DVD Releases of the Week: 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'The Lego Movie' Lead New Releases
On the June 17, a number of films will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray, attempting to increase their buzz and audience from their theatrical runs. The following films will also be available On Demand to enjoy at home.
"The Grand Budapest Hotel": Wes Anderson's film is probably the most anticipated DVD of the week. The movie, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Saoirse Ronan, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Mathieu Amalric, Jude Law and Ed Norton tells the story of Gustave H., a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel and his lobby boy Zero Moustafa. The movie was one of the breakout hits of the year as it not only scored rave reviews but also made $58 million at the box office and broke a number of records for an art house movie. It also marked the film debut for Tony Revolori who had a breakout as Zero. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" opened the Berlin Film Festival where it took the Silver Bear. The film is likely to have a huge afterlife this year since it had already garnered a lot of Oscar buzz and Fox Searchlight is likely to use the buzz to its advantage with an intricate campaign.
"The Lego Movie": Warner Bros had one of the biggest successes of the calendar year with "The Lego Movie" this past winter. While some fans criticized the movie for being a commercial for Legos, critics went wild for the voice cast and surprisingly thoughtful story. The movie scored an outstanding 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and already ranks as one of the best-reviewed films of the year. "The Lego Movie" also became a box office success as it ended up making $256 million at the US box office and became the 13th highest grossing animated film of all time. Warner Bros is likely to continue marketing the animated film strongly especially during awards season since it has already garnered some Oscar buzz.
"Joe": Back in April Roadside Attractions attempted to relive the success of "Mud" with David Gordon Green's similar themed movie "Joe." The movie, which tells the story of an ex-con who meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin, was marketed as the resurgence of Nicolas Cage. However while the film received raved reviews, audiences were not enthusiastic. "Joe" only brought in $373,000 at the box office and did not live up to its promise. Cage's career also did not have the resurgence pundits expected out of the movie. With Roadside Attractions not having many releases, the company will likely concentrate its marketing toward "Joe."
"Walk of Shame": Focus Features has had one of the worst years ever with four flops including this Elizabeth Banks starrer. The comedy tells the story of a woman whose dreams of being a news anchor are compromised after a one-night stand leaves her stranded in downtown L.A. without a phone, car, ID or money and only eight hours to make it to the most important job interview of her life. When Focus released it, the studio attempted to do VOD and theatrical but failed miserably as it did not give it a strong marketing push; the film also scored horrible reviews. In the end "Walk of Shame" scored $59,000 at the box office and with very little buzz from its theatrical run, it is unlikely the movie will gain any type of following.
"Jimmy P.": The IFC release "Jimmy P." finally gets released after a disappointing February release. The drama, starring Benicio del Toro and Mathieu Amalric, tells the story of a Native American Veteran who suffers from a series of psychological issues and develops a deeply powerful friendship with his progressive French psychoanalyst. The movie premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 and later played at the New York Film Festival. However it scored mixed reviews. IFC's marketing campaign was also weak and the fact that the company released it during a time when dramas are not popular did not help the film generate any buzz. In the end "Jimmy P." took home $24,000. With no buzz and mixed reviews, this drama is unlikely to generate much business on home video.