Schrader said it will be months before he'll let critics and film fans see the movie, which also stars adult actor James Deen, because he fears the project will be unfairly savaged because of the embattled "Mean Girls" star Lohan's involvement, reported TMZ online.
"The intense reactions to Lohan's 2012 TV movie 'Liz and Dick' and the Times magazine article have made us realise that there will be an immediate blowback once 'The Canyons' is publicly screened.
"That's the nature of anything involving Lindsay. In a way it's good we're not at Sundance. We weren't prepared, we weren't organised," he added.
But Schrader insists his decision to stall screenings have nothing to do with the quality of the movie.
"The film is very good. I have no qualms about that."