You’ve heard me talk about this before in passing: that the big studios are, in many instances, simply not screening fims for critics before they open. The trend has gotten more pronounced in recent years, to the point where it feels like almost every week, there’s at least one wide release opening “cold.”

What’s also happening, though, too, is that some movies are opening “lukewarm” -- that is, they’re being withheld from critics in some markets but being shown to critics in others. Which is truly bizarre. Because when it comes to movies, there’s barely such a thing as a local market anymore. Just because critics in New York and Los Angeles don’t get to see Gory Horror Movie III: The Bloodening doesn’t mean that the review by the critic who does see it in Portland or Boston won’t be all over the Internet for everyone everywhere to read anyway.

So I’m going to highlight here all the studio films in 2009 I won’t get to see before they open because they’re not being screened for New York critics (or because I’ve been told that they won’t be screened for New York critics even though they are). I’ll also link to my review, if I do subsequently cover the film anyway.

If you have info that screenings of a certain film did occur in some markets, feel free to let me know, and I’ll add that info.

(This was originally posted on Thursday, March 5. It will keep getting bumped up as I add new films to the list.)