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The landscape for independent films has changed rapidly. On one hand, the opportunity to build a theatrical release has become increasingly difficult, but on the other hand, digital release has given indies a chance to play to a broad national audience at once. Each week, new indie releases will be profiled and because they might not be playing at a theater near you, one highly recommended film available now a click or two away via VOD (whether a new or not quite new release) will be presented for viewing without leaving your computer.

VOD Pick of the Week

A Royal Affair
With Michael Haneke’s Amour a surefire Oscar winner even before the nominations were announced, the other deserving nominees in the Best Foreign Film category did not receive the attention that they deserved. Among those is A Royal Affair, the historical drama that was the entry from Denmark.

A Royal Affair takes place in the 18th century court of King Christian VII of Denmark. Soon after he ascended to the throne, Christian was married to Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales in an arranged marriage to consolidate alliances and provide an heir. At first optimistic about performing her royal duty, Caroline soon discovers to her dismay that Christian is a mentally ill lout prone to outbursts and sexual promiscuity. Caroline, on the other hand, is learned, scholarly, and progressive.

When Dr. Johann Struensee is brought on as the official physician to the king, Caroline finds a kindred spirit. Struensee was a student of the Enlightenment, influenced by the writings of such philosophers as John Locke and Voltaire. Struensee used his influence over the king to pass several reforms including the abolition of torture, censorship, and unfree labor over the objections of the court. Struensee’s shared beliefs with the Queen developed into a romance, and the displaced noblemen conspired to use that affair and his own reforms against him in an effort to regain power.

While the film has the period trappings (and features lush costumes and sets) the political intrigue feels thoroughly modern and should appeal to fans of cable television shows such as The Borgias and Game of Thrones, which also present political stories in period or fantasy settings.
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New releases for May 10th

Aftershock: Eli Roth produces and stars in Aftershock – part disaster movie, part horror film. Six friends are enjoying a vacation in Chile when one night while partying at a nightclub, the town is hit by a huge earthquake. Surviving the destruction of the quake is just the beginning as in the aftermath, the city is filled with murderers and rapists who escaped the wrecked prison.

Java Heat: Kellan Lutz tries to turn his Twilight exposure into a career as an action star with Java Heat – he also has turns as Tarzan and Hercules on the horizon. American agent Jake (Lutz) teams up with local cop Hashim (Ario Bayu) when a terrorist attack on the Indonesian island of Java apparently kills the nation’s beloved Sultana. The film follows standard '80s buddy cop formula with the brash American contrasting with the Muslim detective as they track the terrorist (played by Mickey Rourke) responsible for the attack.

No One Lives: The director of Midnight Meat Train returns with a movie where the title is apparently a major spoiler. A family of backwoods criminals kidnaps the wrong couple when it turns out that the man is a brutal serial killer on the run. The tables are soon turned as the hunters become the hunted one by one until assumingly the promise of the title is fulfilled.

Sightseers: Director Ben Wheatley has made a name for himself with genre mash-ups Down Terrace and The Kill List, and he continues with the road trip comedy/splatter film Sightseers. Chris and Tina, an offbeat couple, decide it is time to take their relationship to the next level by taking a vacation together. It begins as a regular road trip until they off an annoying litterer and then proceed to leave a trail of bodies in their wake in this pitch black and violent dark comedy.

Stories We Tell: Director/actress Sarah Polley turns the camera on herself and her family in the documentary, Stories We Tell. When she discovers that her dad may not have been her biological father, she sets out to try to determine who her biological father may be by interviewing family and family friends. The film plays like a detective mystery but also examines how different perspectives alter recollections of the past and influence the stories we tell.

Venus and Serena: The fact that two sisters would become two of the most successful athletes in the world is notable in itself, but the fact that “two black girls from Compton” would sit would reach the pinnacle of tennis, long considered a white country club sport is even more miraculous. Documentary Venus and Serena chronicles the Williams sisters’ ascent to the top of the tennis world from humble beginnings through their recent health troubles and comeback.
Available at Amazon
Available at iTunes
Available at Vudu