VOD Overdose is Movie Buzzers’ coverage of video-on-demand developments and upcoming films premiering on video-on-demand. With an increasing number of studios embracing VOD as a way to premiere and distribute films, this column covers movies that might be worth a look even though they aren’t playing at your local multiplex.
Latest VOD News
VOD Overdose took a holiday hiatus (like the rest of the world!), but even still there’s VOD news to report — a typical lull before late January’s Sundance Film Festival starts the acquisition season.
The most exciting news of the first week of 2012? After announcing it was taking a hiatus a few weeks ago, Vyer Films is returning — and rather tremendously, I might add. Vyer Films — which offers international film otherwise unavailable in the U.S. via the internet — is expanding its web presence. First, it is adding a new section, The Fire, which serves as an archive that contains commentary, interviews, and other materials for each film (something that will definitely help you chose what to watch) and now also provides a discussion board for its films. All of this plus an improved HTML5-based video player shows that Vyer is serious about its mission to bring you the best movies you aren’t watching from around the world.
Poor Christian Slater. Last week Movieline declared that Playback, a horror film which starred Slater, was the lowest grossing movie of 2012, earning just $264 during its one-week run in a single theater. While that is certainly an “honor,” Movieline is wrong — Box Office Mojo’s 2012 figures show that the lowest grossing film is actually The Ghastly Love of Johnny X, which grossed $117 during its similar one-week run in a single theater. I’m not sure how Movieline made that mistake… heck, Playback even doubled its grosses! Anyway, what makes this VOD news is that Playback is now available on most VOD outlets (including Netflix) and Johnny X will come to VOD from Strand Releasing sometime in 2013. Not so bad after all, right? I’d say both films have the potential to (at the very least!) double their grosses through VOD… it certainly helped out Zyzzyx Road!
Now on VOD… And We Reviewed It!
Here’s a sampling of recent VOD movies that Movie Buzzers has viewed and reviewed. Check your cable provider or the below online retailers:
John Dies at the End (Review 3/10)
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (Review 8/10)
Attack of the Jurassic Shark (Review 0.5/10)
Beast (Review 7/10)
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (Review 2/10)
Upcoming VOD Releases
(For films premiering on VOD platforms, or hitting VOD after limited theatrical runs. Check out trailers for these and other VOD titles at the Independent Movie on Demand YouTube channel here!)
January 3
The Sorcerer and the White Snake
Probably the only thing that disappointed me about The Expendables 2 was the fact that after a kick-ass opening scene Jet Li disappeared from the film. If you’re like me and want to see more Jet Li, his latest film, The Sorcerer and the White Snake, will be hitting VOD on January 3 before a February theatrical release. Please note that it has nothing to do with the classic hard rock band that sang “Here I Go Again” –instead, it’s about a sorcerer who battles against an evil snake woman.
January 4
Crawlspace
The first film directed by longtime special effects artist Justin Dix, Crawlspace is a sci-fi/horror movie that seems like a present-day throwback to Alien. It will also get a limited theatrical release on the same day.
January 8
Little Red Wagon
Based on a true story about a little boy who used his wagon to collect supplies for those devastated by a hurricane, Little Red Wagon is definitely the type of feel-good story that people need to keep in perspective when disaster strikes.
January 10
Riddle
At first it was hard for me to track down information about this movie except that it was getting a VOD release on January 10 and coming to DVD/Blu-Ray on February 12. But after getting an e-mail with the synopsis, this mystery/horror film starring Val Kilmer sounds like it has a lot of potential, with CSI star Elisabeth Harnois searching for her missing brother in the small town of Riddle, Pennsylvania.
January 12
My Best Enemy
I’m a sucker for stories about former best friends torn apart by different sides of a conflict, so I’m definitely intrigued by this Austrian film that takes place in the 1930s about childhood friends in Vienna — especially since one is Jewish and the other grows up to be an SS officer. The fact that the central premise of the movie revolves around stolen art makes me think George Clooney caught a screening of this before deciding to make The Monuments Men. My Best Enemy will also get a limited theatrical release on the same day.
Have news about an upcoming VOD movie? Want to have Movie Buzzers check out your upcoming VOD release? Contact me here!
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