Movie Forum: The Of Snubs & Sequels Edition

• Big Oscar snubs: Samuel L. Jackson ('Pulp Fiction'), Audrey Hepburn ('My Fair Lady') & many more
• Potential snubs this year? Bill Murray, Anne Hathaway, Bradley Cooper, Joseph Gordon Levitt
• Look for 'Avengers,' 'Dark Knight Rises' OR 'Looper' to potentially snag a Best Picture nomination

Every Wednesday, the Movie Forum convenes to discuss the latest news from the film world and answer questions submitted by you, the reader.

This week film critic Claudia Puig and movie reporter Brian Truitt were all about Oscar snubs! They tackled the great snubs of the past, and potential snubs in this year's Oscar fields, answered readers' questions about Skyfall & Les Miz, discussed unconscionable film sequels, and shared their thoughts the sublime qualities of Tilda Swinton.

Enjoy the chat and submit your questions for next week below.

John Elliot: Welcome to the USA TODAY Movie Forum! I'm John Elliot, online producer for USA TODAY Movies and I will serve as your moderator. Joining me today is USA TODAY's film critic Claudia Puig and Brian Truitt, who writes about movies and comics for USA TODAY.

How this works - Each week we solicit questions, online, from our readers on certain movie topics.

This week? All about Oscar snubs! Who should have won but didn't? What films didn't get the recognition the deserved? And, most importantly, why?

Brian and Claudia will start by sharing their thoughts this week's topic, then we will move on to reader submitted questions.

SO…let's get the Forum started! And Claudia, let's start with you:

It happens nearly every year: Big name actors & actresses receive the nomination, then lose the prize. Or perhaps they are snubbed altogether. What are some of the most egregious examples of snubs in Oscars history? Who has never won an Oscar, but should have? And who do you think might suffer a snubbing in this year's Oscar field?

Claudia Puig: Hi to everyone... Recently Ryan Gosling in Drive was a significant snub and looking back there's a long list.

Here are a few: Robert De Niro in Mean Streets, Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, Steve McQueen for Bullitt, Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange, Morgan Freeman for Driving Miss Daisy, Nicole Kidman in To Die For, Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive, Scarlett Johannson, Lost in Translation, Leonardo Di Caprio, Catch Me If You Can, Gary Oldman, Sid and Nancy, Anne Hathaway, Brokeback Mountain, Maria Bello, A History of Violence and Viggo Mortenson, The Road or A History of Violence.

And here are some people who've never won an Oscar and arguably should have: Johnny Depp, Kirk Douglas, Peter O'Toole, Ian McKellan, James Earl Jones.

This year I think we it will be a three-way snub race on the best picture front between Dark Knight, Avengers or Looper. Probably only one will be picked and two will be snubbed.

As for actors, here are some possible snub: Joseph Gordon Levitt for Looper, Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook, Anne Hathaway for Les Miz.

Brian Truitt: Hello, movie peeps! Glad to be in the forum with Claudia, who's completely right on the McDowell snub for Clockwork Orange and Oldman for Sid and Nancy.

However, I will raise you Samuel L. Jackson's brilliant performance in Pulp Fiction and Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York as should-have-wons.

Claudia Puig: Good point, Brian! Pulp Fiction lost to Forrest Gump which was a bit of a crime that year.

Brian Truitt: As far as actors, Bill Murray is one guy who I've ALWAYS thought deserved a golden guy, and while I haven't seen Hyde Park on Hudson yet, if he's as good as he was in Lost in Translation I can't imagine him not getting at least a nod.

Claudia Puig: Agreed on Bill Murray. He was great in Lost in Translation, but he's also kind of notoriously prickly so that might affect his chances, politically.

And as for DDL, watch him win for Lincoln this year. I'm going on record now!

Brian Truitt: He's awesome in that, but I think the biggest snubs this year could come in supporting, where Lincoln could fill up the whole category by itself.

And it's true, JGL might lose out on a nod for Looper, which will be a shame because no one can play time-traveling young Bruce Willis like him.

