Ipswich cinemas pass on winners

Ipswich residents will have to travel to Brisbane to see The Hurt Locker.

IPSWICH film-lovers who want to see the films which took the Oscars for best picture, best director, best actor or best supporting actress, will need to drive for at least 40 minutes.

Birch Carroll and Coyle Ipswich and Redbank Reading Cinemas are not screening the major winners from Monday night’s Academy Awards ceremony, The Hurt Locker, Precious and Crazy Heart.

But they are showing sappy romantic drama Dear John, John Travolta’s poorly received action piece From Paris with Love and one of the worst reviewed films of 2009 – Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

And Avatar is still radiating blue through Ipswich screens, two months after its release.

Jodie Smith from Willowbank said she was sick of having to travel to Indooroopilly to see quality films.

“We’re still being treated like a hick town when we are not,” Ms Smith said.

“People here want to see quality films, but we’re always missing out.”

War thriller The Hurt Locker won best picture, best director and best original screenplay at the Academy Awards.

Crazy Heart actor Jeff Bridges took the best actor gong and Precious actress Mo’Nique won the best supporting actress statue.

“I watched the Oscars and wanted to see The Hurt Locker the next day, but I looked in the guide and of course it’s not playing in Ipswich,” Ms Smith said.

“It’s the same every year, they always neglect the good movies.

“I have wanted to see Precious and they aren’t showing it even though it’s a mainstream film.”

Both cinemas, however, are showing Martin Scorsese’s psychological thriller Shutter Island and The Blind Side, which stars Sandra Bullock in her Oscar-winning best actress role.

Neither Reading Redbank cinemas nor Ipswich Birch Carroll and Coyle cinemas could be contacted for comment yesterday.