Limited Releases Won't Be Left in the Cold
April 20, 2012
There are only a few limited releases on this week's list, and only one of them is earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Marley's reviews are fantastic, but it is opening in 45 theaters, which is a lot for a limited release. It could prove to be too many. To the Arctic 3D is also opening in dozens of theaters, but its reviews are barely above the overall positive level.
Darling Companion - Reviews
Goodbye First Love - Reviews
Marley - Reviews
The Moth Diaries - Reviews
To the Arctic 3D - Reviews
Zombie Dawn - No Reviews
A woman rescues a dog and becomes more fond of the dog than she is of her own husband. When her husband loses the dog at a wedding, she gets some of the guests to help find it. The film is director and co-written by Lawrence Kasdan, who has made some amazing movies during his career. However, this film is earning some of his worst reviews. The cast is amazing and perhaps the pedigree will help draw in moviegoers for the opening weekend, but its legs will likely not be there. Darling Companion opens tonight in two theaters, both in New York City.
A potential romance between a boy and a girl is put on hold when the boy leaves to see the world, for eight years. When he returns, she's grown and less likely to fall for his charms again. The film is written and directed by Mia Hansen-Løve, who previously made The Father of My Children, which earned stellar reviews. This film's reviews are good, but not great, so I'm not overly enthusiastic about this film's box office potential. Goodbye First Love opens tonight in four theaters, split between New York City and the Los Angeles area.
A biopic of the legendary musician that looks at his music and his legacy, which extends well beyond the musical industry. This is the only film on this week's list that is earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. It also has appeal that could go beyond the typical art house aficionados. However, it is also opening in 45 theaters, which is a lot for a limited release and this could hurt its per theater average.
A coming of age story with Gothic horror elements. The film does have a good young cast, while the director, Mary Harron, has made some great films. However, this film's reviews a terrible with a lot of critics complaining the movie is for teen girls only. Teen girls are not the usual target audience for a limited release. Additionally, it is a horror film, which is the wrong genre for a limited release. The Moth Diaries opens tonight at the IFC Center in New York City and the Alamo Drafthouse in Houston, Texas.
The latest IMAX movie is an Edutainment nature documentary in 3D. The film's reviews are barely above the overall positive level, while it has direct competition from Chimpanzee, which is opening in more than 1,500 theaters compared to 50 theaters for this film. The 40 minute running time should help it maximize the number of showings per day, while the IMAX ticket prices will help boost revenue, but I'm not sure it will be a hit.
A mining accident results in a zombie plague. Fifteen years after the area was quarantined, a group mercenaries and scientists go in to figure out how it started and how to stop it. This film is the wrong genre for limited release, and there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The only way its box office potential could be lower would be if it were coming out Video on Demand. Zombie Dawn opens tonight in four theaters in Phoenix, Fort Worth, Birmingham, and Aurora.
Filed under: Limited Releases, The Moth Diaries, Darling Companion, Chimpanzee, Un amour de jeunesse, To the Arctic 3D, Marley, Zombie Dawn