The flavor of autumn

Sept. 12

Cabin Fever

Horror

Lions Gate

With: Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Joey Kern, Cerina Vincent, James DeBello.

The idea: Teenagers head to a cabin in the woods, encounter a voracious virus.

Writers: Randy Pearlstein, Eli Roth; story by Roth.

Director: Roth.

* So? Throwback/homage to ‘80s cult horror flicks.

Dummy

Comedy

Artisan

With: Adrien Brody, Jessica Walter, Ron Liebman, Illeana Douglas, Jared Harris, Milla Jovovich.

The idea: Uber-geek connects with person of wood.

Writer-director: Greg Pritikin.

* So? Appealingly odd-squad.

Lost in Translation

Comedy

Focus Features

With: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Fumihiro Hayashi.

The idea: Insomniac American strangers cross paths in Tokyo hotel.

Writer-director: Sofia Coppola.

* So? Stimulating.

Matchstick Men

Comedy

Warner Bros.

With: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce McGill.

The idea: Arrival of neurotic con man’s daughter disrupts scheme.

Writers: Nicholas Griffin & Ted Griffin, based on the book by Eric Garcia.

Director: Ridley Scott.

* So? High-end angst.

Millennium Actress

Animated

DreamWorks

The idea: Actress’ history springs to life as an astonished documentary team look on.

Writers: Satoshi Kon, Sadayuki Murai .

Director: Kon.

* So? Soft-touch anime.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Action/adventure

Columbia Pictures

With: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Danny Trejo, Enrique Iglesias, Marco Leonardi, Cheech Marin, Ruben Blades, Willem Dafoe.

The idea: The enigmatic, guitar-toting gunslinger returns, nudged out of isolation by a CIA agent.

Writer-director: Robert Rodriguez.

* So? Cast has a blast.

So Close

Action

Strand

With: Karen Mok, Shu Qi, Zhao Wei, Seoung-Heon Song.

The idea: Sister assassins are pursued by expert female cop.

Writer: Jeff Lau.

Director: Cory Yuen.

* So? Chicks who kick. Slick.

The Year That Trembled

Drama

Kingdom County

With: Meredith Monroe, Martin Mull, Fred Willard, Jay Ferguson, Danica McKellar.

The idea: Young people face the turmoil of 1970, including Kent State and the draft.

Writer-director: Jay Craven, based on the novel by Scott Lax.

* So? War jitters.

Sept. 14

Volcanoes of the Deep Sea

Documentary

Imax

Narrator: Ed Harris.

The idea: Scientists dive two miles to investigate sulfur-loving life forms and other natural phenomena.

Director: Stephen Low.

* So? Low also directed Imax 3-D “Across the Sea of Time.”

Sept. 19

The Animation Show

Anthology

The idea: The touring package features a range of animated shorts, including premieres of work by Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeld.

Presenters: Judge, Hertzfeld

* So? Cutting-edge animation.

Casa De Los Babys

Drama

IFC Films

With: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Daryl Hannah, Susan Lynch, Marcia Gay Harden, Mary Steenburgen, Lili Taylor and Vanessa Martinez.

The idea: Six women from el Norte bond at Latin American hotel while waiting to adopt ninos y ninas.

Writer-director: John Sayles

* So? Quick Sayles.

Cold Creek Manor

Thriller

Touchstone Pictures

With: Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff, Juliette Lewis, Kristin Stewart, Christopher Plummer.

The idea: City folks flee urban dangers, unaware of those that await in the country.

Writers: Richard Jefferies.

Director: Figgis.

* So? Killer thriller.

Demonlover

Thriller

Palm Pictures

With: Connie Nielsen, Gina Gershon, Chloe Sevigny, Charles Berling.

The idea: Corporate intrigue turns up interactive torture Web site.

Writer-director: Olivier Assayas.

* So? Sonic Youth soundtrack.

The Fighting Temptations

Comedy

Paramount

With: Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce, Mike Epps, Wendell Pierce, LaTanya Richardson.

The idea: New Yorker must create gospel choir in Georgia hometown to collect inheritance.

Writers: Elizabeth Hunter and Saladin K. Patterson; story by Hunter

Director: Jonathan Lynn

* So? Uplifting soundtrack.

In This World

Drama

Sundance Film Series

With: Jamal Udin Torabi, Enayatullah.

The idea: Afghan refugees try to make it to London.

Writer: Tony Grisoni

Director: Michael Winterbottom

* So? Starkly effective.

Secondhand Lions

Comedy/drama

New Line

With: Haley Joel Osment, Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Kyra Sedgwick, Nicky Katt.

The idea: Shy teenager and his eccentric great-uncles find mutual enrichment in their summer sojourn.

