(Skimpy week!)

Recent Theatricals

The Libertine (WeinsteinCo) -- Johnny Depp apparently does very naughty things in this period piece I've not yet seen and therefore cannot logically comment upon. (director commentary, featurette, 10 deleted scenes)

Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School (Sony) --  Someone told me it's a sequel to Tron. I think they were kidding. (filmmaker commentary, original short film)

The Matador (WeinsteinCo) -- Pierce Brosnan is drop-dead freakin' hilarious in this movie. I know, I was surprised too. (two commentaries, featurette, 11 deleted scenes, radio interview)

Stoned (Universal) -- The allegedly, maybe, somewhat potentially fact-based story of the young Rolling Stones -- or at least the guy who quit the band and drowned at 27. (no extras)

Catalog Picks

My Chauffeur & My Tutor (Brentwood) -- Nothing says "sex comedy" like the possessive "My." How did nobody think to make My Hooker? (no extras)

(Happy 4th!)

As any Johnny Depp fan worth their weight in Cry Baby memorabilia knows by now, The Weinstein Company released Depp's latest, The Libertine, on just one screen, for just one week in November – just long enough to qualify for Oscar consideration without  the need for a major marketing campaign. When critics reacted mixedly and the guilds and academies didn't react at all, TWC apparently scrapped plans for a later, larger release. This did not sit well with the fans; a post I wrote about the film's disappearance from Weinstein's schedule in January earned over 50 comments from irate Depp supporters. The occasional conspiracy theory aside ("Disney is paying someone something somewhere to make sure it doesn't come out until AFTER Pirates II, as they want Johnny Depp's rep to remain PG rated until then..." wrote Sally Solomon), most of those who wrote in were simply dismayed over the fact that they wouldn't be able to see the film in a theater near them.

Well, don't get too excited just yet, but it looks like perhaps that dire situation has changed. Whilst browsing The Weinstein Company's official site this morning (FYI: the Pulse remake has been delayed until July, which must mean someone thinks it's capable of opening big), I noticed that The Libertine is back up there – and this time with a release date of March 10. Neither that page, nor the film's official page, give any sort of details regarding the scope of the rollout, but Box Office Mojo has the release marked as "National". I sent an email this morning to TWC's publicity department; keep your eyes on this post, because as soon I have more details, I'll add an update.

Late last year, The Weinstein Company released The Libertine, Lawrence Dunmore's long-awaited, unrated, Johnny Depp-starring staging of the wine-soaked life and syphillis-stoked death of the Earl of Rochester, for one week for academy consideration. The plan, according to a Weinstein rep that we spoke to in November, was to then put the film back in theaters in January. But its initial re-release date was yesterday, and, needless to say, it's hardly playing at a theater near you. Coming Soon still has The Libertine listed as a January TBA release, but there's not a hint of a release date on the film's official site. I couldn't get anyone on the phone at Weinstein yesterday, but it seems pretty clear what's going on here: Depp has thus far failed to earn any significant nominations, and the film made not a single notable critic's list, and so the distributor assumes there's no financial incentive to give it a wide release. Do you think this is valid? It's not a great picture, but it is worth seeing, and one would imagine that Depp could draw a reasonable audience to anything. Johnny Depp superfans, rise up in revolt!