Limited and VOD Releases: Regression and Regret
February 5, 2016
It is a bad week for limited releases. Not only are there not a lot of films on this week's list, but most of them are earning reviews that suggest they will struggle in limited release. The biggest film, Regression, is also the worst film, while Rams is at the opposite end when it comes to reviews and theater count.
The Club - Reviews
Dad's Army - Reviews
Eisenstein In Guanajuato - Reviews
I Knew Her Well - Reviews
Misconduct - Reviews
Rams - Reviews
Regression - Reviews
Southbound - Reviews
The film focuses on a group of priests living in isolation to atone for their past sins. Their routine is shaken up with the arrival of a new priest. The reviews for this film started out good, but not great, but have since risen to 77% positive. That's almost good enough to think it will do well in limited release. It is a foreign-language film, so its chances of expanding significantly are nearly zero, but it could do well on the art house circuit. The Club opens tonight in two theaters, both in New York City, with more dates scheduled over the coming weeks. Check out the official site for more details.
Dad's Army is considered one of the best Britcoms of all time, so it is sad that the movie version is earning such weak reviews. It's a by-the-numbers film that really only has nostalgia as a selling point. Worse still, since the TV show wasn't a hit here, it doesn't even have that to go on.
A movie about a Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein, who made Battleship Potyomkin, which is still considered one of the greatest movies ever made. This film focuses on his time in Mexico. He tried to work in Hollywood, but that didn't work out, and while trying to make a movie in Mexico, it was rumored that he was defecting from Russia. It's an interesting story, but the reviews are mixed and it likely won't find an audience in theaters. Eisenstein In Guanajuato opens tonight in four theaters, split evenly between New York City and the Los Angeles area. Check out the official site for more details.
An Italian film about a woman living in a small town who moves to Rome so she can become famous. It's originally from 1965 and it earned acclaim, both when it came out and to this day. I Knew Her Well is being re-released tonight at the Film Forum in New York City.
Video on Demand
A thriller about a lawyer caught up in a dangerous case. The film has a great case, but terrible reviews. It is also playing on VOD, so the distributor might not even release box office numbers next week.
The best film on this week's list. It is about two brothers, who hate each other, but who are the only caretakers of a very old line of sheep. When disease comes and threatens to destroy their flocks and drive their livelihood to extinction, they take two different approaches to save their family heritage. The film has earned nearly perfect reviews and was Iceland's official selection for Best Foreign-Language Oscar. Rams opened on Wednesday in New York City and expands to Los Angeles on Friday. Check out the official site for more details.
The biggest, and the worst movie on this week's list. The film is about child abuse, found memories, and more. It was expected to open wide for a while, but it is coming out in just 100 theaters. That is a lot for a limited release, but it all but assures it will bomb at the box office. Then again, with a Tomatometer Score of just 6% positive, there was no chance it would have done well regardless of its theater count.
An anthology horror film about a group of people on a desert highway. It is one of the better films on this week's list, but its Tomatometer Score is still only 70% positive. That's not enough to assume it is going to find an audience in limited release. This genre is also better on the home market. Southbound opens tonight in eight theaters.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Southbound, Regression, Misconduct, Eisenstein In Guanajuato, El Club, Hrutar, Io la conoscevo bene, Dad’s Army