It was the year that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was the movie box-office blockbuster.

Or, rather the anti-blockbuster.

To put a finer point on it, COVID-19 made the movies go bust.

The horror-action-drama wasn’t only on the screen.

Almost overnight, movie theaters across the United States and around the world shut down in mid-March 2020.

Movie theaters didn’t only close. Some movie theaters have not reopened. That’s partly because there were few new movies to show.

Releases postponed

The release dates of major moves were postponed and postponed again.

”No Time To Die,” the 25th James Bond movie and said to be the last as Daniel Craig as Agent 007, was postponed from November 2019 to February 2020 to April 2020 to November 2020 to April 2, 2021, and now to Oct. 8, 2021.

“Black Widow,” starring Scarlett Johansson as the Marvel Comics superhero, was postponed from May 11, 2020, to July 19, 2021.

“West Side Story,” the director Steven Spielberg version of the classic Broadway musical, was moved from Dec. 18, 2020, to Dec. 10, 2021.

“Mission Impossible 7,” with Tom Cruise reprising his role, was postponed from July 23, 2021, to May 27, 2022.

Theaters close

Whether a lack of blockbusters or independent movies, the dearth of theatrical releases took its toll.

Alamo Drafthouse filed for bankruptcy and will close several movie theaters in its chain.

New Vision liquidated. AMC may take over the Tilghman 8 location.

As of April 14, Regal Northampton Cinema and Regal Richland Crossing websites listed its theaters as “temporarily closed.”

As of April 12, movie theaters in Pennsylvania are allowed to operate at 20 percent to 49 percent of capacity.

COVID-19 mitigation protocol is in effect, including the wearing of face masks and socially-distanced seating.

AMC Center Valley 16 and AMC Classic Allentown 16 are open.

The Movie Tavern Trexlertown is open.

Frank Banko Cinemas, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, is open.

Civic Theatre of Allentown and its Theatre514 is closed.

The Roxy, Northampton, is closed.

As of April 16, Shankweiler’s Drive-In, Becky’s Drive-In and Mahoning Drive-In Theatre are open.

Drive-ins, where the family vehicle became a socially-distanced steel pod safe room, experienced a return engagement during the pandemic.

For those who didn’t venture out, movie studios, via streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max, Disney+ and Hulu, among others, drove the movies home.

Oscar pivots

It was a pivot for Oscar, too. Eligible films were extended to those opening up to Feb. 28, 2021, which was the usual date for the Academy Awards ceremony and telecast.

In previous years, a movie had to open in at least one movie theater in Los Angeles or New York no later than December to qualify for the Oscars.

This year’s Oscars, like so many awards shows, will be virtual, with the 93rd Oscars telecast on ABC at 8 p.m. April 25.

With the proliferation of formats, it begs the question: When is a movie a movie? When is a TV show a TV show? And when is a filmed play a filmed play?

The answers are not clear, nor will they be conclusive anytime soon.

In the 2021 Oscar race, some of the nominees never screened in movie theaters, but streamed instead, including “Sound of Metal,” “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “The United States v. Billie Holiday” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

The 93rd Oscars, as always, represents the zeitgeist. Perhaps not surprisingly, Oscar seems particularly political in 2021.

Nominee trends

There are several interesting trends, bookends, if you, will, especially in the best-picture category.

There’s “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

Each represents protest movements of the 1960s: that of the Black Power movement and that of the anti-Vietnam War movement.

Two other best picture nominees represent personal politics: “Nomadland” and “Minari.”

In “Normadland,” the RV culture headed for the highway in America’s great wide west. In “Minari,” a Korean immigrant family put down roots with their farm in Arkansas.

Two other best picture nominees represent women in peril: “Mank” and “Promising Young Woman.”

In “Mank,” Marion Davies, played by Allentown native Amanda Seyfried, is represented as an independent woman under the thumb of powerful men, including her paramour, William Randolph Hearst.

In “Promising Young Woman,” Carey Mulligan takes the feminist movement in her own hands and takes it out on men who try to take advantage of her.

Two other best picture nominees represent a loss of mental and physical capacity for men. In “The Father,” Anthony Hopkins portrays a man descending into dementia. In “Sound of Metal,” Riz Ahmed portrays a rock drummer who has lost his hearing.

Oscar picks

But I digress.

Who will win at the Oscars, you ask?

That’s what everyone wants to know.

That’s what I want to know.

It’s a particularly competitive year in the major categories.

In the Lehigh Valley Press Focus section annual “Readers Pick the Oscar Winners” contest, there are seven categories.

Here are my picks.

Lead Actor:

Anthony Hopkins, “The Father.” He gave a master class in acting. The sentimental favorite, however, is Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” This was Boseman’s last role before his death by colon cancer. Upset winners could be Riz Ahmed, as the deaf drummer in “Sound of Metal,” or Steven Yeun, as the Korean father-farmer in “Minari.” Gary Oldman for his title role as Herman Mankiewicz in “Mank” is also nomiated.