Claudia Puig: Although JGL is also in Lincoln, so that increases his chances!

Brian Truitt: True that!

John Elliot:The Dark Knight was infamously left off the Best Picture list, and with a potentially larger field this year, fanboy fare such as The Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises could sneak in. If there had been more nominees in past decades, what popular movies in retrospect could potentially have been nominated?

Brian Truitt: As a nerd myself, this is a subject near and dear to my heart as I was sooooo hoping for Dark Knight to win back in the day. But, unfortunately, The Dark Knight Rises wasn't nearly as good as its predecessor.

So if a superhero movie sneaks in, it should be The Avengers - although would much rather see, if there's one fanboy nod, Looper in the field.

Claudia Puig: I agree about Avengers, but I'd love to see Looper get in too.

In retrospect I think Star Trek could have made the cut--the most recent one starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.

Also Ocean's 11 could have made the cut with a larger nominee list. Ditto for quirkier comedies, Juno, 500 Days of Summer and maybe even broader comedies like Wedding Crashers

Brian Truitt: As far as historically, it's a little hindsight but it would have been great to see Back to the Future in the field had it been expanded back in 1985, since it's turned into a classic and was the biggest movie that year.

I think both Rudy in 1993 and Empire Strikes Back in 1980 could have benefited from a bigger field too. I have no idea what Tess is, but I can't imagine it beating the drama and awesomeness of Empire.

Claudia Puig:Tess was a Roman Polanski movie, based on the Thomas Hardy novel Tessof the D'urbervilles starring Nastassia Kinski. It was the arty choice

Brian Truitt: Oh yeah, Star Trek would have been kind of aces.

Also, kind of an injustice that none of the Harry Potter flicks got a picture nod because of how freaking huge that franchise was.

Claudia Puig: The Academy has tended to avoid the big popular blockbusters like Jaws, Star Wars, etc. so it's not surprising that Back to the Future would also get overlook

John Elliot: Are there any films, even with the expanded field, that might be left out this year though they deserve recognition?

Brian Truitt: I think The Hobbit could get snubbed even if it's the greatest movie ever since the last Lord of the Rings cleaned house.

We're ready for more Hobbits, but is the Academy?

Claudia Puig: I'm wondering about The Hobbit...Of course Lord of the Rings won an Oscar, but as you point out Brian, Harry Potter never did. I'm also wondering about Life of Pi. A 3D movie that's not animated might not move the Academy

Brian Truitt: If Life of Pi isn't nominated, I will lead the riot. It's a beautiful movie, but you're right, Claudia, voters might not be as psyched.

John Elliot: Now, let's move on to questions submitted by our lovely readers!

Daniela of Houston, TX

Do you ever think the vampire movie genre has been too tainted by movies like Twilight that people have no interest in vampire movies?

Might this affect to a future project of Jim Jarmusch of 2013 called "Only Lovers Left Alive" because of the almost stereotyping about vampire movies that films like Twilight has done?

Jarmusch as we know can be a game changer of the genre and with a superb cast (Wasikowska, Swinton, Hiddleston, Yelchin and Hurt) do you think that this "stereotyping" of the genre can taint it's chances when award seasons come

Claudia Puig: I definitely see your point, Daniela, but I can think of other really good movies that featured vampires, going back to Frank Langella in Dracula to Let the Right One In. It's a really established genre. While it may take a while for the taint of Twilight to be purged from our, er, bloodstream, I think the vampire movie genre has always been alive, well and undead.

And Jim Jarmusch is in a class of his own when it comes to filmmakers. And you're right, that that is a superb cast. His film will surely be the anti-Twilight.

Brian Truitt: Agreed. I think the people that keep the bloodsucking light burning cannot be swayed by the likes of Edward Cullen. The only hope I have of the Twilight phenomenon - which is awesome that anything can get kids reading and interested in movies - is that it gets younger kids watching the original Dracula or The Hunger.

