The New York Times > Movies > Oscars 2005 > Sure, You Can Watch the Oscars, but Can You See All the Nominated Movies?

The New York Times > Movies > Oscars 2005 > Sure, You Can Watch the Oscars, but Can You See All the Nominated Movies?:

Coming from South Texas, this is certain something that hits close to home. The availability of movies to smaller markets is a widespread, and understandable problem. But it does all the people and the films an injustice.

But look at the vast technological capability our society has amassed over the last few years. Should it really be the case for much longer that areas that HAVE movie theaters should be deprived of seeing movies that can distributed ubiquitously via digital transport and projection?

if you count all the individuals dispersed into the country, the market for each film is bigger, probably MUCH bigger, than the numbers currently show. And given more effective distribution channels, it won't only be possible to get movies places after oscar buzz has taken effect.

"The first cities to get most independent films are New York and Los Angeles, said Russ Collins, executive director of the Michigan Theater, which was built in 1928 and shows independent films in its vast auditorium and in an intimate screening room. Next comes a ring of big cities like Chicago, Dallas and Seattle, he said - an assertion confirmed by the distributors. The third tier includes smaller cities and college towns with sizable moviegoing populations, like Ann Arbor. The fourth tier, he said, receives movies long after they open or perhaps not at all, forcing avid filmgoers to buy or rent DVD's and videos."

I wonder where I can get a list of these sizeable moviegoing populations :)