I scanned BOM's release schedule for an hour and penciled down all the potential Oscar films that we've mostly been ignoring so far. Ones away from the big cats we're already talking about, where most likely they'll fail, but out of the pack we may get a The Queen, Capote, or even Million Dollar Baby surprise. I excluded the likes of even small films like Eastern Promises and The Bucket List, as we all already know about those.

Also, doing a list like this as all huge movie fans, gives us a lot of films to anticipate this fall. These are the ones that'll pop up on our top 10 lists. Here we go:

Cassandra's Dream - Another year, another Woody Allen continuing his comeback film. Early word says it's similar to Match Point in its style, meaning serious and un-recognizable from an Allen standpoint. It stars Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor, Tom Wilkenson, the plot revolves around some brotherly crime scheme that goes wrong. At the least it's one to anticipate.

Love in the Time of Cholera - Mike Newell(Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco), has shown promise to be a very good director... This probably is his highest-potential film awards-wise to date. Moreno is an Oscar nominee, Bardem will probably be getting one with No Country this year, something that can boost this movie's name too. Romance has been slightly ignored as of late, but you never know. It could also go way of The Painted Veil.

I'm Not There- The Bob Dylan art biopic with 6 male and female actors playing him, including Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger. It'll be around.

Flawless and Michael Clayton - Two thrillers, the first starring Caine and Moore, the second Clooney. I have faith in neither, but their names deserve to be dropped for the stars alone.

The Walker - A murder mystery(old school noir? hopefully) set among high society Washington D.C. There's a very interesting first review on the imdb page though, it looks like this is deeper in its messages and themes than you'd expect. Woody Harrellson is one of those actors who seems like he could come out on any random year and grab a nomination... Willem Dafoe, also in the cast, is another.

Redacted - Brian De Palma does Iraq, soldiers and media both included. No more explanation needed. I'm surprised this project hasn't been talked about more though, as much as I've hated him for the last 15 years.

Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) - Foreign, high profile. Chronicles the story of the famous deceased man who's entire body was paralyzed except his left eye, and who proceeded to write his tragic memoirs by blinking. Lust, Caution is probably the frontrunner in foreign film, this could put up a fight though.

Rails and Ties - Alison Eastwood's directing debut. A car + train crash occurs, the engineer and boy survivor from the car have a bonding experience amongst the tragedy. Typical drama stuff, but then again, Mystic River was also a typical story... Marcia Gay Harden, Kevin Bacon reunite for this. After Sofia, you never know about that directing supersperm.

Youth Without Youth - Francis Ford Coppola(!!!)'s return to directing. Don't worry, it surprised me too. I knew he was helming another project, I didn't know it was being released this year. It's a pre-WWII romance involving a professor exploring mysteries of life. Tim Roth is the one American actor among a slew of foreign castmates, including Bruno Ganz(as Hitler again? dunno)

Juno - I don't know anything about this movie, other than the fact that it deals with an unplanned pregnancy and it stars Ellen Page, Jennifer Garner, Jason Batemen, Michael Cera. Page's Junebug maybe?

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - A "biopic"-like film, it's the full life story of Dewey Cox, a fictional musical legend who's traits borrow from a combination of real ones. John C. Reilly is Dewey. Jenna Fischer is the main co-star I believe as his love-interest, Kristen Wiig and Chris Parnell among many others (the imdb list is HUGE, mostly unknowns though), are also in the cast. And Judd Apatow co-wrote it. Which means it could be a total comedy. Either way, it could easily be a big box-office success among the pack.

Silk - A romance set around an 18th century silk smuggler travelling from France to Japan. It's got Keira Knightley, Michael Pitt, Alfred Molina. If it wasn't released in like two weeks, I'd be looking more into it. As it stands though, I'm almost certain it's a September dump. But anyways, it has Knightley. Might as well bring it up.

The Last Full Measure - True story about a Vietnam para-rescuer, historical film. Huge cast here - Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishbourne, Andy Garcia. Biggest issue though, IMDB has it listed as a 2009 film, BOM says it's November 2007 without a finalized date. I somehow trust IMDB more. Especially considering the lack of details on there. I doubt it comes out this year.

That's all I have for now. If anyone knows any more, post em.

Yeah, I did the same thing a few weeks ago and looked up more info and trailers for most of them.

My list is in this thread I think.

OF the ones you named, the ones that could surprise are...

**Cassandra's Dream (Woody Allen, apprently in line with Match Point)
**The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (this one is such an intriguing storyline, apparently based on true story and it's got some positive buzz from what I've read)
**Love in the Time of Cholera (Javier Bardem, I really want to see this one)
**I'm Not There (don't know why there's not much talk of this one, it's bound to get at least a couple of noms)
**Youth Without Youth (I don't know what this is but it's gotten alot of print attention from wherever I keep reading)

I don't think Michael Clayton's gonna do much aside from maybe an actor nod for Clooney.
Dewy Cox... No
I'm really excited myself for Silk but I don't what it's potential is. Same with Juno.

I think Rails and Ties will get really lost in the shuffle.

Love in the Time of the Cholera is the one that's been on my mind for a while.

I don't know about John Leguizamo and Benjamin Bratt (thought it wouldn't be the first time a movie with a questionable cast turns out great) but great director (most of the time) plus great screenwriter plus great source material....

Brian De Palma's Redacted sounds fantastic, although I'm not sure if I think it'll really catch on much yet.

One word...

Atonement

But everyone is talking about Atonement.

Sleuth?

Well how should I know? I haven't been keeping up with the Oscar stuff yet.

I was gonna say this as well... will be interesting how this one plays out.

Jude Law, Michael Caine, with Kenneth Branagh directing. Original got a couple of Oscar nominations, most notably two Best Actor nominations (Michael Caine and Lawrence Olivier) from a whopping cast list of... two.

I think Best Actor is too strong this year for Sleuth to get anything in that department, which is really its only shot. Caine was nommed for the original, so it's doubtful he'll get one for the remake.

Unless he outshines himself, which is entirely possible.

hotrod

More like out-hams.

(I just saw the original. Haha. Hammy goodness).

Love in the Time of Cholera is the one I'd keep my eye on, definitely.

Yep.

I'd also keep close tabs on the Butterfly one and Youth Without Youth. I'd say Sleuth as well but now that's getting some serious talk so I don't think it's under the radar anymore.

Wow...I just read that Johnny Depp was supposed to be the lead in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Had that happened, I would bet anything on him winning...

I strike Sleuth from that list. I found it utterly disappointing.

Enchanted. This film is basically being completely ignored despite the fact that buzz has been unanimously great and Alan Menken is doing the music. It should at least be a lock for some nominations, even if they are Song, Score and a few technical ones.

It's being completley ignored because it looks like a 90 minute commercial for Disney "Classics".