Week 4 (Street Date 12/22/2009)

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500 Days Of Summer

Studio: Fox MPAA Rating: PG13 Genre: Comedy Pre Order Date: 11/23/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: 32.1 Number Of Screens: 1048 Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 7/17/09 Director: Marc Webb Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend Videoretailer.com Review: ‘Tom’ (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an aspiring architect who currently earns his living as a greeting card writer. Upon meeting his boss' beautiful new secretary ‘Summer’ (Zooey Deschanel), Tom discovers that the pair have plenty in common despite the fact that she's seemingly out of his league. As their similarities pile up, Tom comes to believe he’s found his soul mate, but unfortunately for him, Summer sees true love as the stuff of fairy tales, and isn't looking for romance. Undaunted and undeterred by his breezy lover's casual stance on relationships, Tom summons all of his might and courage to pursue Summer and convince her that their love is real. Sweetly funny romantic dramedy was a surprise indie hit this summer…first playing several festivals where the reaction gave the filmmakers the idea of giving it a theatrical run and within 1 month it had gone from a 27 screen release to 1048 screens at the widest, bringing in 32.5M…not bad for a 7.5M budget. On a smaller scale, this should play out similarly to “Juno”, being an unexpected hit with the 20 – 40-something hipster crowd who enjoy the eclectic alternative soundtrack. Mainstream appeal should be okay, but hipster appeal will be key. Compare closely with “Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist”, though this may appeal to an older set. IMDB User Rating = 8.2 (out of 10).

All About Steve

Studio: Fox MPAA Rating: PG13 Genre: Comedy Pre Order Date: 11/24/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: 33.3 Number Of Screens: 2265 Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 9/4/09 Director: Phil Traill Cast: Sandra Bullock, Thomas Hayden Church, Bradley Cooper Videoretailer.com Review: Crossword puzzle constructor ‘Mary Horowitz’ (Sandra Bullock) is smart, pretty, but very much a neurotic, bordering on psychotic, woman who after going on a blind date with news cameraman ‘Steve’ (Bradley Cooper), thinks the chemistry is undeniable and just knows she’s found her soul mate, and decides to do anything and go anywhere to be with him. Mary's escalating infatuation is encouraged by the self-serving actions of news reporter ‘Hartman Hughes’ (Thomas Haden Church) who enjoys torturing his insolent cameraman at every opportunity. As the news team crisscrosses the country covering breaking news stories, Steve becomes increasingly unhinged as Mary trails them. Really pretty awful comedy has zero charm, bad writing, poor direction and is ultimately is an embarrassingly annoying arrangement for Bullock, who also co-produced. Critics dumped all over this, some calling it the worst film of Bullock’s career…the consumers weren’t much friendlier…considering the volume of poor reviews, it’s surprising it brought in $33M. The starpower and genre will find mainstream interest, particularly with women looking for a romantic comedy, but word-of-mouth could give this an early trip to the previously viewed sales bin…the initial demand will be there, but it probably won’t last long. Maybe compare with 5/09’s “New In Town”, but this is even worse than that. IMDB User Rating = 4.6 (out of 10).

Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

Studio: Anchor Bay MPAA Rating: PG13 Genre: Drama Pre Order Date: 11/18/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: 32K Number Of Screens: 5 Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 9/11/09 Director: Peter Hyams Cast: Michael Douglas, Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, Orlando Jones Videoretailer.com Review: Prosecuting attorney ‘Mark Hunter’ (Michael Douglas) has a reputation for putting criminals behind bars, and with elections approaching he seems a shoo-in for governor. But when hungry reporter ‘C.J. Nicholas’ (Jesse Metcalfe) suspects Hunter of tampering with evidence to win his cases, he frames himself as a murder suspect in hopes of catching Hunter in the act, and the two men become caught up in a treacherous game of cat and mouse putting assistant DA ‘Ella Crystal’ (Amber Tamblyn) in danger as she discovers irrefutable proof of both C.J.'s innocence and her boss' shady dealings. How can such a great cast only bring in $32,000 at the box office? Bad reviews from the critics and poor initial screenings will rob the filmmakers’ sense of confidence, causing them to cut the theatrical release short…that’s what happened here. After just three weeks and 5 screens, this crime thriller was pulled out of the theaters…what critics caught this claimed that it was “boring”, “a pointless rehash”, felt “like a throwaway episode of Law & Order” and that “you could strike a match and stay warm for two hours by the wooden acting”. The cast will find very good mainstream interest however…you could do well by treating this like a significant theatrical release that this never came to be…bring in 2+ shelves to create the perception that this is a bigger title than it is, and you will find more interest than if you only display 3 or 4 faces. Some did this with “The Code”, and it worked out pretty well despite that being a bad film. IMDB User Rating = 6.4 (out of 10).

