Sarah Palin Gone from Headlines, But Will She Survive on VOD?
Where did Sarah Palin go? Not so long ago, she was on the cover of major newsweeklies, lead television news broadcasts and was a hot topic in documentary circles, with the releases of Stephen Bannon's shockingly edited hagiography "The Undefeated" and Nick Broomfield's pranky comedy "Sarah Palin: You Becha!"
I covered both films closely, watching the hype of each of the movies peak and crescendo, and then, quickly, disappear into the media ether like so many independent movies. In September, "The Undeafeted" went to VOD; this week, "You Betcha!" will also enter the wilds of the on-demand universe, perhaps never to be heard from again.
Judging from RenTrak's VOD reports for the first weeks of "The Undefeated's" release, the film never did make it into the top ten, suggesting it didn't exactly catch fire in homes as its supporters had hoped. (For comparison, smallish films like "Win Win" and "Everything Must Go" did.)
While I will be disappointed if Broomfield's doc doesn't find much traction either -- it's available on cable VOD this Friday -- I might also consider this just one more sign of Palin's fallen status as both a tabloid and political figure. And I certainly won't be crying about that.
Here's the official synopiss for "You Betcha!," which makes it sound pretty good. (But it isn't really.)
"Nick Broomfield's quest for the real Sarah Palin - A journey across the icy snows of Alaska in mid winter, to meet the school friends, family, and Republican colleagues that in previous days gave their heart, and souls to the charismatic, charming, and intoxicat! ing ex h ockey mum. But it's not all plain sailing. People are frightened to talk, Wasilla makes Twin Peaks look like a walk in the park. It's a devout evangelical community - 76 churches with a population of only 6 thousand, and the Crystal meth capitol of Alaska. Who are the flying monkeys, the enemies, the friends, and most importantly - are you with her or against her? Join the quest and for Christ's sake buy some thermals!
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