Some big movies still to come to Las Vegas as word-of-mouth builds

Tis the season.

No, not that one.

After all, it's 2010, so the '09 holiday season officially has become a ghost of Christmas past.

But Las Vegas movie buffs still are waiting for some cinematic treats to turn up at local theaters.

Not as many as in previous years, perhaps, but that doesn't make the wait any easier.

Folks on the coasts already have caught up with Jeff Bridges' latest Oscar-worthy portrayal -- that of an on-the-skids country singer in desperate need of redemption -- in "Crazy Heart," which is scheduled to open here Jan. 22. (Movies must play a week in New York or Los Angeles during any calendar year to qualify for Academy Award consideration.)

Another likely Oscar contender -- Colin Firth as "A Single Man," a '60s English professor mourning the sudden death of his lover -- is similarly missing in action on local screens. (There's no local opening date for that one as yet.)

"The Lovely Bones" -- based on Alice Sebold's novel about a murdered girl watching over her surviving family -- has been playing in some cities since mid-December, but it's not scheduled to arrive here until Jan. 15. Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci and Saoirse Ronan co-star for "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson.

And director Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" -- Heath Ledger's final movie -- is scheduled to open in Las Vegas next week. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell co-star, having signed on so Gilliam could finish the movie after Ledger suddenly, shockingly died in January 2008, before shooting had finished.

It's the usual crop of Oscar hopefuls and prestige releases -- albeit a bit smaller one than usual, considering that some likely contenders ("Up in the Air" and "Precious" among them) actually made it to local theaters in 2009.

"Platforming films is a way for them to find a place in the market," explains Jeremy Devine, marketing vice president for Rave Motion Pictures; Rave's Town Square 18 was one of two Southern Nevada theaters showing "Up in the Air" before its wide release Dec. 23.

Such movies, "if they go out too quickly, they get lost in the shuffle," Devine observes. (A case in point: "The Hurt Locker," which has won "Best Film of 2009" awards from numerous critics' groups -- but died at the box office during its summer release.)

Movies that open first in big cities, then widen after reviews and word-of-mouth kick in, tend to be "indie-minded films" with "a more esoteric appeal," according to veteran box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com.

In short, they're the movies distributors "don't feel they can blast right into wide release," he says. And while "they're usually pretty good movies," distributors "need to nurture these films in a different way" than the "Avatars" and "Twilights" of the world.

"It's almost like a test run," Dergarabedian says.

To put such movies in 3,000 theaters (a typical run for a high-profile studio release) "is not only prohibitively expensive, but it might take away the momentum," he suggests. "A good strategy for most of these films is building word-of-mouth."

Releases also "get a big marketing push" with year-end critics' awards, in Dergarabedian's view. The "Twilight" sequel "New Moon," for example, is not a movie you would ever platform, but that approach can be a major key to success for a movie such as "Slumdog Millionaire," last year's Oscars champ.

Yet this year's indie crop doesn't seem to have a "Slumdog Millionaire" waiting to jump out of nowhere to lead the pack, says Lee Josselyn, vice president and film buyer for Galaxy Theatres, which operates the Cannery's 14-screen multiplex in North Las Vegas.

"It's been a disappointing year for the art business," Josselyn says. "They're having a terrible time." Especially without breakout hits such as "Slumdog" or "Little Miss Sunshine" to galvanize the box office, he adds.

It's also frustrating for local movie fans to watch stars promote their latest releases -- and have to wait for those releases to show up in Southern Nevada.

" 'Crazy Heart' is a great example" of that trend, Dergarabedian says, citing Bridges' promoting it in December -- despite the fact that the movie hadn't yet opened in most cities.

"There's national press -- but not national availability," Dergarabedian notes. "It does confuse people throughout the country."

But all good things come to those who wait. (And "Crazy Heart's" definitely worth the wait.)

As always, the bottom line for any movie's distributor remains "how do you actually get it noticed?" Devine says.

And a key component may be looking beyond the major summer and holiday release dates.

"You have to extend the season," Devine says. "There's some recognition that you can't shovel everything in in May, July 4 and Christmas."

Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.