Writer-director: Tim McCanlies

* So? McCanlies’ writing credits include “Iron Giant,” “Around the World in 80 Days.”

Taking Sides

Drama

New Yorker Films

With: Harvey Keitel, Stellan Skarsgard.

The idea: The effects of an investigation for alleged war crimes on German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler.

Writer: Ronald Harwood.

Director: Istvan Szabo.

* So? Based on Harwood’s play.

Underworld

Thriller

Screen Gems

With: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Erwin Leder, Bill Nighy.

The idea: Vampires battle werewolves in a world unseen.

Writer: Danny McBride; story by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, McBride.

Director: Wiseman.

* So? Stylish bite.

Sept. 26

Camera Obscura

Psychological thriller

Fish Eye Films

With: Adam Trese, Ariadna Gil, Cully Fredrickson, VJ Foster.

The idea: LAPD crime-scene photographer confronts fears by distorting reality.

Writer-director: Hamlet Sarkissian

* So? Through a lens, darkly.

Duplex

Comedy

Miramax

With: Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore, Eileen Essell, Harvey Fierstein, Justin Theroux, Robert Wisdom, James Remar.

The idea: Young couple’s dream home comes with a drawback: a problem tenant.

Writer: Larry Doyle and John Hamburg.

Director: Danny DeVito.

* So? High potential.

The Embalmer

Thriller

First Run Features

With: Ernesto Mahieux, Valerio Foglio Manzillo, Elisabetta Rocchetti.

The idea: Middle-aged taxidermist takes on handsome apprentice, becomes jealous when the younger man falls in love with a woman.

Writers: Ugo Chiti, Matteo Garrone, Massino Gaudioso.

Director: Garrone.

* So? Unconventional premise.

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

Drama

Sony Pictures Repertory

With: Gian Maria Volonte, Florinda Bolkan.

The idea: Unhinged police chief murders mistress and frames himself to test subordinates.

Writers: Elio Petri, Ugo Pirro.

Director: Petri.

* So? 1971 Oscar winner for best foreign-language film.

Luther

Historical drama

RS Entertainment

With: Joseph Fiennes, Peter Ustinov, Alfred Molina, Claire Cox.

The idea: The life and times of the father of the Reformation.

Writers: Camille Thomasson and Bart Gavigan.

Director: Eric Till.

* So? Uncanny faith.

Mambo Italiano

Comedy

IDP/Samuel Goldwyn

With: Luke Kirby, Paul Sorvino, Ginette Reno, Stephanie Vecchio, Claudia Ferri, Peter Miller, Mary Walsh, Sophie Lorain.

The idea: Italian immigrant parents in Montreal freak out when they discover their son and his cop best friend are more than roommates.

Writer-director: Emile Gaudreault.

* So? Gay family values.

My Life Without Me

Drama

Sony Classics

With: Sarah Polley, Mark Ruffalo, Deborah Harry, Scott Speedman, Amanda Plummer, Leonor Watling, Maria de Medeiros.

The idea: Terminally ill young woman doesn’t tell her family and tries to live her final days to their fullest.

Writer-director: Isabel Coixet, based on a short story by Nanci Kincaid.

* So? Weeper sleeper.

Prey for Rock and Roll

Drama

MAC Releasing

With: Gina Gershon, Drea De Matteo, Lori Petty, Shelly Cole, Marc Blucas, Ivan Martin.

The idea: Bisexual punk-rocker and her band make one last stab at making it big.

Writers: Cheri Lovedog, Robin Whitehouse

Director: Alex Steyermark

* So? Engaging Gershon.

The Rundown

Action-adventure

Universal

With: The Rock, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken, Rosario Dawson, Ewen Bremner, Jon Gries.

The idea: A mobster’s son and his henchman overcome enmity in the Amazon and combine forces against evil mine owner.

Writers: R.J. Stewart and James Vanderbilt, story by Stewart.

Director: Peter Berg.

* So? Paternal punch.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Romantic comedy

Touchstone Pictures

With: Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan, Raoul Bova.

The idea: Mopey divorcee treks to Tuscany, buys villa, finds herself.

Writer-director: Audrey Wells, based on the book by Frances Mayes.

* So? Seductive.

Oct. 3

Bubba Ho-Tep

Fantasy

Vitagraph

With: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis.

The idea: Elderly Elvis and rest-home buddy who thinks he’s JFK battle evil Egyptian entity.

Writer-director: Don Coscarelli, based on short story by Joe R. Lansdale.

* So? High concept, low budget.

The Dreamers

Drama

Fox Searchlight

With: Michael Pitt, Eva Green, Louis Garrel, Robin Renucci, Anna Chancellor, Florian Cadiou.

