and it barely got there. Additionally, it is the wrong genre for limited release and it is coming out on Video-on-Demand. It's box office chances are nearly zero.

Alive Inside - Reviews
A documentary about the powerful effect music has on people. It's earning the best reviews out of any release this week... and it's reviews are only 64% positive. That's not enough to suggest it will thrive in limited release. Alive Inside opens tonight at the Sunshine Cinema in New York City before expanding over the coming weeks. Check out the official site for more details.

An American in Hollywood - No Reviews
A director travels from New York City to Los Angeles to find his Hollywood dream. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a really bad sign. An American in Hollywood opens tonight in four theaters, check out the official site for more details.

Among Ravens - Reviews
Johnny Sequoyah plays Joey, who is our point of view character in this dysfunctional family drama. So far there are only four reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and all of them are negative. Among Ravens opens tonight at the NoHo 7 in Los Angeles.

A Five Star Life - Reviews
Margherita Buy stars as Irene, a 40-year old woman who is a resort critic. She gets paid to go to five-star resorts and use all of the amenities to critique them. However, she begins to want more after seeing her sister's marriage begin to fall apart. Like too many other films on this week's list, this one is earning mixed reviews. A Five Star Life opens tonight at The Paris Theatre in New York City before expanding in August. Check out the official site for more details.

I Origins - Reviews
Written and directed by Mike Cahill, who previously directed Another Earth. This movie isn't earning as good reviews and the Tomatometer Score is exactly 50% positive. There is also some negative buzz, as the trailer seems to give away most of the movie. I Origins opens in four theaters split evenly between New York City and the Los Angeles areas. Check out the official site for more details.

K Missing Kings - Reviews
A follow-up to the Anime series, K, which ended recently. There are only two reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, one positive and the other negative. Given the niche appeal of Anime, I'm not sure that will have a real effect on its box office numbers. K Missing Kings opens tonight in several theaters. Check out the official site for more details.

Lawrence & Holloman - Reviews
A Canadian movie that focuses on two opposites, the optimistic Lawrence and the pessimistic Holloman. Lawrence tries to teach Holloman to look on the bright side of life, but soon his life takes a serious turn for the worse. Lawrence & Holloman opens tonight at the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver, Canada.

Mood Indigo - Reviews
Written and directed by Michel Gondry and starring Audrey Tautou. I really wanted this film to be amazing, but the reviews are merely mixed. The pedigree might help it thrive for a little while. Mood Indigo opens tonight in two theaters, one in New York City and the other in Los Angles, while it expands over the coming weeks. Check out the official site for more details.

There's No Place Like Utopia - No Reviews
A documentary from the same idiot who thinks Obama is lying about who his real father is. (He also claims to have found naked pictures of Obama's mother.) He talked about it in his previous film, Dreams from My Real Father, which was so bad that even most conservative activists hated it. Not surprisingly, there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes for this film. There's No Place Like Utopia opens tonight in Denver, Colorado, just in time for the Western Conservative Summit 2014.

Video Game: The Movie - Reviews
A documentary about video games, their history, the present, as well as the future. The reviews are weak with most critics saying it is a hagiography and not an in-depth look at the industry, warts and all. (And there are plenty of warts in the video game industry. I say this as someone who spent more than $100 bucks on the recent Steam Summer Sale.) Video Game: The Movie opens tonight in nearly 20 theaters. Check out the official site for more details.

Wish I Was Here - Reviews
This film was a huge success on Kickstarter, which means its box office numbers might be immaterial, as it might already be profitable. This is good news, as the movie's reviews are really weak. Granted, the critics are not aggressively negative, as most are merely pointing out how the film is not very original and that Garden State did it better. Wish I Was Here opens tonight in 68 theaters nationwide.


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Filed under: Limited Releases, L’écume des jours, , Wish I Was Here, I Origins, Alive Inside, K Missing Kings, Among Ravens, Video Games: The Movie, An American in Hollywood, Aftermath, Viaggio sola, There’s No Place Like Utopia, Michel Gondry, Audrey Tautou, Mike Cahill, Margherita Buy, Johnny Sequoyah, Ben Cotton