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It's a good time to go to the movies with plenty of candidates jostling for the ultimate award. Andy Goldberg reports When the dark, gloomy days of the North American winter set in each year, US movie lovers often find a brighter view inside their local cinemas.
Yes, it's the inevitable awards season again. And even if you can't stand the lame jokes and self-congratulation of the Oscar show and its would-be rivals, at least be grateful that for one month or two they utterly transform the character of Hollywood movies.
The endless parade of hormone-fuelled action movies, raunchy comedies and mindless blockbusters finally slows, making room in American multiplexes for more cerebral attempts at cinematic art, bidding for the gold and glory that come with being an Oscar nominee.
This year has yielded an impressive crop of contenders, spoiling high-minded cinemagoers for choices just as they are forced to spend their every available second of free time shopping for holiday gifts.
"It's crazy," says film buff Jeanie Le Page. "The whole year there's almost nothing to watch, and then suddenly I want to go to the cinema every night."
Even more ridiculous for many cinema lovers is that they have not even had a chance to see most of the movies that feature high among the nominations and critical awards list.
For instance, Atonement, a British World War II drama of lies and forbidden love, was named as the leading nominee for the Golden Globes even before it opened widely in the US. The same process was in place for another favourite, Charlie Wilson's War, which uses a deft satirical touch and the star power of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts to trace the roots of American involvement in Afghanistan.
Many other presumed Oscar favourites have yet to reach screens or have only been released in recent weeks: No Country for Old Men, a searing, violent crime thriller by cult directors Joel and Ethan Coen; Juno, an independent comedy about a pregnant teenager; and Sweeney Todd, a big-budget musical starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.
Another hotly fancied pic, There Will Be Blood starring Daniel Day Lewis as a manically driven oilman, will not even hit most cinemas until well into January.
Audiences have been a little luckier with movies like American Gangster, Into the Wild, The Savages and Michael Clayton, which were released early in awards season, in November.
This crowding of the cinematic calendar is no accident. Industry publicists have figured out that their most artistic movies have a much greater chance of getting votes if they are fresh in the mind of voters. The objective for filmmakers is to earn the kudos of industry professionals, nab a place in the history books and perhaps reinvigorate the passion that got them into film in the first place.
Money doesn't hurt either. The financial value of an Oscar nomination has increased dramatically in recent years with the explosive growth of the DVD market.
Most films now earn more from home sales than at the box office, especially the high-brow movies and intimate dramas that often lose little in translation from the multiplex to the smaller screen in the living room.
"It's an essential part of the equation, and if you feel you have a worthy film you have to factor in the Oscar campaign," film producer Ram Bergman said.
Actors, directors and other creative types no doubt see Oscar accolades as the ultimate professional honour. But investors are also drawn to the chance for a place in the pantheon.
"There's a lot of fresh money coming into our business," David T Friendly, a producer of Little Miss Sunshine, told The New York Times recently. "Most of these investors have already made their fortunes.
So what are they really after? A lot of them are trying to make films that make a difference and movies that might land them that ultimate prize."