Claudia Puig: Any vampire movie with Anton Yelchin, Mia Waskisowska, Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston has already got my vote!

And I guess we can't leave out the Anne Rice Interview with the Vampire books and movie

Brian Truitt: Tilda Swinton makes a great supernatural creature of any sort, really.

Claudia Puig: Tilda is probably one of the snubs we should add

Brian Truitt: She did win for Michael Clayton, which was pretty amazing and I think should have done better that year overall. (Tom Wilkinson FTW.)

Claudia Puig: I was thinking of older movies like The Beach and then last year's We Need to Talk about Kevin. So agreed on Tom Wilkinson. He's one of my favorite actors. Maybe he'll get a nod for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. That's where you wish the Academy had a best ensemble category

Skip Jordan of Knoxville, TN

BREATHLESSLY AWAITING LES MIZ at the movies this Christmas. I've seen 2 road shows and have 2 different anniversary videos. But I think its success comes down to one song: 'I Dreamed a Dream.'

If Anne Hathaway (who has a great voice) doesn't nail that song with the high points of the stage versions and Susan Boyle, I predict the movie will flop, regardless of its other fine points. Same for some very tough songs for Hugh Jackman. Not encouraged by the trailers.

If the movie doesn't measure up to that, it's not too late for the producers to amp it up before the December release.

Brian Truitt: Thanks for the question, Skip, although I think the trailers have been pretty great so far. I think it's good that they're doing all their own singing - and most of them come from musical backgrounds. (Russell Crowe even has a band!) I have big hopes for this one.

Claudia Puig: Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman are both consummate entertainers who can sing and act and do just about anything. But it remains to be seen how they'll fare in Les Miz.

Having said that, I can only point to Chicago which featured actors like Richard Gere and John C. Reilly and actresses like Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones who are not singers but with the help of musical tweaking came off sounding just fine.

Brian Truitt: What was great about Chicago is it turned the staged version into dream sequences rather than the "I've just gotta sing!" conceit of most musicals.

Claudia Puig:Les Miz is such an expansive setting. I'm so curious to see how they'll handle it.

And I'm seeing it the Saturday after Thanksgiving...can't wait!

Brian Truitt: It will be interesting to see if the Academy can connect with folks singing while the French Revolution rages around them.

Turkey than Crowe. Nothing better?

Claudia Puig: At least we're not living in the Freedom Fries era!

R Schwartz of NYC

Do you guys think Javier Bardem will be nominated for Skyfall? He was awfully good in it, And since it will be her last ( at least i think it will be her last) do you think Judi Dench could get a nod?

Thanks

Brian Truitt: I think the problem for Bardem lies in the fact that the supporting category is STACKED.

Like I said, before Lincoln could populate the thing by itself - I think Tommy Lee Jones has it in the bag, but that's just me - and I can't see John Goodman not getting at least a little love for Argo or Flight.

That said, I think giving Dame Judi a ceremonial nod for M would be cool.

Claudia Puig: I would love to see Bardem nominated again for Skyfall. I think he's an amazing actor. He would have had my vote for The Sea Inside--an amazing film if you haven't seen it! But I think a Bardem nod will depend on how the rest of the supporting actor race shapes up. Certainly Academy members admire him, since he won for No Country for Old Men and was nominated for Before Night Falls.

Judi Dench is also well-loved, with good reason. She might get a nod for her more fleshed-out role as M, but I think it might be likely for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. She was nominated for a performance that was less than 20 minutes in Shakespeare in Love. So I would expect to see her crop up this year.

Brian Truitt: Claudia, I've heard a lot of people online say that Bardem's performance was reminiscent of Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight. Is that a fair assessment?

Claudia Puig: I think that's kind of fair, in its offbeat loopiness. I think Ledger's Joker was far more terrifying though

Maybe Dame Judi Dench should play some kind of crazed Joker like villain next

Rich Heimlich of Cherry Hill, NJ:

We all know the big studios and many of the production companies. However, one thing I note as an avid movie-goer (I see about 50+ first-run movies in a theater each year) is a seemingly endless multitude of full-blown production companies that seem to come and go with each film.

