SUDDENLY A FRENZY OF FALL FILMS

For moviegoers, autumn used to be a black hole that separated Labor Day and Christmas.

As the spent-out teen audience tromped back to school, independent movie makers released an odd assortment of arty gems and barking dogs. And the big studios didn’t do much of anything except recount summer grosses and lay plans for December.

But not anymore. Instead, this fall promises to be one of the busiest--if not necessarily the best--movie seasons in recent memory.

Literally dozens of releases from new or expanded independent companies are about to slug it out with dozens of major studio films--many of which were planned for earlier release, but held until fall because of scheduling conflicts, production problems or the desire to cash in on a growing “Indian summer” phenomenon at the box office.

“It’s going to be rough sledding,” De Laurentiis Entertainment Group marketing chief Larry Gleason says of the threatened congestion at the box office.

If companies keep to their current plans, a grand total of 135 movies will be released in the United States in September, October and November, up from just 63 for the same months last year.

The total will include some widely anticipated movies, such as Paramount’s “Fatal Attraction” (starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close) and Fox’s “Princess Bride” (directed by Rob Reiner and starring Billy Crystal and Peter Falk).

But there also will be a welter of more modest bets that studios hope will turn into this year’s “ ‘Crocodile’ Dundee”--an Australian sleeper that grossed $175 million after it was released in the United States by Paramount last September, suddenly turning fall of 1986 into a big box-office season.

Much of the current step-up comes from independent studios like De Laurentiis and Lorimar-Telepictures, which are now releasing expanded movie rosters that were funded at least in part by big Wall Street financings.

“There’s a big backup of independent product that couldn’t get into the market because (the majors) were in there with so many pictures all summer,” explains Barry Reardon, president of distribution for Warner Bros. (Warners has only a single movie scheduled for fall release.)

Reardon adds that big studios delayed some summer releases until fall (for example, MGM/UA’s “Real Men,” Columbia’s “The Big Town”, and Tri-Star’s “The Principal”), at least partly because other summer movies (“Roxanne,” “The Untouchables,” “Predator”) stayed in theaters longer than originally expected.

Of the resulting pile-up, theater consultant John Krier says: “People have talked about a picture glut for years. Well, it’s here.”

