DVD Releases of the Week: 'Draft Day', 'Mom's Night Out' Lead New Movies
On Sept. 2, a number of films will arrive on home video and attempt to reach a brand new audience. The releases include various documentaries, comedies and dramas.
Draft Day
This year, Kevin Costner proved he is no longer a box office draw. The sports drama tells the story of General Manager Sonny Weaver, who has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick during the NFL Draft. The movie was met with mixed reviews and came out at a time when football season was over and interest in the sport was low. With football season starting up again, interest may be rising and the film could gain traction. However, with "When the Game Stands Tall" currently in theaters, "Draft Day" could be overlooked.
Mom's Night Out
Back in May, Tristar attempted to compete with "Neighbors" to win over female audiences with this comedy. Starring Sean Astin, Sarah Drew and Patricia Heaton, the film tells the story of Allyson and her friends, who go out to dinner and enjoy a night out. However, when their husbands take over babysitting responsibilities, everything goes wrong. The movie was targeted at female audiences, as well as faith-based moviegoers. However, the marketing was unclear and the reviews were terrible. As a result, the film flopped.
With the comedy coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray, Tristar will attempt to target women, given the lack of films targeted for that demographic currently in theaters.
Night Moves
Cinedigm attempted to relive the magic that 2013's "Short Term 12" had during the summer with Kelly Reichardt's latest picture. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard, the film tells the story of three radical environmentalists who look to execute the protest of their lives: the explosion of a hydroelectric dam.
The drama premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals and scored rave reviews. However, the film turned out to be a hard sell due to its pacing and material. Even though it had star power, "Night Moves" only made $300,000 during its run.
Reichardt fans and Indie buffs will likely see this film now that is available on home video.
For No Good Reason
The new documentary features Johnny Depp as he pays a visit to Ralph Steadman, the renown artist and the last of the original Gonzo visionaries who worked alongside famed writer/reporter Hunter S. Thompson.
Sony Pictures released the film at the same time that Depp's film "Transcendence" was released and hoped to bank on Depp's star power. However, mixed reviews and no marketing caused it to flop. Gonzo visionaries will be interested, as well as Depp fans, but mainstream audiences will ignore the picture.
Citizen Koch
After having obtained mixed reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, Variance released the movie in June. The documentary tells the story about the money behind the rise of the Tea Party.
The film's theatrical release went under the radar and only made $153,000. With election season coming up, this could develop a following. Otherwise, the movie is likely to fade away and be ignored.
14 Blades
The latest Chinese movie tells the story of a secret service agent (Donnie Yen) in the emperor's court, who is betrayed and then hunted by his colleagues. The thriller was met with mixed reviews and was interestingly kept on the shelf for over four years. Back in 2010, it was nominated for a couple of Hong Kong Film Awards and won the Best Actress Award at the Shanghai Film Critics Awards. In one of the shortest release windows in the history of cinema, the foreign film was released two weeks ago by Radius TWC and failed to engage audiences. With little marketing, the lack of awareness will make this Kung Fu movie invisible.
Horses of God
Two years after having premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews, Kino Lorber releases the drama on DVD. The film tells a fictional account of the lives of the men responsible for the suicide bombings in Casablanca in 2003. The movie opened bad results in May even though the film was praised for being compelling and brutal. Having been nominated for the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes, this foreign film will interest art house audiences.
Under the Electric Sky
The latest documentary by Focus Features revolves around the Electric Daisy Carnival, the largest dance music event in North America. It tells the story of how it became one of the most popular events since its inception 1997, and follows festivalgoers as they prepare for their journey to EDC Las Vegas and chronicle their unique experience throughout the three-day festival.
Having scored mixed reviews and obtained a limited marketing campaign, the movie flopped. Having been shot in 3D, it is likely the appeal of the documentary will be lost once it arrives on DVD. It should still appeal to fans of the music event.