Few Nominees Available for Home Viewing

The bulk of the Oscar-nominated films are still playing in theaters, and most of those--including “American Beauty,” “The Insider” and “The Sixth Sense”--will go into even wider release today to capitalize on the Academy Award attention. Some are already out on video and DVD, but most don’t even have dates set yet for when people will be able to see them at home.

Fox Searchlight’s multiple-Oscar nominee “Boys Don’t Cry,” currently playing in about 30 theaters, will expand nationwide today to more than 100 screens.

USA Films President Russell Schwartz says of his studio’s two nominated films, “Being John Malkovich” and “Topsy-Turvy”: “We’re not going to go super-aggressive adding theaters. Both films have done steady business and we want to build on that.”

Miramax’s “The Cider House Rules” is currently playing in 802 theaters and although there are no changes planned for today, the studio will increase the number of screens to 1,500 on Feb. 25. Sony Pictures Classics will also widen the limited release of Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” on Feb. 25. The Fine Line Features film “Tumbleweeds” will open in one additional area theater today and will be released nationwide on March 3.

But no expansion is needed for best picture nominee “The Green Mile”: It was already on 2,012 screens as of last week and ranked No. 6 at the box office in its 10th week of release.

Unless you’re a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who is being inundated with complimentary “for your consideration” screener videos from the studios, the only films available on video and DVD that received nominations in the high-profile categories are the dark comedy “Election,” which received a best adapted screenplay nod, and the best documentary feature nominee “Buena Vista Social Club.”

But that list widens with the inclusion of nominations in the technical categories. “The Matrix,” which received four nominations (for visual effects, film editing, sound effects editing and sound), is at your local video store, as are “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut,” “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” “Life,” “The Mummy” and “Tarzan,” each of which received one nomination.

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The critically acclaimed but little seen Canadian film “The Red Violin” (which garnered one nomination for original score) is also available on video and DVD.

As far as future video and DVD releases, only a few of the nominated films have dates set. “The Sixth Sense” will arrive in stores on March 28, just two days after the Academy Awards ceremony; “Boys Don’t Cry” is scheduled for April 4; “The Insider” and “Tumbleweeds” for April 11; and “Being John Malkovich” for May 2.

Sony Pictures Classics will release best foreign-language film nominee “East-West” on March 31. “On the Ropes,” a nominated feature documentary, will be televised on the Learning Channel April 4. TLC co-produced the movie.

Four of the best documentary nominees--”Buena Vista Social Club,” “Speaking in Strings,” “On the Ropes” and “Genghis Blues”--will play weekend morning shows at the Laemmle Sunset 5 in Hollywood. (323) 848-3500.