By Dana Brawer

Some highly anticipated Oscar contenders will not be making the cut this year, and last night, another joined that list. The release of George Clooney's World War II drama, "The Monuments Men," has been pushed from its original December release to a February 2014 opening, according to the LA Times, making it ineligible for a nomination.

Clooney's picture does not stand alone in a widespread trend of delayed Oscar prospects. Leonardo DiCaprio's "Wolf of Wall Street" has been delayed, though it will barely make the 2013 deadline with a new late December release. Nicole Kidman's "Grace of Monaco," originally anticipated as a huge competitor due to Kidman's past success at the Oscars, will now be released in 2014, however.

Historical drama, 'The Immigrant" and sports drama "The Foxcatcher" have also been pushed into 2014 releases.

There is a growing reliance on expensive visual effects to tell stories, and if not done perfectly, the effects could ruin the film, which was reportedly a concern for "The Monuments Men." "If any of the effects looked cheesy, the whole movie would look cheesy," says Clooney in response to his film's delay. "You don't want it to look like a film that was all done in the computer."

That is not to say visual effects are the only cause of delay for pictures, as "the Immigrant" and "The Foxcatcher" are not effect heavy and are still being re-worked in the edit room.

However, it is still refreshing to know that studio execs are willing to delay releases and Oscar nominations to ensure viewers can experience the best possible film.