Limited and VOD Releases: Clear as Mud

November 17, 2017

Mudbound

I think it will be a bad week at the box office for new limited releases. Mudbound is the best film on this week’s list, but it is playing on Netflix, so it will likely go no where at the box office. Sadly, there’s no other film that can take advantage of the lack of competition.

The Breadwinner - Reviews
 Animated films rarely do well in limited release. The film’s reviews are good, but not good enough to overcome the added obstacles of being an animated film. Unless it gets some Awards Season buzz, it will have to wait till the home market to find an audience.

The Crime of Monsieur Lange - Reviews
 This is a 1936 film about a writer who loses his royalties when the owner of the publishing house embezzles all of the money and takes off. He convinces the rest of the writers to form their own publishing house. The reviews are 100% positive, but re-releases rarely do much business in theaters. The re-release is usually more like an ad for an upcoming remastered home market release.

I Love You, Daddy - Reviews
 Just a quick note that this film was supposed to open this week, but it has been pulled from the schedule due to Louis CK’s sexual harassment scandal. There is some good news, as ten years ago, a sexual harassment scandal like this wouldn’t have a major effect on the studio’s decisions. Now it can end careers.

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Reviews
 This is a documentary about what Jim Carrey did to become Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. The reviews are 100% positive, but the average score is 7.2 out of 10, so it is another case of critics liking the film, but few of them loving it.

Mudbound - Reviews
 Video on Demand
This is among the best-reviewed films on this week’s list and it is also one of the films with the loudest buzz. It is about two families, one White and one Black, living in the south and trying to survive as farmers. When World War II breaks out, both of the families are thrust into more turmoil. I suspect this would have been the biggest limited release hit of the week, but it is also playing on Netflix, so that will really hurt its box office chances.

On the Beach at Night Alone - Reviews
 Kim Minhee stars as an actress who had an affair with a married director and who is dealing with the emotional stress of the situation. The film’s Tomatometer Score is 90% positive, but the average score of barely over 7 out of 10, so while most critics liked the film, very few of them loved it.

Porto - Reviews
 Anton Yelchin was working on five films at the time of his tragic death. Sadly, this film’s reviews are merely mixed and likely won’t go anywhere at the box office. Thoroughbreds has yet to come out, so hopefully his career will end on a positive note.

Roman J. Israel, Esq. - Reviews
 Denzel Washington stars as an idealistic lawyer who gets sucked into a more high prestige and prestigious law firm. It opens in limited release this weekend with a wide expansion planned for next week. However, its reviews are mixed and that is usually fatal for a limited release. Perhaps its star power will help it thrive this weekend and expand truly wide next weekend. More likely, it will stumble a bit out of the gate and only expand nationwide next weekend.

Sweet Virginia - Reviews
 Video on Demand
A drifter arrives in a small town at the same time as a triple-murder, which causes even more tension. The film’s reviews are good, but not good enough for a limited release. On the other hand, it’s good enough for a $6 VOD rental.

Secondary VOD Releases:
Almost Friends - Reviews - Video on Demand
Angelica - Reviews - Video on Demand
Attack of the Killer Donuts - Reviews - Video on Demand
Cook Off! - Reviews - Video on Demand
Revolt - Reviews - Video on Demand
Of the five secondary VOD releases on this week’s list, only Angelica is good enough to be worth the price to rent on VOD.

Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, The Breadwinner, Almost Friends, Cook Off!, Mudbound, Porto, Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja, Roman J. Israel, Esq., Sweet Virginia, I Love You, Daddy, Revolt, Angelica, Le Crime de Monsieur Lange, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, Attack of the Killer Donuts, Jim Carrey, Denzel Washington, Louis C.K., Andy Kaufman, Anton Yelchin, Kim Minhee