Limited and VOD Releases: Legend of the Dancing Daddy
February 7, 2020
It’s a short week for limited releases with only seven films in total. However, most of them are earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Of these, Come to Daddy is the one I’m most interested in. That said, Legend of Deification stands out, because it is an animated Chinese film.
And Then We Danced - Reviews
Cane River - Reviews
Come to Daddy - Reviews
Legend of Deification - No Reviews
The Lodge - Reviews
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman - Reviews
Waiting for Anya - Reviews
Secondary VOD Releases:
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A male dancer has been training with his female partner for years only to have to deal with a new dancer. What starts as a rivalry becomes something more, something much more dangerous for someone living in a very conservative community. The reviews are strong enough that it could survive in limited release, but the film isn’t mainstream enough to expand beyond the art house circuit.
There are only seven reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which is normally not enough to be included on this list; however, all seven reviews are positive, making it the best-reviewed film on this week’s list. The movie is about a romance between two people from two different African-American communities in Louisiana, both descended from slaves, but one from lighter-skinned creoles, who look down on their darker-skinned cousins. This is an important subject, because it shows even people who are subject to bigotry from outside forces can still be bigoted to others within their group.
Video on Demand
Elijah Wood stars as a 30-year old manchild who is summoned by his estranged father. This isn’t a simple visit, as the demons from his father’s past catch up with them. That’s demons both figuratively and literally. This film has some of the best reviews on this week’s list; however, it is not only the wrong genre for limited release, but it is also playing on VOD, so its box office chances are nearly zero.
Normally we don’t include films with no reviews on this list, because that’s usually a sign there is not enough buzz for the film to survive in limited release. However, Chinese films rarely have any reviews, so you can’t use that as an indicator. Also, this is an animated film from China and those are so rare they warrant a mention, even if doesn’t find an audience in theaters. It is that rare.
Two children have to spend time with their father’s new girlfriend, whom they hate, while stuck in a cabin. Their relationship begins to improve, only to have them come under attack from some supernatural force. The reviews are right on the border between merely good and good enough for limited release. However, horror films rarely do well in limited release, so it will likely have to wait till the home market to find an audience.
A re-release of the 1960s film that is loosely based on the Flying Dutchman myth. The film’s reviews are strong, but I don’t know how many people remember the movie nearly 60 years after it was first released.
Video on Demand
A World War II drama about a young shepherd and an older widow helping Jews escape into Spain. The reviews are mixed, so it likely won’t find an audience in theaters. However, it might be worth a rental, if you are a fan of the cast.
There are a couple of films on this week’s list that are playing on VOD, but both of them earned enough reviews to be featured above.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, Waiting for Anya, The Lodge, Cane River, And Then We Danced, Come to Daddy, Legend of Deification (姜子牙), Elijah Wood