DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 10th, 2015

February 11th, 2015

I can't wait till the winter blockbusters start coming out, because I've run out of ways to say, "It is a slow week on the home market." without repeating myself. There are some releases that are certainly worth picking up, like the Blu-ray debut for 101 Dalmatians, but there are also releases that I would call filler on the first page of Amazon.com's list of new releases. There are a number of releases that are worth picking, including Force Majeure (DVD or Blu-ray); Laggies (DVD or Blu-ray); Nightcrawler (DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack); and Rosewater (DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack). However, the only real contender for Pick of the Week was 101 Dalmatians. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Laggies

February 8th, 2015

Laggies is a film that opened in limited release earning much better buzz than most films do. It opened well, but struggled as it tried to expand. Then again, it is a romantic comedy and those rarely do well in limited release. Did it fail to find an audience because it is the wrong genre? Or did the word of mouth kill it? More...

Per Theater Chart: Birdman Still Soars

October 28th, 2014

Despite growing its theater count to 50, Birdman was able to remain in top spot on the per theater chart with a powerful average of $27,593. Next up was CitizenFour, which was really close behind with an average of $25,264 in five theaters. This is excellent for a documentary, but as a documentary, it's chances of expanding significantly are limited. Laggies will likely expand somewhat after opening with an average of $14,828, also in five theaters. It has a much more mainstream appeal, so it if does expand, it could do well. Then again, this is never an easy strategy and I'm sure the studio will be happy with a strong home market run. Force Majeure was the final film in the $10,000 club with an average of $11,655 in two theaters. More...

Weekend Estimates: Ouija Tops Wick

October 26th, 2014

Teen horror movie Ouija will win this weekend at the box office with a solid $20 million debut and $7,000 theater average. With a budget reported at just $5 million, the movie is a sure-fire money maker for Universal, even with a shelf life of exactly eight days. By comparison, John Wick, which marks a return to form for Keanu Reeves, should have a longer run, based on its current reviews and word of mouth, but will have some ground to make up after opening with around $14 million. More...

Limited Releases: Lagging Behind the Competition

October 24th, 2014

Last weekend, Birdman opened with Oscar-worthy reviews and it wasn't the only film that was expected to be a hit at the box office. This weekend, there are no such films. CitizenFour and Force Majeure are both earning Oscar buzz, but one's a documentary and the other is a foreign-language film, so neither are likely to expand significantly. This leaves Laggies as the film with the loudest buzz, even if its reviews suggest it might not thrive in limited release. More...