Can you shed some light on this? Nearly every movie I see there's a totally new production company (or more) listed in the opening credits often with full-blown, complex animated logos and graphics. Yet I almost never hear or see these companies ever again.

Claudia Puig: That's an intriguing question, Rich. Sometimes production companies are formed just for a particular movie. But you also see production companies that are formed by the film's stars, or the director and producers together, who may not work on another project together for a while—or ever. So you'll not see that particular name again. While the logos get more varied and cooler-looking, these companies don't function like old production companies or even like TV production companies that we look to for a particular kind of product

Brian Truitt: Rich, I feel your pain. When I watched a screening of Lincoln the other week, there were so many logos of production companies it seemed like it was another set of trailers! I think it's partly because to fund some of these big movies, it takes a lot of investors.

Also, "producer" seems to have become a catch-all title - there are supervising producers, executive producers, producer producers...

Whereas there might only be one director, some guy who chipped in a grand or something may get a producer credit. Or somebody who held the rights to something 20 years ago and it's like a legal thing.

Claudia Puig: True. Brian, I've heard of actors giving producer credits to their personal trainers or long-time make-up folks...so the title really can be a vague one, unlike the very specific roles of the director, screenwriter, editor, sound designer, etc.

Healing Enso of Phoenix, Az

Can someone tell me where I can vote for Casablanca 2 for the Golden Raspberry Awards ?

I know they haven't made it......yet. But c'mon man !

I follow the approach ""vote early, vote often"" for this potential movie. It needs to die, before a single scene is ever shot.

Brian Truitt: Sigh. It is pretty bad, isn't it? I died a little inside when I saw that there was a straight-to-DVD Christmas Story 2.

There are a lot of sequels over the years that just should not have happened. Ghostbusters 2 was just dreck, and I like to pretend that Blues Brothers 2000 never happened. What do you think, Claudia?

Claudia Puig: Absolutely, most sequels shouldn't happen.

I've been hearing reports about Zoolander 2 ever since the first one came out over a decade ago. I hope that doesn't happen. Especially in light of Hangover 2.

I think most sequels are not worth making. Especially movies like Final Destination 3....Maybe the filmmakers don't know the meaning of the word "final?"

And let's not forget Godfather 3!

Brian Truitt: Some people think that the Star Wars prequels were pretty needless, too, although I'm of the mind that they were OK for what they were. But there are rumors of Darth Vader in the upcoming Episode 7 and, if that's the case, that might as well be as egregious as a Casablanca 2.

And this coming from a guy with a weird obsessions for AT-ATs.

Claudia Puig: I'm kind of with those folks on the Star Wars front. And now we have these new sequels of sequels and remakes, ala Spiderman. Will it ever end?? And don't get me started on trilogy trend and books split into 2 movies...

Brian Truitt: If there's money to be had, there are sequels to be made.

Claudia Puig: Indeed!

Brian Truitt: It's only a matter of time till this chat is rebooted. Probably next week!

John Elliot: Indeed, Brian, indeed

It IS time for us to wrap up unfortunately!

Claudia Puig: And on that note, I just want to say thanks to all of you who wrote in. See you at the movies!

Brian Truitt: Save me a seat, Claudia! And to our readers, thanks for reading and giving us great questions. May the Force be with you, of course.

John Elliot: Thank you Claudia and Brian. And a VERY big thank you to all our readers who participated and submitted questions.

Remember: you can submit your burning movie questions all week long, right here.

Check usatoday.com tomorrow for Claudia's reviews of Anna Karenina, Breaking Dawn - Part 2 and Silver Linings Playbook and look out for an upcoming piece by Brian on Rise of the Guardians.

Thank you all for joining us for the USA TODAY Movie Forum! Please join us again next Wednesday at 3 PM EST/12 PM PST for another edition of Movie Forum.