Judging by the fact that you just clicked on an article about Nymphomaniac, I feel pretty comfortable in saying you probably fall into one of two camps. Either you’re comfortable enough with sex, nudity and various perversions that you’re not weirded out by this film’s existence, or you’re so uncomfortable with sex, nudity and various perversions that you secretly and obsessively seek out news on this film to get your moral judgment on. Either way, this news will affect you. Rather than angling for a conventional release, Magnolia Pictures has decided to heavily push a corresponding Video On Demand option, which will allow members of the first group to comfortably enjoy the graphic sexual content from the privacy of their own homes and allow members of the second group to hate watch Shia LaBeouf’s O-face without having to go to the theater. Win-Win.
According to Deadline, the conventional release dates for Lars Von Trier’s two-part film have been set for March 21 and April 18, and the Video On Demand dates have been set at March 6 and April 3. Given it will almost certainly grab an NC-17 rating, however, it’s unclear how many theaters the film will actually play in. Some of the larger chains want no part of sexually graphic material, and this movie will be nothing if not full of boobs and dicks. Besides, the fifteen day lead time for VOD lets you know which route the studio would prefer you take.
Over the last hundred or so years, the world has come a long way in terms of accepting sex and pushing the boundaries of what we’re collectively comfortable with. Most of us are now okay with things like losing V-cards prior to marriage and at least somewhat unconventional relationships, but even so, watching other people graphically fuck while in a dark room surrounded by strangers is a mountain many of us don’t feel like climbing. It just brings with it such a seedy element, and most of us have a secret fear that we’ll run into a family member or someone we wouldn’t particularly like to watch Nymphomaniac alongside.
At this point, it’s hard to gauge how much actual interest there will be in seeing the film that follows the title nymphomaniac’s long and complicated sexual history. There was clearly a lot of interest in watching the trailer, but knowing content exists and willingly paying to see it are two very different things. Luckily, you have a few months to decide what you’d like to do. Until then, you can watch the trailer from the comfort of your own home for free…
Reminder: This is obviously NSFW. Very NSFW.
(This video has been removed. Sad!)
