5 Movies With Oscar Potential That Are Worth Your Money [VIDEO]

As October arrives on Monday, we come to the final quarter of 2012 where Hollywood starts loading up those films they feel are worth of awards in early 2013.  Which ones will be the best of this year?  5 films with potential for Oscar gold are submitted for your attention, and for your business.

The story in 2012 so far has been sequels, sci-fi, animation, superheroes, a teddy bear come to life, and not many films with any buzz for Academy Award love.

One film with the best chance to garner some attention for awards that has been out, and is still showing in limited runs right now, is Moonrise Kingdom.  The film that has never been out in more than 1,000 theaters in the U.S. in any given week has been the little film that could.  This film was made for about $16 Million and managed to get the likes of Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, and Tilda Swinton and Ed Norton to be a part of this Wes Anderson film (who brought you The Royal Tenenbaums and The Fantastic Mr. Fox).

The best we will see this year in film that will be award winning is coming, and I found 5 that may be worth the $10-$12 per person (and could possibly make for a good date flick).

1) Argo

Coming out on October 12th, the Ben Affleck directed film is based on the true story of a CIA operative who creates an unbelievable plan to to create a Hollywood movie - which is a fake - in order to get 6 American hostages out of Tehran during the 1979 Iranian crisis.

Affleck is on a roll after writing and directing The Town in 2012, which somehow did not get Ben any Oscar love.  Payback is coming, and critics feel this film is an even greater accomplishment for Affleck as a director.  By the way, Affleck is starring with Bryan Cranston, John Goodman (who was in last year's Best Picture Oscar winner The Artist), Klye Chandler, and Oscar winner Alan Arkin.

2) Silver Lining Playbooks

The People's Choice Award winner at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival, the film lands just before Thanksgiving.  Bradley Cooper already had very good reviews for The Words, and an actor with 2 great performances inside one year usually gets acknowledged come award time.  This film may propel Cooper to elite acting status as he holds serve with Robert DeNiro playing his father.

Cooper is a school teacher who finds himself winding up in a mental institution.  Upon his release, and his moving back in with his parents, Pat Solitano (Cooper) meets a girl with her own set a problems (Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence).  This girl helps Pat try to re-connect with his ex-wife, but things get complicated.

3) Hyde Park on Hudson

Coming out December 7th, this true story of FDR in 1939 focuses in on a time where the president is entertaining the King and Queen of England in upstate NY, and reveals the love Roosevelt had for his cousin Margaret Stuckley (Laura Linney, a 3-time Oscar nominee).

Bill Murray already has a great performance this year in Moonrise Kingdom, but playing FDR will surely earn him many nominations come January - he truly has channeled the former president beautifully.

4) Stand Up Guys

Scheduled to come out in limited release before Christmas, this film could be a last chance for 2 former Oscar winners to get another chance at the gold.  Al Pacino is the legend with 8 Oscar nominations in his resume (his one win was for The Scent of A Woman), but Christoper Walken (Oscar winner back in 1979) this could be his moment in the sun that has eluded the quirky but immensely talented actor.

Walken and Pacino are 2 aging con-men reunited for one last job, but the problem is that Walken has to kill his good friend (Pacino).  Don't be surprised if director Fisher Stevens (a past Oscar winning for Best Short Film) gets some recognition for this film.

5) The Master

The movie is out now, and Joaquin Phoenix is back!  When he is right, Phoenix is one of the best actors in the world today, and opposite Phillip Seymour Hoffman they shared top honors at the Venice Film Festival a few months back.

Phoenix is Freddie, a former Navy man now home who falls the influence of The Cause - a cult with a charismatic leader (Hoffman)