“The Hurt Locker”, which sank without a trace in theatres last summer but was shoved back into the conversation last month when it won all those critics’ awards, arrives on video this week. Perfect timing, really, with the Golden Globes just days away and the Oscar nominations looming.
So, naturally, my latest MSN DVD column focuses on Kathryn Bigelow’s long-awaited return to form, and why you should see the damn thing. Because you really should.
In other news, the Toronto Film Critics Association — which named Bigelow the Best Director of 2009 — held its awards gala last night. Bigelow was not in attendance, but Denis Villeneuve was … which was nice, because “Polytechnique” won the Best Canadian Film prize, and if he hadn’t been there to accept it in person, that would have been awkward.
So, basically, a good day all around.
Why…WHY…did you put the image of Matthew McConaughey playing the lead in The Hurt Locker (which was my favorite of an admittedly small list of movies I saw on the big screen last year) into my head? You shouldn’t do that kind of thing unless you also have an antidote.
The way The Hurt Locker was released was odd, as it slipped in and out of theatres with so little promotion. I mean, it would have been very easy for the studio to put together a commercial with ‘splosions and gunfire and guys yelling in order to draw in the typical multiplex crowd. Probably could have got one big weekend. Deceptive yes, but would have made those folks some ROI, and got the film some deserved exposure.
Also, bootleg copies of it were available on torrent sites well in advance of its theatrical release. Don’t know if that hurt it (no pun intended) at the box office, but it might have. Also indicates that there must have been screeners out there, so the studio must have thought they had a quality film that could draw good notices and awards.
@ SteveB — I think the proliferation of bootlegs (which were popping up around Toronto’s Chinatown last spring) had more to do with the film’s staggered international release schedule; it opened in Europe shortly after playing TIFF ’08, and was available as an R2 DVD just before its North American theatrical run. I almost bought the Italian BD edition at one point, not knowing how long it might be before I got another chance to see it, but then that whole gift/curse thing kicked in and Maple set the Canadian date.
@ Chris — sorry. I came across “Sahara” on an HD channel the other night and had a revelation: There but for the grace of Bigelow …
I do think that The Hurt Locker had a lengthy run at the Varisty when it opened here. I wonder if this is one of those American films that did proportionately better at the box office in Canada than it did in the U.S.?