No longer a taster of great films

That wasn’t always that way. In the heyday of legendary art-house cinemas like the Nickelodeon and the Orson Welles, independent bookers in Boston and Cambridge were at the vanguard of important changes in the movie business. Foreign films and independently produced masterpieces found their audiences here, and success in this area built momentum for elsewhere. Now, the process of opening an art film is every bit as stage-managed as that of a Hollywood blockbuster. Festivals come first, then the money and media capitals of New York and Los Angeles, and then other large cities with sophisticated audiences. Perhaps Boston should feel fortunate that it won’t have to wait as long as Peoria.

Boston’s second-stop status is especially unfortunate since a large new art house, the Stuart Street Playhouse, opened Oct. 30. Its wide screen would be perfect to test the appeal of a “Precious.’’ But the Stuart Street Playhouse has been struggling to attract audiences with a marquee of medium-grade foreign flims and second-run art hits. For many local movie fans, the thrill of discovery is gone, and with it much of the critical energy that used to make film-going here feel vital and adventurous. The issues surrounding “Precious’’ - whether it is an unvarnished look at inner-city life, or plays too much on stereotypes - already seem stale, like last year’s selection of the Oprah Book Club.

Still, Lionsgate is probably right that people will follow the media buzz; in a parched market, “Precious’’ will provide some sustenance. But it’s been a sadly long time since local bookers or filmgoers have had much say in the matter. That would be precious indeed.