Avatar was released in a total of 3,457 theatres in the US, which means that if you’re like me and you haven’t managed to see it yet… well, you probably just didn’t try! Of course, now that Avatar has been nominated for 9 Oscars® including Best Picture and Best Directing, I’m thinking I should probably have given it a chance. Not every movie is backed by a big studio and most don’t have the luxury of coming out on as many screens nationwide as Avatar or The Blind Side (3,110 theaters). Nominees in the best foreign picture categorie or best documentary are typically harder to catch even if you try. Luckily, there are a number of local opportunities to catch up on your Oscars®-nominees before the golden statuettes are handed out on March 7th.
The National Archives
For the 6th consecutive year, the National Archives will present free screenings of the 82nd Academy Award® nominees in 4 categories: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Live Action Short Film, and Animated Short Film, in its William G. McGowan Theater from Wednesday, March 3, through Sunday, March 7, 2010. Get there early! This event is very popular (duh, it’s free!) and lines form outside of the National Archives WAY early. Tickets are distributed at the Special Events entrance on Constitution beginning 60 minutes prior to the start time. For a complete schedule of the screenings, head to the National Archives’ website.
Select AMC Theaters
With 10 of them this year, it’s a little bit harder to catch all of the Best Picture nominees! If you missed one or two (or ten!) AMC’s got you covered. Loews Rio Cinemas 18, Hoffman Center 22, Potomac Mills 18 and Shirlington 7 will be showing all of the Best Picture nominees over two days: February 27 and March 6, with a five movie marathon on each day ($30 one day, $50 both days, includes unlimited popcorn). You can also spend 24 hours in Georgetown’s AMC theater and watch all 10 nominees starting at midnight on March 6 in a 24 hours cinematic marathon while surviving on all the popcorn you can eat! That’s Oscar®-hard core if you ask me!
National Geographic
National Geographic’s Global Glimpse Series offers foreign movie buffs the opportunity to see all the nominees in the Best Foreign Film category. As a bonus, a reception sponsored by Anheuser Busch Unique Craft Beers takes place before or after each screening. Hum… that might make reading substitles a little tricky! Tickets are available individually for each screenings ($8 a movie… popular ones like Cannes Palme d’Or Winner The White Ribbon will probably sell out so act fast) or for all five screenings ($35). A complete’s schedule is available on National Geographic’s website.
Landmark Theatres
Landmark Theatres is the nation’s largest theater chain dedicated to independent film so it’s not surprising to find many of indie flicks nominated shown on its screens. Between Bethesda Row and E Street you can basically catch Crazy Heart, A Single Man, The Last Station (Helen Miren is excellent as always!), The White Ribbon, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, The Young Victoria, An Education, The Hurt Locker (which is tied with Avatar for the most nominations), Up in the Air and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. In addition, E Street Cinema is also showcasing the Oscar Nominated Short films of 2010, both live action and animated.
Other Movie Theaters
A number of nominees are still showing at Regal Gallery Place or Georgetown’s AMC. Regal Ballston Common 12 is the only theater still playing Sherlock Holmes. The Avalon Theater is playing Best Foreign Picture nominee Ajami and The Messenger while Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse is still running Nine, The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Precious: based On the Novel Push By Sapphire. Please consult listing for more details and showtimes.
Netflix
Finally, some Oscar® nominated movies are already out of DVD and can be watched in the confort of your own home. These include: The Cove, Food inc, UP, Inglourious Basterds, Bright Star, Coco Before Chanel, Paris 36, Coraline, District 9, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (why yes, the British wizard is nominated for best cinematography!), The Hurt Locker , Il Divo, In the Loop, Julie and Julia, A Serious Man, Star Strek (didn’t expect to see that one on the list? Little did you know Star Trek has 4 nominations!) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (sound mixing).
Ready? Set? Go… catch that Oscar® nominee while you still can!
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