http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... ssion_dc_3

Good on Mel.Studios spend millions on these campaigns and Gibson knows that it isnt worth it,especially for his film.I think he knows the film wont be nominated anyway.

It's a smart move on his part. He would only be criticized for campaigning. It's not really necessary.

Who knows,Maybe the academy will like this move and nominate him.

Campaigning.

The fact that this article exists at all is free campaigning.

I read an article of the same subject in LA Times.

He won't be spending money on TV or any poster ads or that of the kind.
The studio will be sending out 6-7,000 DVD copies
And there will be screenings for I guess award people...

The artcile made it seem like this was their "strategy"
I do not for one minute think that Mel is doing this because he thinks he has no shot or the studio thinks they have no shot. I mean, that's a little far-fetched.

As of now, I think Passion is going to be the REAL unpredictability factor out of anything this year! I mean, now, I am almost sure it won't get a BP nod, but you really can't count it out of the running. It is to me one of the 5 best films of the year, but I can't get a gut reading of the academy for this one!

In my view:

Every film has a different campaign, and some films need the visibility that an Oscar campaign can produce. The most important things are screenings and those handy DVDs (which shouldn't be a problem because it's already out on DVD anyway).

The campaign seems to be one of being visible and using reverse psychology. Need I remind you all that most of the articles about campaigning and Oscar chances this year have been about Fahrenheit and Passion :? And using these types of interviews which state that the director "thinks the film has no chance" or there is "no way the Academy would vote for something that white-bread America digs" is just attempting to use reverse psychology in a subtle way. The fact is, the film is getting press, and it's getting OSCAR press.

If a film like the Passion of the Christ had a really visible campaign it would backfire on them a great deal with certain sectors of the audience. I think they are weary of pissing off certain sectors again and making it even harder to get a nomination.

Still, it's a little selfish of Mel not to campaign certain aspects of the film. There were other people who worked on this film, and there are other awards that The Passion is really in the running for (Score, Make-Up, Costumes, Art Direction, Cinematography) that it actually has a chance of winning. If it was me, I think it would be worth doing a limited amount of FYC ads which focus on these aspects of the work which are not as controversial as a Best Picture, Best Director or Best Adapted Screenplay campaign would be.

But that's just me.

Well, I think it is a smart move. In the end if the movie doesn't get any noms, one can blame it on the lack of campagning and not on the actual flaws of the movie.

I think not campiagning the movie IS their campaign, and it's a somewhat smart one.

It'll get it attention.