âNomadland.â âThe Trial of the Chicago 7.â âMinari.â âPromising Young Woman.â âJudas and the Black Messiah.â âMank.â âSound of Metal.â âThe Father.â
All contending for Oscars at April 25âs Academy Awards ceremony, and all introduced to their largest audiences via assorted TV streaming services, thanks to 2020 COVID-19 protocols that either closed movie theaters or made even diehard film fans wary of possibly contaminated screening rooms.
These days, more and more theaters are reopening in the wake of stepped-up vaccination programs and loosened safety restrictions. And the films awaiting dedicated cinephiles couldnât be more diverse. But most of the venues screening those films are largely variations on a single design theme â sleek, minimalistic, technologically cutting edge. Superficially, more alike than different. That, in stark contrast to the luxe âpicture palacesâ built in the early to mid-20th century by Hollywood studios.