AUTUMN AT A GLANCE: A sampler of fall movie releases . Major Studios COLUMBIA “The Big Town” (Sept. 25) Matt Dillon, Diane Lane “Someone to Watch Over Me” (Oct. 9) Tom Berenger, Mimi Rogers “Hope and Glory” (Oct.) Sarah Miles, David Hayman “Housekeeping” (Nov.) Christine Lahti, Sarah Walker DISNEY “Hello Again” (Oct. 9) Shelley Long, Judith Ivey “The Rescue” (Nov. 6) Kevin Dillon, Christina Harnos “Cinderella” (Nov. 20) Animated re-release MGM/UA “Real Men” (Oct.) Jim Belushi, John Ritter “Baby Boom” (Oct. 9) Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard “Fatal Beauty” (Nov. 13) Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Elliott ORION “Best Seller” (Sept. 25) James Woods, Brian Dennehy “House of Games” (Oct. 9) Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna “No Man’s Land” (Oct. 23) Charlie Sheen, D.B. Sweeney “Jigsaw” (Oct.) Kelly McGillis, Jeff Daniels PARAMOUNT “Fatal Attraction” (Sept. 25) Michael Douglas, Glenn Close “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (Nov. 25) Steve Martin, John Candy TRI-STAR “The Principal” (Sept.) Jim Belushi, Louis Gossett Jr. “Like Father, Like Son” (Sept./Oct.) Dudley Moore, Kirk Cameron “Gaby” (Oct.) Liv Ullmann “Man on Fire” (Oct.) Scott Glenn “Suspect” (Oct. 23) Cher, Dennis Quaid “Running Man” (Nov. 11) Arnold Schwarzenegger 20TH CENTURY FOX “The Pick Up Artist” (Sept. 18) Molly Ringwald, Robert Downey Jr. “The Princess Bride” (Sept.) Billy Crystal, Peter Falk “Big Shots” (Oct. 2) Paul Winfield, Ricky Busker “Less Than Zero” (Oct. 30) Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, Robert Downey Jr. “The Sicilian” (Fall) Christopher Lambert “Broadcast News” (Nov. 20) William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter UNIVERSAL “Amazon Women on the Moon” (Sept. 18) Rosanna Arquette, Ralph Bellamy “Cross My Heart” (Oct. 2) Martin Short, Annette O’Toole “Three O’Clock High” (Oct. 9) Casey Siemaszko, Richard Tyson “Hail, Hail Rock and Roll” (Oct. 9) Chuck Berry, Keith Richard “Positive ID” (Oct. 23) Stephanie Rascoe, John Davies “Prince of Darkness” (Oct. 23) Don Pleasance, Parker Stevenson “Cry Freedom” (Nov.) Kevin Kline, Denzel Washington “Walker” (Nov. 13) Marlee Matlin, Ed Harris WARNER BROS. “Surrender” (Oct. 9) Sally Field, Michael Caine, Steve Guttenberg Independent Studios (PARTIAL LIST) ATLANTIC “Home Is Where the Hart Is” (Sept. 25) Valerie Bromfield “Blood on the Moon” (Oct. 23) James Woods “Teen Wolf Too” (Nov. 6) Jason Bateman CANNON “Castaway” (Sept. 4) Oliver Reed “Business as Usual” (Sept. 18) “Penitentiary III” (Oct. 2) “Dancers” (Oct. 9) “Tough Guys Don’t Dance” (Oct. 23) Ryan O’Neal “Bloodsport” (Oct. 23) “Barfly” (Oct./Nov.) Mickey Rourke, Faye Dunaway “Shy People” (Nov. 20) Jill Clayburgh, Barbara Hershey DE LAURENTIIS “Rampage” (Sept.) William Peterson “Weeds” (Oct.) Nick Nolte “Pumpkin Head” (Oct. 23) Lance Henricksen “Adult Education” (Nov. 6) Jon Cryer, Annsbeth Gish “Date With an Angel” (Nov. 13) Michael Knight, Emanuelle Beart SAMUEL GOLDWYN “The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie” (Oct. 2) HEMDALE “Real Trouble” (Sept.) “Supergrass” (Sept.) “Dark Age” (Sept./Oct.) “Flagrant Desire” (Sept./Oct.) “Scenes from the Gold Mine” (Sept./Oct.) “My Sister’s Keeper” (Oct.) “Slate Wyn & Me” (Oct./Nov.) “High Season” (Oct./Nov.) “Terminus” (Fall) ISLAND “Slam Dance” (Sept. 18) “Dark Eyes” (Oct. 16) “Sweet Lies” (Nov.) LORIMAR “Fourth Protocol” (Sept. 28) “Made in Heaven” (Oct. 2) Timothy Hutton, Kelly McGillis “In the Mood” ((Oct.) Patrick Dempsey “Orphans” (Oct.) NEW CENTURY/VISTA “Nowhere to Hide” (Sept.) Amy Madigan, Michael Ironside “Leader of the Band” (Sept. 18) Steve Landesburg “The Penitent” (Sept.) “Pass the Ammo” (Oct.) Bill Paxton, Linda Kozlowski “Nightflyers” (Oct. 30) “Russkies” (Nov. 6) Whip Hubley, Leaf Phoenix NEW WORLD “Land of the Small” (Sept. 4) “Kandyland” (Sept. 18) “Jane and the Lost City” (Sept. 18) “Heart” (Sept. 25) Brad Davis “Hellraiser” (Sept. 18) “The Telephone” (Oct.) Whoopi Goldberg “Invasion Earth” (Oct. 9) “A Perfect Stranger” (Oct. 23) “Apprentice to Murder” (Nov. 6) “Flowers in the Attic” (Nov. 20) VESTRON “Desert Warrior” (Sept. 11) “Anna” (Oct. 2) “The Dead” (Oct. 9) “Promised Land” (Oct. 16) “The Unholy” (Oct. 23) “Beat” (Oct. 30) “China Girl” (Oct.) “Pointsman” (Nov.) (Based on data collected by Exhibitor Relations Co.) Actual release date subject to change.