Someone to Watch Limited Releases With
September 7, 2007
It's still too early for Oscar worthy films to come up, but we do have a few films that are scoring with critics. The best of these is In the Shadow of the Moon, but my personal choice is I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With. Regardless, it will be tough for any of the films on this weeks list to see their theater count expand to triple digits.
The Bubble - Reviews
Fierce People - Reviews
Hatchet - Reviews
The Hunting Party - Reviews
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With - Reviews
In the Shadow of the Moon - Reviews
Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint - Reviews
Romance and Cigarettes - Reviews
The Unknown Soldier - Reviews
Director Eytan Fox latest film. Best known for his previous gay themed movies like Yossi & Jagger and Walk on Water. This film isn't earning the same level of reviews, but it could succeed in finding a niche market. The Bubble opens tonight in 10 theaters, mostly in the Los Angeles area.
Anton Yelchin is hardly a household name, but it might be developing a reputation as a movie curse. His last movie had a bumpy road to theaters before slumping at the box office, his next movie has been pushed back twice and despite strong early reviews it's hard to be too enthusiastic about the film's chances. This movie was pushed back a week before it was supposed to open, and now its reviews are less than impressive. Fierce People opens tonight in two theaters in New York City but while it will play in other markets, it isn't likely that it will expand wide. Hopefully Charlie Bartlett breaks this curse.
An old-school homage to the classics of the Teenage Slasher genre. While these movies are typical review-proof and bad reviews barely affect them, good reviews like the ones it has been earning are a pleasant surprise. That said, it is opening in 78 theaters and I fear that it too many to survive. A word to the studio: If this film bombs it's because it opened in way too many theaters and was butchered from an NC-17 rating to an R-rating. Do not take the likely box office struggles as a sign that there is not a market for this movie. If you release it on an Unrated DVD loaded with extras, it should prove profitable.
Expanding wide it is a difficult task for a limited release but this film already has one scheduled. Granted, the film does have a lot more star power than most film opening in art houses this week, but those reviews are not going to help the movie at the box office. This star power should help it during its first weekend, but any expansion might be too big of a risk. The Hunting Party opens tonight in four theaters, two in New York City and two in Los Angeles, while next weekend it expanding into an estimated 600 theaters.
Written, directed, and starring Jeff Garlin, it is the theatrical debut for Jeff Garlin on two of those counts. I really hope this movie succeeds for two main reasons: my physique is very similar to Jeff Garlin, only less chiseled, and I'm in love with Sarah Silverman. Seeing him as the lead in a romantic comedy will be a nice change of pace. Reviews are good, but not great. Better than more wide releases earn, but not as good as most limited releases need to survive. So while it is unlikely to expand much over the coming weeks, I look forward to seeing it on DVD. I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With opened on Wednesday at the IFC Center in New York City.
This documentary is earning what are clearly the best reviews of the week. It takes a look at the early NASA missions to land a man on the moon and includes some rare and never-before seen footage. Anyone interested in the space program, especially its history, should rush out to see this movie. That is if you live in New York City or the Los Angeles area. Others will have to wait the coming weeks and hope the movie expands, and it should expand as word-of-mouth is very strong. I don't think it will crack 1000 theatres, but it could work its way to $1 million dollars or more.
The second non-Bollywood Indian movie to come out in two weeks. This movie is a magical revenge flick, but with Buddhist sensibilities. This is the first of a two-part story, but it feels like a three-hour movie that was cut in half as opposed to a film that works on its own. This could hurt the film's box office chances making it less likely that we will ever see the second installment. Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint opens tonight at the Cinema Village in New York City.
This film first appeared on our month preview in August... of 2005. Since then there has been almost no news until very recently when John Turturro announced he would self-distribute the film. On the one hand, this is a gutsy move and I applaud his obvious confidence in this artist work. On the other hand, if the reviews are any indication, there's a reason why the previous distributor balked at the movie. Even if the movie was nearly perfect, it still would have been a marketing nightmare. As it is, it might be too out there for here the most diehard art house fan. Romance and Cigarettes opens tonight at the Film Forum in New York City and I'm fascinated to see how moviegoers react to the film.
A German documentary about a traveling exhibit that toured Germany and shown German soldiers committing war crimes during World War II. This caused some controversy. Interestingly, writer / director dealt with a similar subject in his 1990 film, The Nasty Girl, which despite the porn-like name is a movie worthy of checking out. This film is a lot more somber than that biopic, but just as good. The Unknown Soldier opens tonight at the Quad Cinema in New York City.
Filed under: Limited Releases, In the Shadow of the Moon, The Hunting Party, Romance and Cigarettes, Milarepa, I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With, Ha-Buah, Fierce People, Der Unbekannte Soldat, Hatchet