With 2013 just around the corner, folks have been busy wrapping up their lists of both the best and worst of the year in film. But what about the movies no one cared about? Each week sees the release of more movies than anyone can care to catch up with, and inevitablysome fall through the cracks or are simply swept under the rug by their distributor. And in 2012, the dubious distinction of being the movie that audiences cared about the least falls on “Playback.”
Starring Christian Slater, the very low rent movie is basically a ripoff of “The Ring” about a videotape of some brutal murders that is causing some supernatural trouble years later. Perhaps it’s the best we can expect from director Michael A. Nickles, whose previous claim to “fame,” is “Just Peck,” some family comedy starring Keir Gilchrist and Brie Larson that went straight to video earlier this year.
As for “Playback,” Magnet Releasing probably knew they had a stinker on their hands, and chose to release the movie in one theater, probably to fulfill a contractual obligation. It took in a whopping $252 in its first week, and then sold $12 (one ticket?) in week two before it was dumped to forever spook VOD outlets. And as you can see from the trailer below, it all looks like it was cobbled together one weekend when Slater had nothing better to do, and had a few extra days rental on a cop uniform he’d rented for a party.
So play out 2012 with a sad violin for “Playback” and watch below. [Movieline]
