Lionsgate has already started sending out DVD screeners of Russell Crowe flick, 3:10 to Yuma, to Academy members and according to the LA Times they are ready to give the film a very hard shove into the limelight as an Oscar contender.

I loved this movie a great deal and as much as I really enjoyed American Gangster, I think 3:10 to Yuma is an even better film. Russell’s performance is wonderful, so I’d love to see some nominations here. Also, since Russell refused to promote this movie due to some disagreements with Lionsgate over the timing of its release, it would be a fun little irony to see him get nominated for it *g*

The article is quite long and worth reading if you’re interested in how the whole Awards season works, but if not — here’s the relevant bits about Yuma. From LA Times

Ortenberg thinks Russell Crowe and Christian Bale’s nicely reviewed western fits right in with that crowd, and that the well-crafted Hollywood-style entertainment will benefit by standing out from the rash of dark, depressing dramas and Iraq war-related movies cannibalizing each other almost weekly at the box office and being served up every weekend at official Academy screenings

To that end, even though the official screening of “3:10 to Yuma” was reportedly enthusiastically applauded last month, its distributor is making sure Academy members don’t forget it.

They are four-walling the film at theaters in Pasadena, the Valley and the Beverly Hills Music Hall from November through February, as well as taking many trade ads and, during the heat of the season, full-page advertisements on most Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays in the Los Angeles Times.

Additionally, they are buying the prime marquee space during the entire season at the Music Hall, which just happens to be almost directly across the street from — you guessed it — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

I expect, when it comes down to it, that both Yuma and American Gangster will wind up with heaps of nominations and not just for the Oscars. So it will be Russell against Russell this year, I just bet.

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