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
Coming out of Cannes, Deadline exclusively reported that Keanu Reeves‘ directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi, was picked up by Radius-TWC for a theatrical/VOD release in late 2013. Deadline also reported that Radius-TWC picked up Blue Ruin for a similar U.S. release. Man of Tai Chi is about a martial artist’s journey through underground fight clubs, while Blue Ruin is about a man who “sets off for his childhood home to carry out an act of revenge. Proving an improbable assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.”
Deadline didn’t stop there with its exclusive announcements. The website also revealed that Adopt Films has acquired U.S. rights to French director Jacques Doillon’s Love Battles (Mes Séances De Lutte) for a fall VOD/theatrical release. The horror/thriller film received a lot of raised eyebrows for its violence and sexual content.
Also (in yet another Deadline exclusive), after announcing its first releases earlier this month, Vertical Entertainment has acquired Scenic Route starring Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler for an August theatrical/VOD release. The movie is about “road-tripping buddies whose friendship is tested when they’re stranded in the desert.”
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 online retailers:
A Band Called Death (Review: 8/10)
Free Samples (Review: 4/10)
Aroused (Review: 5/10)
Fresh Meat (Review: 3.4/10)
Room 237 (Review: 8.5/10)
Gimme the Loot (Review: 8.5/10)
Upcoming VOD Releases
June 2
Broken
Ever notice how a lot of kids in coming-of-age movies have terrible names? In Broken, the lead is a girl named Skunk. No wonder she has growing pains. Anyway, this BBC movie stars Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy and has received great reviews as it made the festival rounds. It also gets a theatrical release on July 19.
June 6
V/H/S/2
That didn’t take long, did it? Horror anthology V/H/S was a VOD hit, so naturally V/H/S/2 was quickly on its way. Alex checked it out during Tribeca and enjoyed it a lot (check out his review here!) If you want to see it in theaters, you’ll have to wait until July 12.
June 7
Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie
I’m not sure how many people under thirty know loudmouth, chain-smoking talk show host Morton Downey Jr., but if anyone is interested in how the trash-talking form of television talk shows came from Downey Jr. is a great place to start. If you think the talking heads on MSNBC or Fox News are bad, you haven’t seen anything yet.
Hannah Has a Ho-Phase
So a stripper and a prude live together and decide to switch places — the stripper has to swear off sleeping with guys while the prude has to sleep with ten guys. Hmm, why stop at ten? The movie is directed by newcomers Jamie Jensen and Nadia Munla (Jensen also wrote the script) and will have a limited theatrical release on the same day.
June 13
Apartment 1303 3D
VOD comes to 3D televisions! This horror film is the first VOD titles to be available before its theatrical run in 3D — although a non-3D version will also be available on the same day (and a 3D theatrical run starts on July 17). Set in an apartment building in Detroit… well, isn’t that scary enough already? Well, tack on the fact that the last occupant killed herself.
Have news about an upcoming VOD movie? Want to have Movie Buzzers check out your upcoming VOD release? Contact me on Twitter @ChrisMcKit or via e-mail at chris@moviebuzzers.com!
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