VOD Releases: Rarely, Sometimes, Repeated
April 3, 2020
The VOD market is beginning to return to a new state of normal with a collection of wide theatrical releases from earlier in the year, as well as some smaller releases that are more or less VOD premieres. Usually it is the wide releases that stand out on these lists, but Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always is the VOD release I would recommend the most. That said, if you are a fan of political documentaries, then you have a few choices, Slay the Dragon being the best of this selection.
Movies:
Clover - Reviews
A Kid from Coney Island - Reviews
The Last Full Measure - Reviews
Lazy Susan - Reviews
Like a Boss - Reviews
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always - Reviews
One Child Left Behind: The APS Teaching Scandal - No Reviews
One Nation Under Stress - Reviews
Paris, Wine & Romance - Reviews
Rogue Warfare: The Hunt - No Reviews
Rome in Love - No Reviews
Shooting Heroin - Reviews
Slay the Dragon - Reviews
The Turning - Reviews
Video on Demand
Two Irish brothers go on the run with a teenage girl. They are being chased by a mobster, because they owe him a lot of money and she accidentally killed his son. The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are terrible at just 25% positive and so waiting till you can rent VOD seems a waste.
Amazon
A documentary about Stephon Marbury, who was drafted fourth overall in the 1996 NBA draft. The synopsis says it is about the rise, fall, and redemption, but I don’t follow the NBA, so I didn’t remember what happened. Then I read about it on wiki and suddenly remembered how dysfunction the Knicks were in the 2000s. If you are a fan of basketball, then it is worth picking up digitally on Tuesday. Even if you don’t like the sport, but like this genre of documentaries, it is still worth checking out.
Amazon
I think this film was made to win awards. It feels like Oscar-bait, as it is based on a real life story of a war hero that died and whose heroics were covered up. Unfortunately, its reviews were mixed and it bombed in theaters. You can buy it digitally starting on Tuesday, but I would wait for a rental.
Amazon
A comedy starring Sean Hayes as the titular Susan, a middle-aged woman who is having a crisis, not because she’s middle-aged, but because she never really grew up. There is only one review and it is negative, so I don’t think it will find an audience on the home market.
Amazon
Amazon (4K Ultra HD)
I really like the cast of this movie, but oh boy, those reviews. If you are interested, wait till it comes out on a screening service. Certainly don’t buy it digitally on Tuesday. It is not worth the money.
Amazon
We previously talked about this film when it hit theaters just before the shut down. It did well in theaters, all things considering, but its reviews are so strong it deserves to do a lot better on the home market.
Amazon
A documentary about the 2009 Atlanta City testing scandal in which dozens and dozens of teachers were investigating for widespread test cheating. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes; in fact, I couldn’t even find the page for the movie.
Amazon or Vudu
This documentary examines possible reasons for why the life expectancy in America is shrinking despite the increase in health care spending. There is only one review on Rotten Tomatoes and it is negative. Also, with Covid-19 in the news every single day, I think people are overloaded with this topic.
Amazon
The first of two Hallmark Channel original movies to hit the home market this week. You will have to wait till Tuesday to buy either of them and neither of them have reviews, so it is impossible for me to judge the quality. That said, if you are a fan of these movies, then you can probably tell if these interest you or not.
Amazon or Google Play
The third installment in the Rogue Warfare franchise has the leader captured and the rest of the team racing to capture him. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but this is not a film that needs critical acclaim to win over audiences, just fun action scenes.
Amazon
The latest Hallmark Channel original movie to hit the home market. Like most of them, there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes; in fact, I couldn’t even find the page. Maybe the page will pop up by Tuesday when it comes out.
Official Site
One of several movies set for a theatrical release that are now going VOD or Digital Sales as a result of the Covid-19 shutdown. There are not many reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but the ones there are mostly positive. If you are interested in a drama about the affects of the opioid crisis in small town America, then this is worth checking out.
Official Site
A documentary about the dangers of gerrymandering, which is the political practice of changing district borders for partisan gain. The film earned 100% positive reviews and it hits the home market this weekend. You can check out the official site to see where you can get it.
Amazon
This is one of several low-budget horror movies that came out this year. Nearly all of them earned horrible reviews and most of them bombed. This is not one of the exceptions. You can buy the film digitally on Tuesday, but I would wait till it is on some streaming service, and that’s only if you are a fan of the genre and the cast.
Filed under: Home Market Releases, VOD Releases, The Last Full Measure, The Turning, Like a Boss, Shooting Heroin, Rogue Warfare: The Hunt, Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, Slay the Dragon, Lazy Susan, Clover, A Kid From Coney Island, Rome in Love, One Child Left Behind: The APS Teaching Scandal, One Nation Under Stress, Rogue Warfare, Sean Hayes