July 8th, 2016
Captain Fantastic is the only film on this week’s list that I think will do well in theaters. There are some films that are earning better reviews, like Our Little Sister, but no film on this week’s list has the same buzz as this film does.
More...
December 13th, 2015
The third installment of the Holiday Gift Guide focuses on smaller releases, movies that opened in limited release, foreign films, classics getting new releases, and a few Canadian films. This year the list looks different to the previous guides for a simple reason. While there were only eight releases on the TV on DVD installment of the holiday gift guide, the first pass had more than 30 films on this list. I tried trimming the list, but that resulted in me remembering more films I wanted to add to it. Even after getting rid of the ones that won't be released until after Christmas, like Bone Tomahawk, there are still way too many releases to deal with. So let's not delay anymore and get to the list, starting with the biggest release...
More...
September 14th, 2015
Love and Mercy is a movie about a real life person dealing with adversity. It's a movie about a real life famous person dealing with adversity. This movie practically screams Oscar bait. However, while it won over a lot of critics, Oscar bait movies can't always translate critical acclaim into mainstream appeal. Is that the case here? Is it worth checking out for fans of the The Beach Boys? Will those with limited knowledge of their music enjoy the film?
More...
June 5th, 2015
In another improvement to our news this week, the Limited Releases column is expanding to cover both limited and VOD releases. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, “aren't you already talking about VOD on the Home Market Releases column?” Yes. However, those are for VOD releases for films that already played in theaters some time ago. This column will include films that debut on VOD either before, or simultaneously with, their theatrical release. We think this it an important change, as too often the Limited Release column was “Limited Releases Playing in New York City and Possibly Los Angeles.” For people in most of the rest of the country, there were no films on the list playing anywhere near them. This week, there are at least a few films worth checking out, including We Are Still Here, which is playing on VOD and Love and Mercy and Testament of Youth, which are theatrical-only releases that both have a shot at mainstream success.
More...
October 3rd, 2014
The list this week is less detailed than usual for reasons I'm not going to go into detail about. I'm just going to say two words, "Food poisoning", and leave it at that. There are not a lot of limited releases on this week's list that are earning good reviews and strong buzz. The Good Lie is the best limited release of the week in that regard, but I already talked about it on the weekend predictions, because I think it will reach the top ten. I don't think any of the films below will earn breakout success.
More...
June 10th, 2014
Adult World came out on Video on Demand and in theaters in February. It earned mixed reviews and opened below the Mendoza line. Now that it is hitting the home market, is it worth a second look for those who missed it the first time? And is the DVD worth picking up?
More...
February 28th, 2014
It is Oscar weekend, so it should come as no surprise there are not a lot of limited releases with the usual target audience. Art house aficionados will be paying more attention to the Awards than to new releases. Ernest & Celestine is the lone exception, which is the only Oscar-nominated film on this week's list and the best reviewed as well. Most of the rest of the movies are earning reviews that range from mixed to outright terrible. The Lunchbox could be the break-out hit of the weekend, if there is a break-out hit.
More...
May 28th, 2013
It's the day after Memorial Day, which means we are in the summer season, which is a terrible time for the home market. The only first-run release of the week is Dark Skies, which is hardly a major release. There are a few summer TV shows that are coming out on DVD and / or Blu-ray, some of which are interesting. The latest season of Doctor Who is coming out this week, but it is being split, and not just into two parts, so that precludes it from being a Pick of the Week contender. There are not a lot of options for Pick of the Week, but I'm going with Beetlejuice: The Complete Series, but keep in mind there could be some nostalgia at work here and Lore on DVD or Blu-ray is arguably the better release. Meanwhile, Hellbound? on DVD earns the rarely awarded Puck of the Week for best Canadian release.
More...
May 7th, 2013
There are a flood of Blu-rays from Echo Bridge coming out this week. This includes The Hoax (Buy from Amazon), which I previously reviewed; Dragon Lord (Buy from Amazon), a Jackie Chan film from 1982; Fortress (Buy from Amazon) a middling sci-fi action film; and many others. I was able to get screeners for three of these films, starting with The Grifters.
More...
April 26th, 2013
There are not a huge number of limited releases opening this weekend, but there are a few that might thrive in limited release. This includes Mud, the widest limited release of the week, and also the best-reviewed. Add in a great cast, and the film might not collapse under the weight of its theater count.
More...
November 1st, 2012
When I first heard about The Raven, I was excited. I like Edgar Allan Poe's writing and I like John Cusack as an actor. The idea of John Cusack playing Edgar Allan Poe in a movie was enough to get me interested. Having Edgar Allan Poe trying to catch a serial killer who was using his writings as inspiration was a solid enough hook to get me excited. However, given the film's box office numbers, something clearly went wrong. Were moviegoers correct in avoiding the film? Or is it an undiscovered gem?
More...