DVDs Release of the Week: Will 'Her' Garner Large Home Video Following?
On May 13, a number of movies hit the Blu-Ray and DVD marketplace. Here is a rundown of what film you and your family can enjoy this week at home.
"Her" - The biggest release of the week is undoubtedly Spike Jonze's Academy Award winning film which was release by Warner Bros. The movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara and Scarlett Johansson, tells the story of a lonely writer who develops a relationship with his newly purchased operating system. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival where it was met with critical acclaim. The film did well on the awards circuit and picked up numerous Best Picture awards from critics' organizations including the Los Angeles Film Critics. The movie also went on to get nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture. However it failed to resonate with mainstream audiences. The movie ended up making a disappointing $25 million at the box office. "Her" is likely to get a following on home video especially from Jonze's fans and could potentially find a new audience with viewers who want to see award winning films or experimental science fiction movies.
"I,Frankenstein" - In January Lionsgate released the Aaron Eckhart flick to poor results. The movie, which tells the story of Frankenstein's creature who gets caught up in a war between two immortal clans, opened to a poor box officeand terrible reviews. The film made a $19 million and had a reported budget of $65 million. Meanwhile it scored a 4 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes. Lionsgate is likely to struggle with this release on home video as there are number of Frankenstein movies in the marketplace and a number of action films that were better reviewed and have more appealing stars.
"That Awkward Moment" - Focus Features is releasing the Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan film at a perfect time. The movie, which tells the story of three best friends who find themselves in a confusing moment of their lives, comes out a few days after Efron's raunchy comedy "Neighbors" opened in theaters at the number one position. Focus is likely to bank on the fact that Efron is currently a popular figure and audiences are likely to check out the actor's filmography after seeing "Neighbors." Additionally it also offers an alternative to Efron fans who are not willing to pay theater prices for "Neighbors." While "That Awkward Moment" played to subpar results in theaters, the fact that it is a comedy and it is being released in the summer will also likely get the film more exposure.
"Stranger by the Lake" - The critically acclaimed film by Alain Guiraudie will be released a year after its premiere at the Cannes Film festival. The French film tells the story of Franck, who falls in love with Michel, an attractive, potent and lethally dangerous man. The film won the Queer Palm at Cannes and later went on to be nominated for a number of Cesar awards in France. Strand Releasing launched the film in theaters to spectacular results. The movie will definitely be a hard sell on DVD as it includes a number of explicit sex scenes, but it is likely to attract the core art house audiences.
"Stalingrad" - Sony will release the Russian feature which tells the story of a band of Russian soldiers who fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city against a ruthless German army. The movie had a huge theatrical release for a foreign film as it was released in 308 theaters. However it disappointed and only made $1 million. The movie is directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, also known as the Michael Bay of Russia, and was the official Russian selection for the Academy Awards. The movie will likely attract action and war films fans on home video.
"After Tiller" - Seven months after its theatrical release, Oscilloscope will release the highly regarded documentary. The movie premiered at Sundance and is about third trimester abortions. It talks about the famous doctor George Tiller, his assassinations and the limited amount of doctors who provide this type of abortion. The movie had a very limited theatrical run, but based on the social action campaigns and conferences the movie has appeared at, this will be a documentary that will attract a lot of conversation.