Some of the nominees will be very familiar names, including Katsuhiro Otomo of Akira fame, David Silverman’s Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare and Disney’s Paperman, which has recently hit cinemas with Wreck-It Ralph. This is always a category to watch closely, as today’s short film winners are tomorrow’s feature film makers.

The Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday 10 January 2013. The 85th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on “Oscar Sunday”, or 24 February 2013 to the rest of the world. That will be the 25 February 2013 here in Australia. They will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane.

“Adam and Dog,” Minkyu Lee, director (Lodge Films)

“Combustible,” Katsuhiro Otomo, director (Sunrise Inc.)

“Dripped,” Léo Verrier, director (ChezEddy)

“The Eagleman Stag,” Mikey Please, director, and Benedict Please, music scores and sound design (Royal College of Art)

“The Fall of the House of Usher,” Raul Garcia, director, and Stephan Roelants, producer (Melusine Productions, R&R Communications Inc., Les Armateurs, The Big Farm)

“Fresh Guacamole,” PES, director (PES)

“Head over Heels,” Timothy Reckart, director, and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, producer (National Film and Television School)

“Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”,” David Silverman, director (Gracie Films)

“Paperman,” John Kahrs, director (Disney Animation Studios)

“Tram,” Michaela Pavlátová, director, and Ron Dyens, producer (Sacrebleu Productions)

As there are more than 16 films nominated for the Oscar this year, the Academy may nominate a maximum of 5 nominees for the Animated Feature Film category. Last year, 18 films qualified for the Oscar race in this category.

The Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday 10 January 2013. The 85th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on “Oscar Sunday”, or 24 February 2013 to the rest of the world. That will be the 25 February 2013 here in Australia. They will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane.

• 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

These are the films we wish existed in their full form, but will forever remain teasing snippets within greater (and sometimes lesser) works. As always, this is a favourites list, so if yours isn’t on there, make a suggestion in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter.

Brock Landers: Angels Live in My Town (Boogie Nights)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s opus Boogie Nights was wonderful for a number of reasons, but PTA also managed to perfectly capture the joys of 1970s porn. In the film, misguided director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) wants to create pornography so good that viewers will remain glued even after they’ve…had their fill of pleasure. To this end, he makes a series of films for his star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) as the kick-ass Brock Landers. (“So you know me. You know my reputation. Thirteen inches of tough load, I don’t treat you gently. That’s right. I’m Brock Landers”). As we learned from PTA’s commentary, the real challenge for the cast as acting bad enough for 70s porn.

Chubby Rain (Bowfinger)

Having saved up all his life for the $2,184 production costs, bargain basement director Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) wants to make his mark with an alien invasion script penned by an accountant. Their devious plot is to arrive in raindrops, which naturally makes the rain “chubby”. He casts mega star Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy), although this is a fact Ramsey is entirely unaware of. Casting his exact double in Jiff (also played by Murphy), along with out-of-work actors (played by Christine Baranski, Heather Graham and Kohl Sudduth), Bowfinger makes the film and events lead to its Hollywood premiere! The only movie we want to see more is Bobby Bowfinger’s follow-up, Fake Purse Ninjas.

Don’t (Grindhouse)

There are so many movies-within-movies from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse that could have been made, thanks to a string of faux trailers at the ‘intermission’. Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving and Rob Zombie’s Werewolf Women of the SS never saw the light of day, but Rodriguez did make good on Machete, as did Canadian contest winner Jason Eisener for Hobo with a Shotgun. However, the one we really want to see is Edgar Wright’s Don’t, a 1970s Hammer House of Horrror style film, the trailer features a who’s who of British actors, but you’d never know it. Cut together as though it was screened for an American audience, that voiceover you hear is Arrested Development‘s Will Arnett.

The Duelling Cavalier/The Dancing Cavalier (Singin’ in the Rain)

Singin’ in the Rain is the greatest film of all time. No question. It’s so terrific, that it even has another film inside of it. Already in production at the start of the film, the success of The Jazz Singer means that studio boss R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) must turn costume adventure The Duelling Cavalier into a talky (“Well of course we talk. Don’t everybody?”). After a disastrous test screening, it becomes a musical called The Dancing Cavalier, with newcomer Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) dubbing Lina Lamont’s (Jean Hagen) shrill voice alongside star Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly). Possibly the best example of the Hollywood system mentality, and is still relevant 60 years on. See also: The Artist.

Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back)

There isn’t much to like about Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Kevin Smith’s fan-fuelled tribute to his own Askewniverse. However, for film fans, there were a slew of amusing cameos and parodies, the most memorable being Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season, a fictional sequel to the feel-good Oscar-winning hit for good sports Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Casting art house director Gus Van Sant as a disinterested money counter, we catch a glimpse of a scene in which Will Hunting turns the tables on the famous ‘how do you like them apples?’ scene by way of shotgun. Where it goes from there, we’ll never know…

Meet Pamela (Day For Night)

A film about filmmaking is unsurprising from a filmmaker who spent the early part of his career as a critic. Throughout the course of Day For Night, Truffaut himself is the director attempting to make the melodrama Je Vous Présente Paméla (Meet Pamela). The bigger film actually turns into something of a melodrama itself, as the director spends time juggling the problems behind the camera including romances, break-ups and even death!

The Purple Rose of Cairo (The Purple Rose of Cairo)

Possibly Woody Allen’s greatest film of the 1980s, and certainly one of the best in his career, the Depression Era film sees Cecilia (Mia Farrow) escape her troubled marriage at the cinema, watching pulp adventure The Purple Rose of Cairo over and over again. Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels) notices her and steps out of the film, beginning a romance not only with Cecilia, but attracting the attention of actor Gil Shepherd (also played by Jeff Daniels), who is worried about his Hollywood career. A magical effort that sees two wonderful films playing out simultaneously.

Satan’s Alley (Tropic Thunder)

The obvious choice here would have been box-office bomb Simple Jack, starring Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller). Yet we’ve taken the film’s own advice to “never go full retard”, and chosen homo-erotic drama Satan’s Alley instead. Another film about filmmaking, we are treated to several of the previous efforts of the stars throughout Tropic Thunder. The faux film is the story of two 12th century gay monks. Starring Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr), often compared to Russell Crowe, and his Wonder Boys co-star Tobey Maguire as the other monk. This must be made.

Stab (Scream 2)

The metafictional Stab series has to be given props for being one of the few movies-within-movies that has more entries than the movies it is within. First appearing in Scream 2, the Stab series are based on the “real life” Woodsboro murders as seen in the original Scream. As Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) predicted, her fictional counterpart was played by Tori Spelling. The series-within-a-series goes on to Stab 7, where we also first glimpse in Scream 4. To take the metafiction even further, Stab 6 is the movie-within-a-movie-within-a-movie inside Stab 7. That sound was your head exploding.

Tristram Shandy (A Cock and Bull Story)

Films about filmmaking seem to lend themselves to this kind of thing, don’t they? Laurence Sterne’s 18th century metafictional novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, could only have really been made as a metafictional movie. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, playing themselves as “co-leads” in a mockumentary portion of the film, are also playing the lead roles in an adaptation of the aforementioned novel. Using the same conceit as the original novel, which is so bogged down in diversions that his own birth is not related until Volume III, this film version uses the direct-to-camera comedy of the leads to take us off on a self-referential path down the distractions involved in making a film. Like Day For Night, this is just as much about the filmmaking process as art imitates life.

The interesting thing about the list is Beasts of the Southern Wild was not nominated for Best Feature, despite its high profile and nominations for actress Quvenzhané Wallis. The nomination committees that determine the list of films and winners are quite separate, leading to what THR calls ”results in nominations that are all over the map, send mixed messages and into which deeper meaning — read: Oscar implications — should not be read”.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 26 November 2012.

Best Feature

Bernie, The Loneliest Planet, The Master, Middle of Nowhere, Moonrise Kingdom

Best Documentary

Detropia, How to Survive a Plague, Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present, Room 237, The Waiting Room

Best Ensemble Performance

Bernie, Moonrise Kingdom, Safety Not Guaranteed, Silver Linings Playbook, Your Sister’s Sister

Breakthrough Director:

Zal Batmanglij for Sound of My Voice, Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky for Francine, Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin for Now, Forager, Antonio Méndez Esparza for Aquí y Allá (Here and There), Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild

Breakthrough Actor: Mike Birbiglia in Sleepwalk with Me, Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere, Thure Lindhardt in Keep the Lights On, Melanie Lynskey in Hello, I Must Be Going, Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You: Kid-Thing, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, Red Flag, Sun Don’t Shine, Tiger Tail in Blue

Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said via a press release ”We are thrilled to have Seth MacFarlane host the Oscars. His performing skills blend perfectly with our ideas for making the show entertaining and fresh. He will be the consummate host, and we are so happy to be working with him.”

“It’s truly an overwhelming privilege to be asked to host the Oscars,” MacFarlane adds. “My thoughts upon hearing the news were, one, I will do my utmost to live up to the high standards set forth by my predecessors; and two, I hope they don’t find out I hosted the Charlie Sheen Roast.”

