On Demand Weekly

New Films on VOD for the Week of November 9th

Drag Me to Hell

Christine Brown is an ambitious L.A. loan officer. Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. Justin Long, Alison Lohman. PG-13 / 99 minutes / Available 11/11

VOD Trend Spotter is a new weekly column where Kendra Anderson explores the most watched TV Series On Demand (by looking at Comcast (America's largest cable VOD provider)  xfinity On Demand's weekly rankings). Sometimes the trends are obvious; other times, she adds her own spin to the psyche of the time-shifting audience.

Saying Goodbye to Our Favorite Boss, While CBS Loses its Edge, and A Good (Police) Story Matters Here (VOD Trend Spotter)
By Kendra Anderson

- Kendra Anderson

Kendra T. Anderson is a digital strategist specializing in social media and marketing, with an emphasis on independent film and branded content. She has worked with Cinetic Media, Magnolia Pictures and Focus Features, and now helps brands build digital and social communication strategies. Read more from Kendra on her blog and tweet Kendra @ktwanderson

You May Also Like...

- Britt Bensen

On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies on demand from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE (Magnolia).

TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE
By Adam Schartoff

Warning: do not see this movie without smoking cannibis first. If you haven’t heard of Tim and Eric, permit me to illuminate. To call them a comedy duo would not be quite the accurate description. While they do create sketches designed to make people laugh, they generally don’t include the traditional comic arcs you might find in, say, a Saturday Night Live skit or something on Funny or Die. Gross out humor is a basic tenet as are the deranged characters who populate the sketches.

Ostensibly an expanded version of their sketch show on Adult Swim —cleverly called Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job— TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE follows the titular pair, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, whom after getting an enormous budget to make their movie, wind up and blowing it all on make-overs and other insane purchases. The movie starts with them screening their movie —maybe 10 minutes long— for the top brass at the studio which includes Tommy Shlaaang (Robert Loggia), their chief investor. Displeased with the outcome of the movie, Shlaaang demands his money back or will have the two killed.

In order to raise the billion dollars, the guys respond to a TV add to take over a mall currently operated by businessman Damien Weebs (Will Ferrell) and his son Taquito (John C. Reilly). The mall has become beset with fire and brimstone. There’s are winos sleeping in corridors, and a blood thirsty wolf looking for prey among other things. Not to say its stores aren’t in operation. One is a sword shop run by the least customer friendly human being you’re likely to come across and played by a mustachioed Will Forte. Another shop is run by a man who, in order to keep his job at the mall, agrees to hand his pre-pubescent son over to Tim who subsequently refers to the boy as his own. Fortunately the more creepier possibilities to that sub-plot are never explored.

Lionsgate Digital Distribution announced the Pre DVD sneak of three-time Academy Awards® nominated ALBERT NOBBS on demand. The film stars Oscar® nominees Glenn Close and Janet McTeer. The sneak peek is available now, a month ahead of the film’s debut on Blu-ray Disc, DVD and Digital Download on May 15th.

On Demand Weekly discussed this VOD strategy for ALBERT NOBBS and past Lionsgate films (including RED STATE, EVERYTHING MUST GO and MARGIN CALL) with Thomas Hughes, SVP, Worldwide Digital Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution.


On Demand Weekly (ODW): Why did Lionsgate sneak peek ALBERT NOBBS on demand?

Thomas Hughes (TH): ALBERT NOBBS is a great movie that in limited release theatrically (in just 75 markets) got notoriety from award nominations. This got the attention of our cable / satellite partners. Because of the early window, our partners are willing to promote it in unique ways and give it premium placement.

Thomas Hughes, SVP, Worldwide Digital Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution

ODW: Has Lionsgate sneaked movies on demand before?
TH: We did with ABDUCTION with Taylor Lautner early on December 22, 2011, before the holidays, in a limited release window until January 4, 2012. The DVD did not come out until January 17, 2012.

ABDUCTION (courtesy of Lionsgate)

It was a huge success. We saw an incremental lift over a similar genre movie.

Movies Lionsgate has sneaked before a particular window:
RED STATE: Kevin Smith (Pre Theatrical)                                 
MARGIN CALL: Kevin Spacey, Zacahary Quinto (Day & Date)  
EVERYTHING MUST GO: Will Ferrell (Pre DVD)                     
TRESPASS: Nicholas Cage, Nicole Kidman (Day & Date)       
ABDUCTION: Taylor Lautner (Pre DVD)                                      
ALBERT NOBBS: Glenn Close (Pre DVD)                                  

MARGIN CALL (courtesy of Lionsgate)

ODW: How does Lionsgate decide what movies will do well on demand?
TH: It's a little bit of the Wild Wild West. We are willing to experiment. Lionsgate's entrepreneurial spirit allows us to experiment where others may not be able to.

ODW: Does Lionsgate make extras and behind the scenes available on demand as they do on DVD?
TH: In some cases we do. It's not always ready when we go out early and if the platform can take. Not every platform can. The digital partners seem to be well positioned. Everybody is familiar with iTunes extras.

I think you are going to see a movement

where everybody will want to be positioned to offer extras.

ODW: When is the release strategy of a movie determined, before or after production?