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
Well, I’m back after a week off because of a schedule hiccup. Lots of VOD news for me to catch up on!
By the way, if you missed it — Steven Spielberg and George Lucas both predict that VOD will increase its dominance in the global movie market. Hey, I’ve been saying that for years!
Screen Media will release the documentary Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde in a day-and-date VOD release. The documentary profiles Hyde, who has a real-life cowboy who fought to preserve the undeveloped American West. Screen Media also acquired the U.S. rights to Paris Countdown, a French crime thriller about a drug deal gone bad and its consequences, which is set for a VOD September release and an October theatrical release.
Drafthouse — one of our favorite VOD labels — has acquired the Cannes film The Congress, which stars Robin Wright, Jon Hamm, Paul Giamatti and Harvey Keitel, for a 2014 VOD release. It’s a wacky sci-fi trip about an actress, Robin Wright (guess who plays her?) who preserves her likeness for future digital movies. Her double eventually becomes a huge star.
Familiar with the website CollegeHumor? After starting out as a site for funny pictures and pictures of hot chicks, it’s grown to be quite a huge empire. Now it’s moving into the VOD business and is teaming with FilmBuff to release its first feature, Coffee Town, about a group of young folks trying to save a coffee place from being turned into a bar. Uh, why is that a bad thing? It was written and directed by Arrested Development writer Brad Copeland, but to be fair he also wrote Wild Hogs and Yogi Bear. Anyway, it gets its VOD release on July 9.
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:
Breakup at a Wedding (Review: 3/10)
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)
Upcoming VOD Releases
June 21
Evidence
Though found footage movies don’t do it for me, this one at least tries something different with the genre: the found footage in question is part of an investigation of brutal murders as detectives try to piece the footage together. It also gets a theatrical release July 19.
June 25
Rushlights
Hmmm… never expected to see Beau Bridges, Aidan Quinn, Haley Webb, and Josh Henderson (and Beau’s son, Jordan Bridges) in an action/crime film, but that’s what Rushlights is. The story focuses on Webb and Henderson as a runaway couple trying to claim an inheritance that doesn’t actually belong to them. This one actually gets a slightly earlier limited theatrical release on June 21.
Upside Down
Kristen Dunst has really become a VOD staple in recent years after Melancholia and Bacherlotte. Upside Down is about living in a world in which there is a reflected “mirror” world with opposite gravity. It got pretty awful reviews when released internationally and during its very limited March release, but at least it’s a clever concept.
June 27
Europa Report
Remember what I said about found footage movies? I wasn’t a fan of this space take on the genre (see my review here), but if you’re into sci-fi/horror you might appreciate it. It also has an August 2 theatrical release.
June 28
100 Bloody Acres
100 Bloody Acres is a horror comedy about two guys who make fertilizer out of… well, you don’t really want to know. Or do you? If you love twisted movies, you’ll definitely like this.
July 1
Downloaded
Alex was definitely a fan of this documentary about the history of Napster (read his review here), which was directed by none other than Alex “Bill S. Preston, Esquire” Winters.
July 3
Under the Bed
Those horrible childhood dreams about a monster being under your bed finally come true in this horror film.
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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