Limited and VOD Releases: These Releases are Contagious
September 18, 2015
We are getting close to Halloween, which explains the three horror / horror related movies coming out this week. However, while Cooties and the other two films likely won't find an audience, that doesn't mean there are no potential box office hits on this week's list. Both Sicario (Reviews) and Pawn Sacrifice (Reviews) could do well in theaters.
Cooties - Reviews
Hellions - Reviews
Katti Batti - No Reviews
The New Girlfriend - Reviews
Pawn Sacrifice - Reviews
Peace Officer - Reviews
Sicario - Reviews
Some Kind of Hate - Reviews
Video on Demand
A black comedy. ... I could really just stop there. This genre almost never works. It is so hard to pull off the balance between the humor and the darker elements and this film's reviews shows there's problems. And even when black comedies earn good reviews, there's not a large audience that will go to theaters to watch them. Perhaps it will do well on VOD, but I wouldn't bet money on it. On the other hand, I do like the genre, so I do want to watch the film.
Video on Demand
Chloe Rose stars as Dora, a 17-year old who just learned she's pregnant. She stays home on Halloween, only to be attacked by trick-or-treaters from hell who are after her baby. It's a horror film and this genre rarely finds an audience in theaters. Worse still, its reviews are weak. Finally, it is playing on VOD. That's three strikes.
A Bollywood film starring Imran Khan and Kangana Ranaut. There have been a number of Bollywood films that have done well recently and many think this one will be a box office hit.
The latest from Francois Ozon, who has quite a filmography. Unfortunately, this film previously opened in Canada, but wasn't able to find an audience, which doesn't bode well for its box office chances here. That's too bad, as the reviews are excellent.
I don't think it is unfair to call this film Oscar bait. It is a biopic about Bobby Fischer, this time played by Tobey Maguire. Unfortunately, while the reviews are great, they are not Oscar-worthy. It also has a very short release schedule. It opened in New York and Los Angeles on Wednesday and expands to another eleven cities tonight before expanding nationwide next week. It really needs a fast start to justify this expansion and I don't know if that will happen. I'm cautiously optmistic.
A documentary about the militarization of the police, which is becoming an increasingly important problem. All 15 of its reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, which is a great sign. On the other hand, it is a documentary and these rarely have breakout success. Peace Officer opened on Wednesday in New York City and expands to Los Angeles tonight. Check out the official site for more details.
Emily Blunt stars as a FBI agent sent to the Mexico border to help combat a drug cartel. The film is earning some of the best reviews of the week and it is even earning some Awards Season buzz. Of all of the films on this week's list, this is the one I think has the best shot at earning box office success. Sicario opens tonight in six theaters, while it expands nationwide in two weeks.
Video on Demand
A bullied boy is sent to a school for troubled teenagers, where he becomes the victim of bullying again. However, this time the spirit of a girl driven to suicide witnesses this and acts on his behalf getting revenge on the bullies. This is a horror film that is earning weak reviews and is opening on VOD. That's three strikes for the film's box office chances.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Pawn Sacrifice, Cooties, Une nouvelle amie, Sicario, Hellions, Peace Officer, Some Kind of Hate, Katti Batti, Emily Blunt, Tobey Maguire, Francois Ozon, Imran Khan, Chloe Rose, Kangana Ranaut