21 Films Animated Feature Films Submitted for Oscars

Alright, here we go.  It's November and I'm pretty much going to start talking non-stop about awards season namely the Oscars from now on.  Did I mention how much I love the Oscars even though it inevitably disappoints me in some way or the other every year?  The anticipation frankly leading up to it is, hands down, the most exciting part of the race. Nothing beats it.  

Okay, so submissions have started for documentary films, foreign language films and my favorite, Best Animated Feature, a category I look forward to since its addition in 2001.  

21 films have been submitted for next year's Oscars including the usual suspects from Pixar (Brave), DreamWorks (Madagascar 3, Rise of the Guardians) and Blue Sky (Ice Age Continental Drift).  I'm pleased to see two Indian animation films, Delhi Safari and Hey Krishna (Krishna aur Kans) submit themselves although I'm surprised that Arjun: The Warrior Prince doesn't have its name up there.  

Here is the list of the films competing against each other for the nomination.

• Adventures in Zambezia   
• Brave
• Delhi Safari
• Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
• Frankenweenie   
• From Up on Poppy Hill
• Hey Krishna
• Hotel Transylvania    
• Ice Age Continental Drift
• A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
• Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 
• The Mystical Laws
• The Painting  
• ParaNorman   
• The Pirates! Band of Misfits 
    
• The Rabbi's Cat
    
• Rise of the Guardians  
• Secret of the Wings    
• Walter & Tandoori's Christmas 
    
• Wreck-It Ralph
    
• Zarafa

Glad to see some different movies in the mix as well such as Frankenweenie, ParaNorman and the delightfully named French submission, Walter & Tandoori's Christmas.  We'll see which five eventually make the cut on January 10, 2013.

The Scene-stealers get their Day!

The Minions are getting their own movie!  The scene-stealers from Despicable Me, the yellow little minions will feature in their own movie to be directed by Pierre Coffin for a 2014 release.  Check them out in this hilarious short where they fight over a fruit.  Seriously, you have never heard the word 'banana' uttered so comically each time.  They'll do fine on their own.

Meanwhile, another set of scene-stealers are also getting their own flick, the military minded penguins from the Madagascar series will be seen next in The Penguins of Madagascar.  They already headline the same named television series on Nickelodeon and the move to solo film is quite the promotion for them.  What crazy scheme will they be up to next? We'll find out sometime in 2015.

New Trailers: Madagascar 3, What to Expect When You're Expecting and The Five-Year Engagment

From Dreamworks Animations comes the third adventure about the gang from Madagascar, Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman as they navigate through another continent, Europe.  I'm not sure we needed another tale about these characters, I'm not sure if this movie is the right idea but I'm happy to see King Julian (Sacha Baron Cohen) again.  He should have gotten his own spin-off movie like Puss in Boots.  Just saying!  Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted will hit theaters June 8, 2012.

Here comes another giant star cast movie that's not about love or marriage.  This time it's all about babies.  What to Expect When You're Expecting stars Elizabeth Banks, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Matthew Morrison, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick and Dennis Quaid.  The movie is due to release May 11, 2012.  Pun intended!

Also releasing this week is the first trailer for The Five-Year Engagement starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a couple who just can't quite set a wedding date.  Out of all these trailers released, this one looks the most promising.  Plus the movie cast also include many TV comedy faves such as Chris Pratt, Mindy Kaling and Alison Brie.  Win win!  The movie releases on April 27, 2012.