Leo Enticknap wrote:
 
> None of the publicity material for "The Sweet Hereafter" mentioned Egoyan's
>  nomination, nor did
> the occasion of its nomination prompt any more aggressive marketing on the
 part
>  of its
> distributor.  I would guess that the reason is that the kind of patron who
 comes
>  to see an Egoyan
> film couldn't give a four-x about the Oscars.  For the kind of patron who
 comes
>  to "Titanic", they
> indicate that the film has something special to offer.
>
 
I agree entirely that the Oscars are about making money but according to
a story in the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper published prior to the
awards, Egoyan's distributor spent over $750,000 in additional
advertising following the nomination--an unusually high amount for a
small budget Canadian film. This advertising was largely aimed at
academy voting members and, according to the story, went a long way in
increasing the film's popularity among the Beverly Hills country club
milieu. What was it Adorno said about art being the ultimate commodity?
 
Darrell Varga
York University
 
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