This is a bold move for the Academy, typically choosing conservative hosts or at least those with some stage history at the Oscars. This will be MacFarlane’s first stage appearance at the Academy Awards, and he is best known for his edgy TV comedies Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show and his recent box office success Ted, about a very naughty teddy bear.

Reports indicate that the actor suffered from “a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered”. He died in a Los Angeles hospital where he had been staying sine the heart attack almost seven weeks ago. His finder co-star tweeted: ”Today is a sad day. Michael Clark Duncan passed away this morning. Known for his moving performance in The Green Mile. RIP MCD. You’ll b missed.” (sic)

Duncan’s immense stature, standing at 6 feet 5 inches, saw him win roles such as his memorable Oscar-nominated character. He was also known in the comic book movie world as the Kingpin in Daredevil (2003), Manute in Sin City (2005) and fan-favourite Kilowog in Green Lantern (2011).

His distinctive voice was also heard in Disney’s Brother Bear (2003), Kung Fu Panda (2008) and the God of War II video game.

Full tribute coming soon.

The LA coroner indicates that he jumped from the Vincent Thomas bridge near Long Beach. He was said to have jumped “without hesitation” from the bridge, leaving a suicide note behind in his car.

Scott is best known for his films Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop II in the 1980s, along with a string of hits with star Denzel Washington including Crimson Tide, Man on Fire and The Taking of the Pelham 1 2 3.

Working with his brother Ridley, they formed Scott Free Productions. He was also in the process of developing a sequel Top Gun 2.

Full tribute coming soon.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) has supplanted Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941), which has held the top spot unchallenged since it knocked Vittorio De Sica’s The Bicycle Thieves (1948) from the list fifty years ago. Indicative of a new-found respect for the works of Hitchcock in the last few decades, who was largely seen as a maker of popular thrillers at the time, the list doesn’t acknowledge younger generations of outstanding filmmakers. Gone too are Singin’ in the Rain (1954), along with The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), pushing the canon even further back behind the New Hollywood siege of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The latter is perhaps a victim of a new rule that saw related films that are considered part of a larger whole to be treated as separate for voting purposes.

01. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchock, 1958)
02. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
03. Tokyo Story (Yasujirô Ozu, 1953)
04. The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939)
05. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (F.W. Murnau, 1927)
06. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
07. The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)
08. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929)
09. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodore Dreyer, 1928)
10. 8½ (Federico Fellini, 1963)

(Top 50 can be found via the BFI)

With the most recent film in the top 10 from 1968, are we to believe that . Last year, when musing on the validity of lists in the 21st century in our piece Polishing the Canon: The Importance of Lists, we address the holding pattern that many lists have been in for decades, seemingly not acknowledging the power of cinema of the last four decades.

The idea of a film canon, a set of films by which all other films should be benchmarked, is the underlying ideology behind the plethora of lists that emerge from various film societies, critics and publishing houses. Attacked as elitist…[t]his debate is nothing new. Back in 2002, Dan Sallitt wrote (on Slate) about the prestigious Sight & Sound list, The Greatest Ten Films of All Time, that appears once a decade. Sallitt argued that while the list purports to be “a snapshot of the evolving film canon” that even with “a few shifts and substitutions” very little had changed in the ten years since the last poll. Indeed, Citizen Kane had been the top film in 1962, and remained that way forty years later. “Unfortunately”, he added “for the foreseeable future…major directors of today’s cinema are likely to appear in the Sight & Sound polls only as commentators”.

In the Mood for Love (2001)

Very little has changed in the last decade in this regard. The list is undoubtedly an impressive one, and there are few who would question the inclusion of any of those films in an essential compilation of last century’s greatest pieces of cinema. Yet it is absolutely of the last century, sidelining much of the last 44 years of motion pictures, technological developments, groundbreaking cinematography and entire careers of seminal filmmakers from the likes of Martin Scorsese to David Lynch and beyond. The BFI actually remark on this, but offer little else in the way of commentary: “In fact the highest film from the new century is Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love, just 12 years old, now sharing joint 24th slot with Dreyer’s venerable Ordet…”. One time Sight & Sound writer Raymond Durgnat, who later fell out with the publication, referred to the list as being filled with elitism, puritanism and “upper-middle-class snobbery”, especially in his 1963 essay “Standing Up For Jesus” for Motion. If the tome aimed to solidify their reputation as elitist, then the shuffling of the cards this year has ensured this.

