Amazon Studios, like Netflix, wants hit movies of their own so badly they can taste it. They’ve made valiant tries, and even come up with one Oscar worthy film, “Manchester by the Sea.”

On Friday they released Dan Fogelman’s “Life Itself” into 2,609 theaters– a wide release certainly. But the results are daunting– just $760,000 for the night in ticket sales. UPDATE  “Life Itself” made  $2.1 million for the weekend.

The movie comes from the writer-director of the hit NBC show, “This is Us.” I guess it should have been a bad omen that NBC’s Universal Pictures didn’t release the movie. They, wisely, knew.

Fogelman has been kvetching that male reviewers didn’t understand his hideous film. But women reviewers didn’t like it, either. There is nothing to like whatsoever. It’s a big mess, full of good actors trying to make sense of the crazy, over written, under thought, screenplay. I’m personally offended because it takes place in my neighborhood and involves a city bus killing someone. Thanks, we have enough problems.

Amazon Studios will have to write this off and ponder anew their strategy. They are sitting on Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” because they’re scared of false accusations against the great filmmaker. That is also a problem. It takes courage to release films. I am sure that the actual people at Amazon Studios are having headaches from the produce (as in lettuce, not produce as in producers of films) department. Believe me, no people who “absolutely hate” Woody Allen for the wrong reasons, armed with inaccurate info, are going to buy TVs somewhere else on line.

The first thing that should tip us off about tomorrow’s Dan Fogelman movie release is the title, “Life Itself.” That was just recently the name of a well liked documentary about the late movie critic Roger Ebert. So what’s that all about?

Fogelman is the creator of the hit TV show, “This is Us,” which has a loyal following despite its treacly plot twists and crazy time jumping. In its first two seasons, “This is Us” had so many “surprises” and “revelations” it pretty much wore itself out. The only surprise left is that all the characters are dead, and that their grandchildren are telling the story.

Now comes “Life Itself,” which is manipulative and contrived. The story is so jerry-rigged from the beginning you can guess the twists in the first 20 minutes, if you’re still sitting in your seat. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 13% this morning, which is kind. You can get away with this stuff on TV, I suppose, where it’s all stretched out. But in a movie, where you have the audience’s undivided attention, it’s a different story. The hokum of “Life Itself” is just blaring in a large, dark room.

The movie is the fourth to be distributed by Amazon Studios, which seems to be struggling. Already this year they’ve released “You Were Never Really Here” ($2.5 mil gross) and “Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot” ($1.4 mil). After doing so well with “Manchester by the Sea” and “The Big Sick,” they’re definitely having some growing pains.

James Bond is stepping into a new, uncertain world.

Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who now make announcements with their star, Daniel Craig, have chosen an untested director from TV and indie films.

The new director of “Bond 25” is Cary Joji Fukunaga, known for the indie Oscar nominee “Beasts of No Nation” and the HBO series, “True Detective.” Fukunaga replaces Oscar winner Danny Boyle, with whom the trio could not see eye to eye.

Fukunaga is a daring choice, I guess, in that he’s known more for hype than a long resume. In addition to “True Detective,” he directed 10 episodes each this year of “The Alienist” and “Maniac” two well reviewed off beat series. His features, “Beasts” and “Sin Nombre,” are edgy and intimate, and not traditional action films.

Bond needs a director who will follow the script and answer to producers who are maintaining a legacy. Ironically, Boyle may have been too independent for them. Whether Fukunaga isn’t as well remains to be seen.

At the same, an odd date has been chosen for the untitled film’s release– February 14, 2020, not a Christmas or Memorial Day anchor, and five days after the newly announced 2020 Academy Awards, typically a slow time.

As for Adele coming back to sing the title track– at the rate things are going, that should be on track with the release of her next album considering the snail’s pace of her releases.