October 24th, 2023

CAMP HIDEOUT - $12.99 Sale / TBD Rental

With the break-out success of SOUND OF FREEDOM, we’re likely to see a slew of crowdfunded, faith-based copycats hit the market. Camp Hideout is the first out of the gate, though to be fair, Called Higher Studios (the film’s production company) has been around since 2019. The studio is ‘owned’ by over 5,000 Christian fans across the country. Their mission, as CEO (Chief Evangelist Officer) Jason Brown describes it, is “[W]e want to go make movies that spread the name of Jesus through film and TV.” Camp Hideout seems innocuous enough, and maybe that’s why it flopped in US theaters. We applaud the ambitious Jack Davis/Mad Magazine-inspired poster, even if it likely scared audiences away. That kid in the yellow t-shirt looks possessed.

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER - $29.99 Sale / $24.99 Rental

Universal and Peacock reportedly paid $400M to acquire the distribution rights to the new Exorcist films, with the intention of replicating the success of their recent Halloween trilogy. Based on the critical and audience reaction to The Exorcist: Believer, it’ll be interesting to see how the studio proceeds. Will they cut their losses, or push through? We think a lot might depend on how the film performs on PVOD. Universal has raised their prices (by $5 for both sale and rental), so if they can generate significant home revenue, there might still be some life in their strategy. We love that Ellen Burstyn agreed to return to her role of Chris MacNeil after getting the studio to fund a scholarship program for actors at Pace University. Legend.

THE ROYAL HOTEL - $14.99 Sale / $6.99 Rental

Julia Garner and Kitty Green, who collaborated on the terrific 2019 drama The Assistant, reunite for this intense psychological thriller. In the film, two young Canadian backpackers, Hanna (Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick), take jobs at The Royal Hotel, an Australian Outback bar run by Billy (Hugo Weaving). Things don’t go well. It’s inspired by the 2016 documentary Hotel Coolgardie by Pete Gleeson, and while it underperformed at the box-office, earning less than $1M domestically, this is the kind of movie that should play like gangbusters at home.

October 25th, 2023

LYNCH/OZ - Criterion Channel

Lynch/Oz examines the influence of the 1939 Victor Fleming-directed film The Wizard of Oz on the work of filmmaker David Lynch. Director Alexandre O. Philippe’s concept for the documentary originates from a response Lynch gave during a Q&A panel at the 2001 New York Film Festival following a screening of his film Mulholland Drive. When asked about the impact of Fleming's film on his work, Lynch said, "There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about The Wizard of Oz." Among the narrators are filmmakers Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body), Rodney Ascher (Room 237), and John Waters. The film incorporates hundreds of film clips to illustrate the connection between David Lynch and The Wizard of Oz, so this is a must for David Lynch-obsessives.

October 26th, 2023

IT AIN’T OVER - Netflix

While Yogi Berra’s career as baseball player and manager rightfully landed him in the Baseball Hall of Fame, his true legacy might be the ‘Yogi-isms’ that have become enshrined in the American vernacular. Yogi Berra is credited with coining such phrases as:

• ‘It ain’t over ‘til it’s over’

• ‘It’s deja-vu all over again’

• ‘You can observe a lot by watching’

• ‘When you come to a fork in the road, take it’

• ‘Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded’

• ‘90 percent of the game is half mental’

• ‘Always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise, they won’t go to yours’

This doc is a loving tribute to the player and the man. When Berra died in 2015, it was inevitable that some publication would make this mistake:

KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC - Netflix

Although it didn’t make many headlines, Knights of the Zodiac is one of the biggest money losers of the year. On a reported production budget of $60M, the film earned a mere $7M at the box-office worldwide. Brutal. Based on the manga Saint Seiya by Masami Kurumada, the film stars Mackenyu, Famke Janssen, Madison Iseman, Diego Tinoco, Mark Dacascos, Nick Stahl, and Sean Bean. It should find its audience on Netflix and have its profile bumped up significantly.

October 27th, 2023

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S - Peacock

Do we think Universal is regretting positioning Five Nights at Freddy’s as a day-and-date Peacock release? The film is currently tracking to gross between $56M - $80 in its opening weekend, which would be more than both Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, which were also Peacock day-and-date titles. It certainly seems to prove that some genres can thrive in theaters no matter their streaming availability. And Five Nights at Freddy’s is a massive brand with gamers. Will be interesting to see how well it performs on streaming and in theaters.

THE NUN II - Max

Warner Bros’ decision to quickly transition The Nun II to Max before Halloween is not surprising, as the streaming service is desperately in need of some high profile programming to drive viewership. With Dune 2 off the 2023 schedule, the streaming service will need to maximize the studio’s high profile film titles. So look for big Max campaigns around BARBIE (possibly coming to Max in time for Thanksgiving?), BLUE BEETLE, and then in early 2024, WONKA, AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM, and THE COLOR PURPLE.

PAIN HUSTLERS - Netflix

So much talent here! Emily Blunt. Chris Evans. Catherine O’Hara. Andy Garcia. So why can’t we get excited about this about this Netflix drama about a high school dropout who lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical company in Central Florida, and finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy? Is it because David Yates’ film output since his terrific Harry Potter films has been pretty lackluster? Is it because the reviews out of the Toronto Film Festival were pretty bad? It is. Still, we’ll give it a look, and hope that our lowered expectations lead to a pleasant surprise.

SUITABLE FLESH - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

25 years after her unforgettable performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, Heather Graham continues to be a compelling screen presence. Sure, she hasn’t really been in a hit movie since The Hangover series, but she's earned a lifetime of goodwill from memorable turns in Drugstore Cowboy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and the criminally underrated Bowfinger. Graham’s role in Suitable Flesh might not become iconic like Roller Girl, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for her to show she can still anchor a film. And the reviews out of Tribeca and Fantastic Fest have been stellar. We’ll definitely be checking this one out.

SUSIE SEARCHES - Hulu

Based on her 2020 short film of the same name, Sophie Kargman makes her feature film directorial debut with Susie Searches, which follows Susie (Kiersey Clemons), an awkward college student with a failing true-crime podcast, who seizes the opportunity to boost her campus and online popularity by solving the mysterious disappearance of Jesse (Alex Wolff), the campus heart-throb. And Rachel Sennott co-stars, making it an automatic must-see for us.

WHEN EVIL LURKS - Shudder/AMC+

We’re going to call this our most anticipated horror title of the month (maybe year?). Demián Rugna’s follow-up to his wickedly creepy 2017 film Terrified has been building massive buzz since its premiere at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. The premise: When brothers Pedro and Jimmy discover that a demonic infection has been festering in a nearby farmhouse -- its very proximity poisoning the local livestock -- they attempt to evict the victim from their land. Failing to adhere to the proper rites of exorcism, their reckless actions inadvertently trigger an epidemic of possessions across their rural community. Once again, Shudder delivers for Halloween.

Happy Streaming Everyone!

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