That's a shame. Especially considering it got pretty good reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival.

maje | September 16, 03:38 CET

This is one of the more stupid decisions I can remember in a while with regards to the entertainment industry. It got good reviews, it had positive buzz, a number of those reviews commented on it being an easy sell at the box office... and then this? This industry baffles me more and more every day.

I for one really liked the film. There's nothing about it that warrants a straight to DVD release.

Impossible | September 16, 03:46 CET

Really? Huh. I'm actually pretty surprised by this decision. Like others have said, it got decent reviews at the last screening and nothing said that it couldn't have raked in a decent profit. I wonder if the lack of success coming from "The Nanny Diaries" affected this decision.

I must say I'm disappointed. I really hope that "The Air I Breathe" and "Southland Tales" don't meet this same fate.

syd | September 16, 04:23 CET

SOUTHLAND TALES is definitely getting a (limited) theatre roll out, syd.

gossi | September 16, 04:25 CET

I live in NYC, luckily, so limited is fine for me. I just don't want a direct to DVD.

syd | September 16, 04:27 CET

I'm thinking SMG is cursed. I have no evidence. It just seems like her movies all go nowhere very very fast. I wonder if she had ever considered television.

IrrationaliTV | September 16, 07:06 CET

Wow, definitely weird... especially since the book it's based on was so popular.

fortunateizzi | September 16, 08:56 CET

A. Baldwins, and the news about his private life, have clearly nothing to do with it, or ...
Guess some exec got sweaty hands, thinking about 5M for the rollout and then another PR desaster. Doubtful that either the quality of the film, nore SMG played a role in this decision.

Snugels | September 16, 10:54 CET

Tip toe thru...oh, nevermind. Should I even begin.

Welcome syd.

Madhatter | September 16, 10:58 CET

There was a rumor about this on some other sites a few weeks back. It was noted that SMG was NOT happy about this decision.

kmb99 | September 16, 11:39 CET

It is a shame and it is also unfortunate that dvd premieres still have the reputation of failure surrounding them especially at a time when the gap between theatrical to dvd release becomes ever shorter (Play.com are already offering pre-orders for the latest Harry Potter film and it's still in the movie top ten over here).

It is true though that the reputation is based on the market being flooded with *a lot* of poor quality films and it is often difficult to tell which are the good ones, particularly considering the rather lurid covers many of these things receive. In fact, it's not even the case that films without a theatrical release even get a d2dvd release. After a year and a half of waiting, I've just imported Woody Allen's Scoop from Sweden.

I suppose the only way this can change is if film magazines such as Empire include a special section appended to the theatrical release section pointing out the best of the bunch -- Kim Newman's Dungeon Breakout tends to cover the more generic stuff -- and if newspapers where to include more coverage in their film review sections which is unlikely.

I do hope this film gets seen though -- Sarah is a great actress when she's given decent material and the right circumstances amd hopefully the awards with will be put on the box in massive letters.

feelinglistless | September 16, 14:09 CET

I just saved it to my Netflix queue.

NurseBobbi | September 16, 16:38 CET

I was really looking forward to seeing this on the big screen.

It's no shame, though, for something to go directly to DVD. I think it's the wave of the future and actually it might be that more and more "quality" indie films are made to go directly to DVD.

Reddygirl | September 16, 19:55 CET

Southland Tales is only getting a limited theatrical release ? (unless proving insanely popular, I suppose) After the cult-and-growing DVD success of Donnie Darko, it doesn't get front and centre widespread ? I guess it has more to do with the Cannes mixed reactions and all the delays and such...downer.

Kris | September 16, 21:39 CET

This sucks beyond the telling of it. I'm so so disappointed and angry with this decision.

Image Entertainment can go diaf. I can't believe for a second that no other company wanted this film. Why OddLot sold it to Image is baffling especially since Image is not a reputable company by any means and is more inclined to release films on DVD. I just don't understand.

I think I'll block it out and pretend it never happened.

Kyotoyoshi | September 16, 22:34 CET

Totally agree with all of the above. A group of us had planned on going to see it in the theater together when it was released. Now it looks like an at home dvd party. I am guessing it really has to do with Alec Baldwin's family blow-up.

angel fan | September 17, 05:16 CET

Or the film could just be really bad.

IrrationaliTV | September 17, 05:54 CET

TamaraC: That's just it. It's not. It got good reviews at Tribeca and it got good audience reactions both when I went and when other friends of mine saw it. I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it's worth.

[ edited by Impossible on 2007-09-17 03:45 ]

Impossible | September 17, 06:45 CET

Ah. Thanks, Impossible. Well then, I got nothing. :)

IrrationaliTV | September 17, 06:55 CET

It's a wonder Daddy Day Care gets a wide release while films like this get pushed into a corner. I can't help but think something shady is afoot.

Kyotoyoshi | September 18, 13:15 CET

As Kyle's mom in South Park would say..
WHAT-WHAT-WHAAAT????
I, too, sense a conspiracy. Maybe since it's a small budget film, the distributors thought it would be OK to make it a DVD release, while "Daddy DayCamp" is a sequel to a successful Eddie Murphy movie. Not a successful sequel, but it's a family film.
This isn't only a slight to SMG, but Alec Baldwin. Outrage, and like that. Well, I'll make it a point to see this film. I would have ranted sooner, but I'm in L-A, where I got a unique look at the Emmys Sunday night. I just hope her other film, "The Air I Breathe" is shown in real theaters soon.

impalergeneral | September 18, 20:08 CET