Shuffled Island, Scorsese's Schedules

I neglected to mention the news of Shutter Island's shift to 2010 when it spread across the internet Friday (I swear, if you don't have your laptop grafted onto your body these days...). This shuffling happens to movies every year and everyone (including myself sometimes) acts surprised and put out as if it's never happened before. We have agreed to collective amnesia.

Dennis Lehane's 6th novel Mystic River was on screen two years after it

was published. His 7th, Shutter Island, is taking longer to crossover.

Generally speaking such schedule switcheroos prompt three distinct reactions each year

1. The studio lacks confidence in the movie and/or the movie isn't any good (suggesting that good = Oscar which it doesn't but that's another story)
   
2. This movie wasn't going to be AMPAS's cuppa anyway, no matter when it opened. Might be a good decision financially.
   
3. Yay. Something that's not total garbage is going to open in the early months of the year!

Hollywood is Pavlov and we are the dogs. Each of these groupthink reflexes has been carefully conditioned in us. They've trained us to expect junk in the first quarter, blockbusters and counterprogrammers in the second and third, prestige films in the final. Anything that appears to be in its wrong season -- as if there should be wrong seasons for things as wonderful as movies -- is immediately suspect whether it be an f/x epic, a romantic comedy, or a film from a major auteur.

--> Scorsese at Cannes with his genius editor Thelma Schoonmaker in Cannes in May to celebrate The Red Shoes (directed by Thelma's late husband Michael Powell). Thelma & Marty have made 16 narrative features together, plus documentaries and shorts.

The truth about Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island could lie anywhere. I'm leaning towards #2. I was anxious to see this hallucinatory potboiler, too, but think of the bright side: We've got more time to read the novel before the movie arrives on February 19th, 2010.

And finally, it's worth noting: Scorsese isn't exactly speedy. Who knows what's happening in Post. If the film is complete that doesn't mean he won't decide to tinker. Didn't Gangs of New York even appear in winter magazine previews for 2001 before being pushed back 12 months for December '02? We're always talking about release dates when it comes to Oscar... but what of release dates when it comes to filmmakers? Is there any consistency with Scorsese? Let's look at his 20 narrative features, release dates and Oscar's reaction (Best Picture nominees are in red).

• The Departed | Oct 6th, 2006 | 5 noms, 4 wins
  
• The Aviator | Dec 17th, 2004 | 11 noms, 5 wins
• Gangs of New York | Dec 20th, 2002 | 10 nominations
• Bringing Out the Dead | Oct 22nd, 1999 | ignored
• Kundun | Dec 25th, 1997 | 4 nominations
• Casino | Nov 22nd, 1995 | 1 nomination
• The Age of Innocence | Sept 17th, 1993 | 5 noms, 1 win
• Cape Fear | Nov 13th, 1991 | 2 nominations
• Goodfellas | Sept 19th, 1990 | 6 noms, 1 win
• The Last Temptation of Christ | Aug 12th, 1988 | 1 nomination
• The Color of Money | Oct 17th, 1986 | 4 noms, 1 win
• After Hours | Sept 13th, 1985 | ignored
• The King of Comedy | Feb 18th, 1983 | ignored
• Raging Bull | Dec 19th, 1980 | 8 noms, 2 wins
• New York, New York | June 21st, 1977 | ignored
• Taxi Driver | Feb 8th, 1976 | 4 nominations
• Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore | Dec 9th, 1974 | 3 noms, 1 win
• Mean Streets | Oct 14th, 1973 | ignored
• Boxcar Bertha | June 14th, 1972 | ignored
• Who's That Knocking At My Door? | Sept 8th, 1968 | ignored
  

Yep, he's an "Autumn" all right... though you can see how much more fluid Hollywood once was with prestige movie scheduling the further back in time you go. His only previous February openings, The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, happen to be my two favorites, no fooling. Does this mean I should be very very very excited for Shutter Island or should I stop being so superstitious about release dates?

How is the move to 2010 sitting with you? Or are you eternally impatient when it comes to Oscar season? I'm guessing you're ready to get the party started. I know I am.
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