Blind Date (2007)

Studio: E1 Entertainment MPAA Rating: NR Genre: Drama Pre Order Date: 11/23/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: Ltd  Number Of Screens: Fests Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 2008 - 09 Fests Director: Stanley Tucci Cast: Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Sarah Hyland Videoretailer.com Review: Ever since the tragic death of their daughter, ‘Don’ (Stanley Tucci) and his wife ‘Janna’ (Patricia Clarkson)’s relationship has become estranged. Desperate to reconcile, they attempt to reconnect by placing personals ads and engaging in blind dates with each other – pretending to meet for the first time as different personalities…sometimes they assume characters that are openly confrontational, while other times they try to bring a sweetness and intimacy back into their lives, but more often than not their struggle to reclaim the love they knew ends in confusion and frustration. Remake of Theo Van Gogh's award winning 1996 Dutch film, this sometimes wryly humorous, often tragic drama directed by Tucci has pacing issues, but the story and the performances are good enough to appease fans of non-Hollywood-style dramas…the consumer liked this better than the critics. Most are going to be fine with 1-6, depending on how much starpower Tucci and Clarkson carry. IMDB User Rating = 7.3 (out of 10).

Call Of The Wild (2009)

Studio: Visual MPAA Rating: PG Genre: Family-Adv Pre Order Date: 11/23/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: 28K Number Of Screens: 14 Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 6/12/09 Director: Richard Gabai Cast: Christopher Lloyd, Timothy Bottoms, Veronica Cartwright Videoretailer.com Review: Nine-year-old city girl ‘Ryan’ (Ariel Gade) is visiting her grandpa (Christopher Lloyd) in Montana and lamenting the lack of urban delights when she befriends a wounded wild dog / wolf and names it Buck. As the annual sledding race draws near, Ryan and her new friends begin training Buck for the big day in hopes that he can win the gold. Can Buck's wild spirit be tamed in time for the race, or is he more comfortable out in the wilderness, running free with his four-legged friends? Based very loosely on the Jack London classic, this family-adventure is okay stuff, has a little star-power with Lloyd, and is kid-friendly; this should have alright movement through the holidays, and maybe some life afterwards as well. Most should be alright with 1-4. IMDB User Rating = 6.2 (out of 10).

Extract

Studio: Buena MPAA Rating: R Genre: Comedy Pre Order Date: 11/9/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: 10.8 Number Of Screens: 1614 Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 9/4/09 Director: Mike Judge Cast: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr. Videoretailer.com Review: Jason Bateman stars as ‘Joel’, the owner of an extract manufacturing plant who’s one step away from easy street retirement with plans to sell the plant, when his floor manager is injured and threatens to sue the company, pushing it toward inevitable bankruptcy. If this isn’t bad enough, ‘Cindy’ (Mila Kunis), a new employee appears to be a scam artist looking to milk the company for all it’s worth, and Joel suspects his wife is sleeping around with a gigolo he hired to seduce her to test her fidelity. Now, Joel must attempt to piece his company and his marriage back together all while trying to figure out what he's really after in life. Anticipated offering from director Mike Judge is an amusing diversion that will find good interest thanks to the starpower and his own reputation for usually creating good humor, but while this is better than “Idiocracy” and is mostly entertaining, this is also no “Office Space” as the biting and uncanny depiction of life in the American workplace isn’t as rip-roaring…a fact that seemed to disappoint some consumers. As with “Office Space” this will likely do better on video than the meager B/O would suggest, and most should expect okay to good returns for awhile. Compare with “Observe & Report”, but maybe back off this a bit in favor of Seth Rogan’s starpower…this was a similar affair where there was some decent anticipation with mixed response; some loved, others were disappointed. IMDB User Rating = 7.0 (out of 10).

Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Darkside

Studio: Fox MPAA Rating: NR Genre: Comedy Pre Order Date: 11/24/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: DTV Number Of Screens: Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: Director: Cast: Voices of : Seth McFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis Videoretailer.com Review: Sequel to “Family Guy: Blue Harvest” is yet another full-feature homage to the Star Wars franchise, moving on to parody “Empire Strikes Back”. Very popular TV show’s side features (“Blue Harvest”, “Stewie Griffin Story”) have proven to be quite popular rentals…this should be no different and should be bought in depth…check out your numbers on “Blue Harvest” or “Stewie Griffin Story” and buy this accordingly….there is very good anticipation for this from both fans of Star Wars, and of FG…

House Of the Devil

Studio: MPI MPAA Rating: R Genre: Horror Pre Order Date: 11/15/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: Ltd Number Of Screens: Fests Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 2009 Fests Director: Ti West Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Dee Wallace Videoretailer.com Review: College girl ‘Samantha’ (Jocelin Donahue) needs some quick cash to pay for a fancy new apartment and finds a want-ad for a babysitter on a community bulletin board that promises $400 for the gig, but there’s something really odd about the whole thing. Soon Samantha is offered work as a caretaker in the home of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Ulman’, (Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov). But upon arriving at the spooky home, she has reservations, but puts on a brave face and tries to whistle her way through the tension. But the house is full of bumps in the night that just get worse and worse…until she’s living a full-on nightmare. Directed by “The Roost”s Ti West, this homage to 80’s ‘babysitter in a scary situation’ flicks plays out similarly to “The Roost” where it gives in to spooky atmosphere over fancy FX, and manages to output a creepfest for those patient enough to sit through a pretty slow 1st act. Following a pretty heady festival run, this found very good critic reviews, but there is very little starpower here, and not title awareness…chances are demand won’t be anything fabulous, or more than what you would expect. Most should be alright with 1-3. IMDB User Rating = 7.4 (out of 10).

It Might Get Loud

Studio: Sony MPAA Rating: PG Genre: Documentary Pre Order Date: 11/18/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: 1.4 Number Of Screens: 75 Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 8/14/09 Director: Davis Guggenheim Cast: Doc on the electric guitar from viewpoints of Jimmy Page, The Edge, Jack White Videoretailer.com Review: The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and Jack White (The White Stripes) talk individually and as a group about the electric guitar, how they viewed it as a tool, how they revolutionized its uses; they discuss their own work and speak intimately about their favorite subject: music. The three musicians also get together for a little jam session. Directed by “Inconvenient Truth”s Davis Guggenheim, one would think that this would be completely niche to musicians only, but musicians and casual fans of music alike loved this documentary. This one’s a tough call, and potential interest probably depends on the volume of the hipster in your market…a thing to remember is that Paige, The Edge and Jack White all represent three generations of music…bumping up potential demographic interest. IMDB User Rating = 7.7 (out of 10).

Noble Things

Studio: Monarch MPAA Rating: R Genre: Drama Pre Order Date: 11/27/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: Ltd Number Of Screens: Fests Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 2008 - 09 Fests Director: Dan McMellen Cast: Brett Moses, Ryan Hurst, Dominique Swain Videoretailer.com Review: ‘Jimmy Wayne Collins’ (Brett Moses) is on his way to becoming the next big country music star out of Blackwater, Texas, and he and his rebellious older brother ‘Kyle’ (Ryan Hurst), are reared under the watchful eye of their father, local Sheriff ‘Pete Collins’ (Michael Parks) and his loyal deputy ‘Claire Wades’ (Lee Ann Womack). Jimmy, Kyle and their gang of cronies constantly push the envelope in search of high-risk thrills, and one fate-filled night, the brothers push too far, testing the bonds of family and friendships. Now, four years later, with only the distant memories of stardom, Jimmy returns home to face his terminally ill father, his imprisoned brother, his ex-girlfriend (Dominique Swain) and the life he left behind. Pretty good slice-of-American-life / human interest drama found excellent reviews following screenings down in the heart of the country music belt where this should do pretty well, but this is good enough that it will have some appeal in most markets…to what extent is the question. Most will probably be alright with 1-5, but if you’re in more rural areas, or somewhere between TN & TX, you may want to bump this up. IMDB User Rating = 8.7 (out of 10).

