Interesting thought...

[Hollywood Z]

The release of Babel on the day of the voting deadline, on the other hand, bespeaks a studio without much faith in its film's chances

Very true. You'd think that after a Golden Globe win for Best Dramatic Picture that it would be a signal to the studio to begin a strong campaign for it, yet Babel's promoters seem to not be pushing it very much. You'd think they'd have more faith in it, which could be a good indicator that there won't be a Departed/ Babel split where Little Miss Sunshine could sneak in.

[dws1982]

(unlike The Queen, which has been holding on at art theaters for months, very big among older patrons at matinees.)

That's definitely true. I saw it on a Wednesday afternoon in December, and the theater had around 30-40 people--almost all over fifty--in it, which I've never seen at a Wednesday afternoon show. (As opposed to Babel, which I saw on a Wednesday afternoon in January, and I was the only one in the theater.)

[Dennis Bee]

I think the ubiquity of the LMS DVD, released over the holidays in the US, was part of the film's campaign. Similarly, the renewed attention to The Departed, in reviews and great sales in the week before ballots were due might have been smart strategy, especially for a movie some were saying peaked too soon. The release of Babel on the day of the voting deadline, on the other hand, bespeaks a studio without much faith in its film's chances, especially since the nominations weren't all that helpful to a film that never took off at the box office with any sector. (unlike The Queen, which has been holding on at art theaters for months, very big among older patrons at matinees.)

[Hollywood Z]

This is the first time that the three serious contenders for Best Picture (Babel, The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine) are all out for rental already. Wasn't there some kind of rule before hand that if your movie was already released for rental before the oscars, it would hinder your chances (though that rule didn't apply for The Silence of the Lambs, Gladiator and Crash)