Oscar Watch

Campaigns for Academy Award nominations kicked off in mid-November with ads trumpeting screenings for such Warners titles as “Batman,” “Lethal Weapon 2” and the upcoming Sylvester Stallone-Kurt Russell actioner, “Tango and Cash.”

Since then, we’ve been tabulating the ads--and hype--appearing in both Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.

Here’s how the race shaped up at press time:

Out front: “Talvisota” (“The Winter War”), Finland’s official entry for foreign-language film, has been touted in nine full-page ads.

But Universal’s “Do the Right Thing” and Columbia’s “When Harry Met Sally . . .” are coming on fast with five full pages each.

Along with ads flagging its special screenings, “Lethal Weapon 2’s” gotten four full pages. So has the little-seen “Valmont”--plus Burt Reynolds’ performance in the little-seen “Breaking In,” now leading the pack for individual performers.

Bringing up the rear: “Dad” (three full pages) and “Parenthood” (two).

But the race has just begun!