[weegee]

Yes but Mel didn't run around screening Braveheart for hundreds (thousands now?) of people the year before he released the film to the public.

That LA qualifying run is a key requirement for getting an Oscar nomination. There are plenty of films that play NY and LA in late December a month or more in advance of the release to the rest of the nation.

[baseballfanjm]

I see your point and you are probably right.

I don't think he cares a thing for Oscars for this film though, but if he's screening for thousands of people, yeah, why not screen in LA?