Pandorum

Studio: Anchor Bay MPAA Rating: R Genre: Horror Pre Order Date: 11/18/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: 9.5 Number Of Screens: 2506 Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 9/25/09 Director: Christian Alvart Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Norman Reedus Videoretailer.com Review: Awakening in their hyper-sleep chamber with no memory of who they are or what their mission is, disoriented astronauts ‘Lt. Payton’ (Dennis Quaid) and ‘Corporal Bower’ (Ben Foster) gradually surmise that they are the only ones aboard the darkened spacecraft. But how did they get here, and what are those strange sounds coming from the other side of the ship? As Bower and Payton investigate, it becomes apparent that something horrible has happened…there were 60,000 passengers onboard when the astronauts went to sleep, and now not a soul is in sight. Before long however, they are fighting for their lives against a terrifying force. Big marketing build-up created an excitement and anticipation for this summer popcorn Sci-Fi horror flick, but the extremely negative critic reviews quickly rained on that parade and probably killed the B/O and shortened the length of the theatrical run. This is actually good news for us as the anticipation is still there, but it just turned into a ‘wait for the video’ kind of thing, and this isn’t all that bad…if you can get past the shaky cam and wacked editing, this isn’t an all too bad excursion. Compare with 1/09’s “Mirrors”. IMDB User Rating = 7.3 (out of 10).

	Secret Life...American Teenager - Sea. 3
	Studio: Buena MPAA Rating: PG13 Genre: Drama Pre Order Date: 11/9/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: TV09  Number Of Screens: ABC Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 2009 ABC Family Director: Cast: Shailene Woodley, Daren Kagasoff Videoretailer.com Review: Coming soon

Shattered Lives

Studio: Lions Gate MPAA Rating: R Genre: Horror Pre Order Date: 11/24/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: DTV Number Of Screens: Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: Director: Carl Lindbergh Cast: Ellyse Deanna, Kaylin Marcotte Videoretailer.com Review: When ‘Rachel’, a seemingly innocent little girl, is unable to cope with everyday situations, her fears manifest themselves in an altered state of reality and her warped world results in her two favorite dolls, ‘Melo’ and ‘Lelo’, coming to life. As she seeks their advice, they plant the seed of death and suggest that the only way for her to feel better is to kill her mother. Even as she grows, the violence continues, and it’s likely that she'll be left all alone, with nothing but her fractured conscience, amidst a pile of dead bodies. Difficult to find much more on this DTV horror flick with zero starpower and no awareness; the boxart is similarly generic. There may be some interest from those who can’t find anything else, but nobody’s going to be looking for this. If you need to, you won’t need more than 1-2.

Staten Island

Studio: E1 Entertainment MPAA Rating: NR Genre: Crime-Dra Pre Order Date: 11/23/2009 Video Release Date: 12/22/2009 Box Office Sales / Broadcast Details: DTV Number Of Screens: Non-U.S. Theatrical / Broadcast Release Date: 2009 Non-U.S. Director: James DeMonaco Cast: Ethan Hawke , Vincent D'Onofrio , Seymour Cassel Videoretailer.com Review: Three stories intertwine, following the lives of three New Yorkers: local Mob boss ‘Parmelo "Parmy" Tarzo’ (Vincent D'Onofrio) unveils his plan to take over all the organized crime on Staten Island, but he’s betrayed, and after an unsuccessful assassination attempt, he takes refuge in a tree in a woodland area scheduled for deforestation, drawing media attention; septic-tank cleaner ‘Sully’ (Ethan Hawke), is ashamed of his low IQ and hatches a plan to rob Parmy for $50,000. to take part in an in-vitro fertilization study that pre-selects fetuses for intelligence; deaf-mute deli man ‘Jasper’ (Seymour Cassel), a friend of Sully's, finds change after being forced by Parmy's gang for years to carve up the corpses of those they've whacked. Non-linear tale is masterfully directed and has great performances from the leads. It’s always curious to see a film like this…a good cast and a decent movie…not have much theatrical exposure. Perhaps it’s the fact that it doesn’t follow a formula and therefore won’t have broad mainstream appeal, but it’s quite a good indie drama that has some starpower pull that will find some okay interest. Maybe compare with 6/09’s “Streets Of Blood”. IMDB User Rating = 7.3 (out of 10).