The term “straight to video” used to be the kiss of death for any film; for a while, “straight-to-video-on-demand” became the twenty-first-century equivalent. Sometime in the last five years, though, streaming video content became a legitimate movie distribution platform, one ensuring that more obscure content – documentaries, indies, foreign films – reached wider audiences than ever before, albeit with less pomp and circumstance. So to say that “The Humbling” is a straight-to-video-on-demand movie isn’t exactly an insult.
It also isn’t exactly true, since it concurrently opened in a scattering of theaters across the country late last month. But the fact remains that, though this film boasts a pedigree so impeccable it’d make a blue blood weep – Oscar winner Al Pacino stars, Oscar winner Barry Levinson directs, and Oscar nominee Buck Henry co-writes this adaptation of Pulitzer (and National Book Award) winner Philip Roth’s 2009 eponymous novel – its lukewarm theatrical reception was almost a foregone conclusion. You might wonder: What’s the catch? Continue Reading →