Lead Actress:

Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman.” Mulligan nuanced a range of emotions, from cute and cuddly to raging revenge. Frances McDormand is the favorite for her seamless turn as a nomad newbie in “Nomadland.” Upset winners could be Viola Davis in the title role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Andra Day in the title role in “The United States V. Billie Holiday,” and Vanessa Kirby in “Pieces of a Woman.”

Supporting Actor:

Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Kaluuya played Black Panther radical political party leader, Fred Hampton, aka the “Black Messiah.” Lakeith Stanfield played his nemesis, the “Judas,” an FBI informer. Their nominations in the same category for the same film may cancel each other out in the voting. That could give an opening for Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke in “One Night in Miami,” or Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman in “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Paul Raci in “Sound of Metal” is also nominated.

Supporting Actress:

Amanda Seyfried, “Mank.” OK. I’m rooting for the hometown gal. Seyfried, an Allentown native and William Allen High School graduate, was truly memorable, and remarkably so, as Marion Davies. First-time Oscar nominee Seyfried anchors the film. It’s her film, really. The favorites are Yuh-jung Youn as the irascible grandmother in “Minari,” and Maria Bakalova as the daughter in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” The award could go to Glenn Close, an eight-time Oscar nominee with no wins, for her bantamweight grandmother role in “Hillbilly Elegy,” Olivia Colman, a best actress Oscar winner for “The Favourite,” is also nominted for her role as the daughter in “The Father.”

Director:

Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland.” Zhao painted a palette of stunning vistas, close emotions and revealing confessions from non-actors in the ultimate road-trip to nowhere film. Lee Isaac Chung would be my first choice for his sad, upbeat film, “Minari,” based on his own family. It’s the first time that two South Asian directors are nominated in the director category in the same year. Emerald Fennell could be the upset winner for “Promising Young Woman,” for which she may win the original screenplay Oscar. Thomas Vinterberg, for “Another Round,” and David Fincher, for “Mank,” are also nominated.

Best Picture:

“Minari.” It’s my favorite. It’s not “the” favorite. That would be “Nomadland.” Also nominated are “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Mank,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

Animated Feature:

“Soul.” It’s the clear front-runner in a category that is not as competitive compared to the other six main Oscar categories. “Onward,” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” “Wolfwalkers” and “Over the Moon” are also nominated.

It was a great year at the movies, coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic or not. Go to a movie theater and see a movie on a really big screen. You will discover anew how much fun it is to be at the movies.

Movie Box Office,

April 16-18: “Godzilla vs. Kong” made it a three-peat, continuing at No. 1 for three weeks in a row, with $7.7 million, on 3,001 screens; $80.5 million, three weeks. The first four places were unchanged from the previous week.

2. “Nobody” stayed in place, $2.5 million, on 2,405 screens, $19 million, four weeks. 3. “The Unholy” stayed in place, $2 million, on 2,057 screens, $9.5 million, three weeks. 4.“Raya and the Last Dragon” stayed in place, $1.9 million, on 1,945 screens, $37.6 million, seven weeks. 5. “Tom and Jerry” moved up one place, $1 million, on 2,028 screens, $42.5 million, eight weeks. 6. “Voyagers,” $790,000, on 1,996 screens, $2.5 million, two weeks. 7. “The Girl Who Believes in Miracles” stayed in place, $561,000, on 1,012 screens, $2 million, three weeks. 8. “In The Earth,” $506,000, opening. 9. “The Courier” dropped one place, $462,8300, on 992 screens, $5.5 million, five weeks. 10. “The Croods: A New Age” stayed in place, $310,000, on 1,169 screens, $57 million. 21 weeks.

20. “The War with Grandpa,” co-starring Allentown’s Oakes Fegley, moved up one place, $25,694, on 215 screens, $21.1 million, 28 weeks, the longest-running movie in the Top 25.

Box office figures from Box Office Mojo as of April 18 are subject to change.

Unreel,

April 23:

“Mortal Kombat,”

R: Simon McQuoid directs Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson and Joe Taslim in the Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Thriller. Get your game on. The videogame and all that goes with it hits the big screen.

“Assault,”

R: Christopher Ray directs Sean Patrick Flanery, Michael Jai White, Mark Dacascos and Weston Cage Coppola in the Action, Thriller. A veteran with PTSD battles terrorists who have taken hospital employees hostage.

“We Broke Up,”

No MPAA rating. Jeff Rosenberg directs Aya Cash, William Jackson Harper, Sarah Bolger and Tony Cavalero in the Comedy. A couple breaks up but pretends to still be a couple at the woman’s younger sister’s wedding.

Movie opening dates information is from Independent Movie Database and is subject to change.