A few things worth checking out in this week’s paper: I spoke with Parachute’s Will Anderson in my Feedback Column; John Ruscher, the guy who invented that column, reviews 6 Day Bender‘s fuzzy new disc; we’ve got a look at Algonquin’s 25th New Stories from the South compilation; and a review of the new Zach Galifianakis vehicle, Due Date, from Hangover director Todd Phillips.
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The locally-owned ATO Pictures’ first foray into independent film distribution, in a partnership with Samuel Goldwyn Films, received lukewarm reviews, was directed by an Australian whose career is on ice, and had an uneventful run at Vinegar Hill Theatre. But an article in the Los Angeles Times says that through the strength of audience reaction and old-fashioned, word of mouth raves, Mao’s Last Dancer is one of the season’s biggest art-house hits: it’s on track to gross $5 million after a three month run.
ATO Pictures is looking to survive in the turbulent specialty film market by distributing films that appeal to those who don’t click the "Watch Now" tab on Netflix when they want to see a new movie: Old folks. "Older audiences in particular have embraced [Mao’s]…theater executives said, sparking to its redemptive story of a man who, through talent and determination, was able to defy and defeat a powerful government," reads the article. "A slow-burn hit is an anomaly in an era where most specialty movies either cross over or die quickly."
The bar is set high for ATO, which follows up Mao’s with Casino Jack on December 17, about the exploits of superlobbyist-cum-pizza salesman Jack Abramoff (played by Kevin Spacey). That film screened Sunday as part of the Virginia Film Festival—mere days after the film’s director unexpectedly George Hickenlooper died at age 47.