# Famous unreleased movies

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-unreleased-movies/437189>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 11, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-unreleased-movies/437189 "2008-02-11T19:52:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-unreleased-movies/437189/41 "2008-02-17T19:27:01Z")

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[QUOTE=Ranchoth]  
I don’t think the second _Tales from the Far Side_ movie ever got a commercial release (at least, not a wide one).  
[/QUOTE]

You can [buy them both](http://www.thefarside.com/) from Gary Larson’s company.

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-unreleased-movies/437189/42 "2008-02-18T04:35:32Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> There was also a movie a couple of years ago whose entire release was a single performance in a small theater in Texas.

That’s not unique. These token showings allow production companies to sell videos and DVDs as theatrically released movies rather than “direct-to-video”, which is preferable for marketing and/or legal reasons.

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**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-unreleased-movies/437189/43 "2008-02-18T21:02:24Z")

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[QUOTE=Little Nemo]  
That’s not unique. These token showings allow production companies to sell videos and DVDs as theatrically released movies rather than “direct-to-video”, which is preferable for marketing and/or legal reasons.  
[/QUOTE]

I would assume in some cases, companies would do it for award-nomination purposes as well: I believe to be eligible for an Academy Award, a film has to have had a run in a theater in either New York and/or Los Angeles during a certain time period.

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