A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : SUPPORT WOES : There’s Always Door-to-Door

When Carolco Pictures and New Line Cinema set up Seven Arts, a low-budget distribution co-venture intended to finance and produce low-cost films, one of the company’s first movies out of the box was the critically acclaimed “Rambling Rose,” which at one time looked like it had a shot at several Oscar nominations.

But to snag Oscar nominations, a film needs more than great reviews. It needs a company behind it that will shell out big bucks for a splashy Oscar advertising campaign, which includes everything from ads in the Hollywood trade papers to mailing promotional items to academy members. That’s something cash-poor Carolco, which last week faced mounting financial troubles and possible bankruptcy, can’t do. Carolco recently announced that Seven Arts is up for review, and most industry observers speculate it will fold.

So where does this leave director Martha Coolidge’s film, which stars Robert Duvall, Diane Ladd and Laura Dern in performances that film critics praised effusively?

“When we got the news about the division, we had to cut back considerably on our original plan, which would have been a lot of advertising,” admits Brenda Mutchnick, Seven Arts’ head of marketing. “Fortunately, we were able to salvage a little bit of everything so we could at least make a real presence.”

One way studios like to make a real presence with their films during nominations time is with the use of numerous, colorful, elaborate ads in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, announcing in which categories they want their films considered. Studios take out anywhere from 14 to 20 trade ads, but Mutchnick says that with the budget-slashing at Carolco, she can afford only four pages of ads, hyping only the movie--not best actor and actress, supporting actor and actress or director.

“Ordinarily, the cost of ads for individuals is picked up by a studio, but we just can’t do it this year,” says Mutchnick, who has been supplying artwork to those who want to buy their own ads.

Mutchnick feels the cutback on the “Rambling Rose” Oscar campaign might be a blessing in disguise. “There’s a real problem with overkill that’s almost an affront to the academy members,” she says.

But another marketing executive disagreed: “It’s all about how much money you spend before the nominations,” he says. “It’s just like political advertising. The more you can do to make your film visible to the academy members, the better.”