Following up a very strong run with family crowds in theaters, “Hotel Transylvania” hits DVD and Blu-ray this week looking to once again make a dent with mainstream audiences, which shouldn’t be hard without any real competition. Also hitting stores this week will be the third season of popular British series “Downton Abbey,” Martin McDonagh’s crime-comedy “Seven Psychopaths” and “Paranormal Activity 4,” the latest in the incredibly lucrative franchise that continues to be a major success with horror crowds. A couple of older titles will get fresh looks on Blu-ray this week as well, including Luis Buñuel’s “That Obscure Object of Desire” and “The Duellists,” director Ridley Scott’s historical drama that launched his career in the late 1970s.
Launched at the end of September and starring the voices of Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, “Hotel Transylvania” didn’t have much of a problem resonating with families despite lukewarm critical support, leading to a steady $147 million in the U.S. and more than $300 million worldwide. Though it got snubbed for an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, “Hotel Transylvania” should continue its commercial success thanks to good audience buzz from its theatrical run and a lack of other options for family audiences.
Aiming at a much different audience this week is the popular British historical drama “Downton Abbey,” which launches its third season on DVD and Blu-ray. Following an upper class British family and its team of live-in servants during the 1910s and 1920s, “Downton” has been an awards season favorite and has even been embraced in the U.S. as well, a rarity for an import that’s still ongoing. “Downton” has been praised by critics for its fresh spin on British history and for its talented cast, which includes an Emmy Award-winning role from legendary actress Maggie Smith.
Also hoping to find an adult audience this week is “Seven Psychopaths,” an R-rated dark comedy from director Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”). Starring Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken, “Seven Psychopaths” follows the screwball story of a screenwriter struggling to find material for his next screenplay. “Seven Psychopaths” benefited from mostly positive reviews, though it had a hard time competing for adult audiences with “Taken 2” and “Argo,” leading to a disappointing $15 million in domestic revenue despite a well-known cast and a fairly wide release.
Horror audiences are also in luck this week with the release of “Paranormal Activity 4,” which was yet another big success in theaters for distributor Paramount. What started as a phenomenon in 2009 has grown into a steady stream of lucrative sequels that have hit theaters each October since, making it one of the most successful horror franchises in history. Though “P.A. 4” dropped considerably from the huge numbers of the last entry, it still earned $53 million in the U.S. and more than $140 million worldwide – unbelievable totals for a $5 million production. All four “Paranormal Activity” releases have cost just $13 million combined to produce, yet have earned more than $700 million around the globe to become the gold standard for the recent revival of low-budget horror films.
Film buffs looking for something a little less mainstream this week might turn to “That Obscure Object of Desire,” famed director Luis Buñuel’s take on the nature of love and blind obsession. Released in 1977 to wide acclaim, “That Obscure Object of Desire” became one of Buñuel’s most well-known films, capping a famous filmmaking career that established him as one of the pioneers of film surrealism.
Another filmmaker who would go on to have a major cinematic impact is Ridley Scott, whose early film “The Duellists” put him on the path to becoming one of the most commercially successful directors in Hollywood. “The Duellists” wasn’t much of a mainstream hit when it was released in 1977 as Scott’s first feature film, though it had some critical support and would lead Scott to direct sci-fi classic “Alien” just two years later in 1979. Based on a novel by “Heart of Darkness” scribe Joseph Conrad, “The Duellists” tells the story of two lifelong enemies who cross paths during the Napoleonic wars in the early 19th century France. Scott would go on to make a bevy of major historical films, including Oscar-winner “Gladiator,” “Kingdom of Heaven” and, more recently, a new version of “Robin Hood.”
Next week, Robert Zemeckis’ drama “Flight” will hit stores on DVD and Blu-ray, aided by the recent Oscar nomination of star Denzel Washington and a strong run through theaters late in 2012. Disney will also release a special edition Blu-ray version of “Peter Pan,” the 1953 animated film made in Disney’s golden age of classic animation. Another title getting launched will be “Alex Cross,” a thriller starring Tyler Perry and Mathew Fox that struggled to find much of an audience when it was released in theaters back in mid-October.
by RTT Staff Writer
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