By contrast, when the list began in 1952, cinema was less than half-a-century old, with the four-year-old The Bicycle Thieves topping the list. Similarly, the 1972 list included what would now be a radical departure with Igmar Bergman’s Persona (1966), less than a decade old at the time of publication. The backwards looking lists seem at stark contrast with the publication, which can be otherwise be applauded for a thorough coverage of contemporary world cinema, including those films that do not get a wide release in its native UK.

All lists will engender debate, such is the subjective nature of film criticism. Similarly, to compare Citizen Kane and Vertigo, made some 17 years apart and under very different circumstances, is folly. What Sight & Sound‘s once-a-decade list reminds us of is the importance of lists in sparking conversation on film, and it is through the commentary of others that critics and audiences find themselves discovering corners of the film world that were otherwise darkened. If these lists are to remain relevant, a major shift must take place in the value of contemporary cinema, and it is right here on the Internet that the changes will take place as more people create their own lists, giving birth to a constantly shifting digital canon.

When you see, on average, a movie a day for 21 years, it would take one emotional juggernaut of a film to convince you that yes, you can have a favourite among the many. That it’s the one film you need and essentially defines you. Having said all of that, Paul Thomas Anderson’s three-hour, multilayered epic, Magnolia is my favourite movie of all time.

After seeing so many films, you start to know the ins and outs of film storytelling. No convention or cliché is safe, and luckily with Magnolia, it defies and challenges just about every single one you’ve come to recognize in a common drama, especially one that focuses on a cornucopia of characters each more damaged than the next.

Set on one rainy day in the San Fernando Valley, nine lives will be faced with the repercussions of their past whilst in the meantime hoping to find love and forgiveness. The more severe the weather gets, the more chaotic and frenetic their day spirals for a cast that includes Tom Cruise, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Melora Walters and Jason Robards. Each and every performance here is just about perfect. To spoil any more of the stories in Magnolia would be a serious crime. If anyone were to do so, you have the permission of this writer to punch them square in the face.

Many films of this ilk struggle to make one story interesting and compelling, let alone nine. That’s only the beginning of what makes Magnolia something to behold. Each story is rich in character and emotion, not for one second do you feel neglected by the film, it invites the audience to feel with the characters the minute something drastic happens. The clichéd term “Emotional Rollercoaster” was designed for something exactly like Magnolia.

There’s always at least one scene in your favourite film that makes you go “That’s why I love movies, that is why I need movies.” In Magnolia it’s hands-down the moment between John C. Reilly’s Character, a gentle hearted cop and Melora Walters’ character, a junkie with a conscience at the restaurant on their “date”. I won’t say anymore of what happens but Reilly’s performance in this scene alone reminded me why I love film. To want to reach out to your TV screen and hug the character pouring their heart out in front of you is the work of cinematic magic, one that very few films could pull off.

Got your own Personal Bits? If you want to write about your favourite film, please let us know! We will feature a new one every week!

The Reel Bits has been getting bigger and better lately, perhaps too big for its own britches, and we frankly can’t be everywhere at once. If you’ve ever wanted to see your name in the byline of a prominent website, now is your chance. We are keen to expand, and we can only do that with more people!

In particular, we are looking for the following types of people:

• Columnists: Have you got a great idea for a regular column? It could be weekly, monthly…maybe even daily! Have you got a burning passion for a topic but no platform to publish it on? The Reel Bits might be your new home.
• Subject Specialists: Got knowledge? Maybe you love Japanese cinema, or are really into horror films. Maybe you are world’s foremost expert on Latvian melodramas. Whatever your bag is, if you love to write about it, there is a place here for you.
• Correspondents: This is an area we are really keen to expand into. We are Sydney based, but are looking for contributors who want cover their regional film or entertainment events. A regular at Sundance? Never miss a film in Melbourne? Local to LA? Is Cannes your neighbourhood?
• Casual Contributors: Can’t commit to a regular column? We understand! Writing is hard, which is why we want more people to help us with the load. Perhaps you just want to be on call for a screening, interview or event we can’t make. Maybe do a guest spot on one of our regular columns like 80s Bits. Many hands make light work.

If any of this interests you, please drop us a line by emailing Richard with an idea or a writing sample at info@thereelbits.com.

We want to be upfront and say that this would be a voluntary gig, with no payment for contributions. We can, however, say that your work will be seen by a wide audience and it is a good chance for you to expand your portfolio. Trust us: a little exposure can go a long way.

The Reel Bits is one of Australia’s leading independent online sources for cinema, home and comic book releases. Established in 2010 as a branch of the popular DVD Bits (1998 – 2011), The Reel Bits is now dedicated to bringing you the best cinematic offerings from around the world. The Reel Bits also co-hosts the podcasts Behind the Panels, Film Actually and Film Actually News.