In the Post’s Outlook section Sunday, Ned Martel lamented the fact that even with all kinds of modern technology like “so many prints available,” Washington moviegoers still have to wait in line far too often behind New York and Los Angeles audiences who get to see most new releases before anyone else.

Over at Arts Desk, Jonathan L. Fischer just posted a very thorough takedown of Martel’s essay.

But Martel tried something servicey, too. Besides his kvetching about release dates, Martel offered a sidebar suggesting some 2012 releases that he feels will do especially well with Washington viewers. Hey, we got J. Edgar same day as New York and Los Angeles because we like super-paranoid bureaucrats, right?

Actually, Fischer wraps up his rant by warning against relying too heavily upon the “typical D.C.” genres like political dramas and espionage thrillers:

And please—let’s ditch this crap about Washington’s cultural life being a significant extension of its political, policy, and diplomatic life. That’s the kind of bullshit that makes D.C. movies terrible.

Let’s take a look at some of Martel’s upcoming D.C.-friendly movies, though it looks like he’s a firm subscriber of that “Poliwood” nonsense glossies like Capitol File and Washington Life are always pushing.

Red Tails (Jan. 20)
Martel says: “George Lucas production recalls 1944 and the Pentagon’s last-ditch move to reverse Allied losses in Europe. Their from-the-gut decision: Send in the Tuskegee Airmen.”
We say: Winning story, but Lucas is a shaky bet for a good time at the movies.

The Raven (March 9)
Martel says: “Gothic and thirsty to the end”
We say: More of a Baltimore story, no? Plus, The Simpsons already did it.

Lock-Out (April 20)
Martel says: “What if prisons were in space?”
We say: OK, not really sure about the D.C. hook here, but, you know, space jail could be fun.

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter (June 22)
Martel says: “Nuff said.”
We say: Agreed.

Dog Fight (Aug. 10)
Martel says: “Imagine that candidates on the road to the White House made doofus mistakes in front of live audiences. (Unthinkable!) Allow Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis to demonstrate.”
We say: True, but this is as mass-market as anything on the list.

Argo (Sept. 14)
Martel says: “In 1979, real-life Langley spies used real-life Hollywood producers to stage something very fake: a movie shoot that was actually a cover to sneak six Americans out of Tehran.”
We say: Starring and directed by Ben Affleck, this one actually shot here. Per Affleck’s brief directorial oeuvre, expect whizbang action scenes and heavy Boston accents.

Lincoln (December 2012)
Martel says: “The solemn 16th president … leads the nation out of the Civil War with his Team of Rivals squawking and his family fraying.”
We say: The other Lincoln movie sounds more fun.