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Redbox’s arbitrary winners

December 29, 2011 Awards, Film Industry

Redbox, the DVD rental kiosk company, sent out a [press release](http://www.marketwatch.com/story/and-the-winner-is-redbox-announces-its-top-rentals-in-2011-2011-12-29) with a list of their most-rented titles for 2011:

* Most-Rented Movie: Just Go With It
* Most-Rented Action Movie: The Green Hornet
* Most-Rented Comedy Movie: Just Go With It
* Most-Rented Drama Movie: The Tourist
* Most-Rented Family Movie: Rango
* Most-Rented Horror Movie: Insidious

Huh-wuh?

I couldn’t remember what Just Go With It even was — although I was pretty sure Katherine Heigl was in it.

But I was wrong.

Just Go With It was the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston comedy I never saw. My first instinct was to write something snide about how Adam Sandler is a big star among Americans who get their cinema and broccoli at the same place.

However, that would be unfair. The movie was financially successful: $103 million domestic box office. But that ranks it [only #25](http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2011&p=.htm) among the top movies of the year.

In fact, none of the films on Redbox’s most-rented list made the box office top 10 for the year — Rango made the most, landing at #19.

So why are they the winners here?

**Because they happened to come out early in 2011 (or late in 2010), and were on video longer.**

Title Theatrical Release Video Release
Just Go With It 2/11/11 6/7/2011
The Green Hornet 1/14/11 5/3/11
The Tourist 12/10/10 3/22/11
Rango 3/4/11 7/15/11
Insidious 4/1/11 7/12/11

Redbox’s list could more honestly be called, “Some movies that came out on video early in 2011.”

Related Posts

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  2. What a flop feels like
  3. The Get A Mentor program

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