STRAIGHT TO VIDEO.(DVD Premiere Awards)

It's awards season in Hollywood, and sneaking in between the People's Choice Awards and the Golden Globes a couple of weeks ago were the oddly glamorous DVD Premiere Awards, a non-televised event honoring the best movies and original programming to premiere last year in the DVD format. Outside the Wiltern Theatre, in Los Angeles, the red carpet was clogged with members of the press, screaming fans, and--just for starters--the Olsens (Mary-Kate and Ashley), the Weinsteins (Harvey and Bob), the Hansons (the three hockey guys from "Slap Shot"), and the Tarantinos (just Quentin, actually). The Olsens, Weinsteins, and Tarantino all knew that they were going to receive honorary awards, but the Hansons, who were nominated for best supporting actor, for their work in "Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice," looked excited and a little nervous in their matching white tuxedos.

Tom DiCillo, the writer and director of "Living in Oblivion" and "Johnny Suede," had flown in from New York. His latest movie, "Double Whammy," had received five nominations, including best picture, best original screenplay, best actress (Elizabeth Hurley), and best actor (Denis Leary). The only problem for DiCillo was that this film, like his others, was supposed to have been released in theatres. "I've got to admit," he said, "I was conflicted about the whole experience." DiCillo, who is a lanky, soft-spoken man of forty-eight, said he decided to attend "out of an obligation to the film. I was proud of it. But if I won, it would almost be like standing up to say I fucked up--because I made the film to open on the big screen."

After Scott Hettrick, the head of the DVD Premieres Academy, gave the requisite introductory speech establishing the fact that DVDs are a huge business, the show was off and running. The first hour featured some unusual categories--Best Internet Premiere and Best Menu Design, for example--and then Robbie Robertson, of The Band, came onstage to accept, on behalf of himself and Martin Scorsese, the award for Best Audio Commentary (Library Title), for the reissue of "The Last Waltz." Robertson peered out at the crowd and smiled. "Is it just me, or is this not the 'Twilight Zone' of award shows?" he said. "I keep expecting David Lynch to stand up and yell 'Cut!' "

In his seat at a small table toward the back, Tom DiCillo looked ...