The idea: Three youths explore their emotions and sexuality against the backdrop of political turmoil of 1968 France.

Writer: Gilbert Adair, based on his novel.

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci.

* So? Bertolucci’s third film shot in Paris, following “The Conformist” and “Last Tango....”

Emerald Cowboy: Esmeraldero

Adventure

Indican Pictures

With: Eishy Hayata, Eva Hayata, Juan Pablo Shuk, Horacio Tavera, Luis Velasco and Ricardo Wilke.

The idea: Explores the shadowy, treacherous world of Colombia’s emerald trade.

Writer: Hayata, based on his book about his real-life exploits.

Directors: Andrew Molina, Eishy Hayata.

* So? Purports to be first film shot in Bogota in 26 years.

The Event

Drama

ThinkFilm

With: Sarah Polley, Parker Posey, Brent Carver, Don McKellar, Olympia Dukakis

The idea: A gay man and his family face the consequences when his AIDS cocktail fails.

Writers: Tim Marback, Steven Hilyer and Thom Fitzgerald.

Director: Fitzgerald.

* So? Thoughtful.

The School of Rock

Comedy

Paramount

With: Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, Sarah Silverman.

The idea: Freeloading would-be rocker poses as substitute teacher and both he and the kids learn something.

Writer: Mike White.

Director: Richard Linklater.

* So? Surprise package.

The Station Agent

Drama

Miramax

With: Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, Raven Goodwin, Paul Benjamin, Michelle Williams.

The idea: Diminutive trainspotter inherits old train depot and makes it his home.

Writer-director: Tom McCarthy

* So? Dinklage looms large in breakout performance.

Wonderland

Drama

Lions Gate

With: Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow, Kate Bosworth, Dylan McDermott, Josh Lucas, Franky G., Tim Blake Nelson, Carrie Fisher, Eric Bogosian, Ted Levine.

The idea: Events leading up to L.A.’s grisly Wonderland Avenue murders in which porn star John Holmes played a part.

Writers: James Cox & Captain Mauzner and Todd Samowitz & D. Loriston Scott.

Director: Cox.

* So? Murky.

Oct. 8

Mystic River

Drama

Warner Bros.

With: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Emmy Rossum.

The idea: The murder of his teenage daughter reunites a man with two childhood friends from a rough section of Boston.

Writer: Brian Helgeland, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.

Director: Clint Eastwood.

* So? Somber.

Oct. 10

Bonhoeffer

Documentary

First Run Features

With: Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The idea: The story of the young German theologian who challenged his church to support the Jews against Hitler.

Director: Martin Doblmeier.

* So? Radical pacifism.

Dopamine

Romantic comedy

Sundance Film Series

With: John Livingston, Sabrina Lloyd, Bruno Campos, Rueben Grundy.

The idea: Computer programmer and kindergarten teacher test love through artificial intelligence.

Writers: Mark Decena, Tim Breitbach.

Director: Decena.

* So? Romantic facsimile.

Elephant

Drama

HBO Films/Fine Line Features

With: Alex Frost, Eric Deulen, John Robinson, Elias McConnell, Jordan Taylor.

The idea: Violence erupts at a Portland, Ore., high school.

Written-director: Gus Van Sant.

* So? Palme D’Or and best director prizes at Cannes.

The Flower of Evil (La Fleur du mal)

Drama

Palm Pictures

With: Nathalie Baye, Benoit Magimel, Suzanne Flon, Bernard Le Coq, Melanie Doutey, Thomas Chabrol.

The idea: Wealthy family near Bordeaux is shocked by scandal and uncloseted skeletons.

Writer-director: Claude Chabrol.

* So? Sly.

Girls Will Be Girls

Comedy

IFC Films

With: Jack Plotnick, Clinton Leupp, Jeffrey Roberson.

The idea: Three actresses (played by men) make their way in Hollywood.

Writer-director: Richard Day.

* So? Drag race.

Good Boy!

Comedy

MGM

With: Molly Shannon, Liam Aiken, Kevin Nealon, Matthew Broderick.

The idea: Interplanetary pooch organizes Earth dogs to take over from humans.

Writer-director: John Hoffman; based on “Dogs From Outer Space” by Zeke Richardson.

* So? Fetching.

Kill Bill Vol. 1

Action

Miramax

With: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen.

The idea: Four years after taking a bullet in the head, a woman awakes from coma and sets out for revenge against a team of assassins.

Writer-director: Quentin Tarantino.

* So? Female fury, a la Q.T.

Luster

Comedy

TLA Releasing

With: Justin Herwick, Shane Powers, B. Wyatt, Pam Gidley, Sean Thibodeau.

The idea: Fun-loving gay ‘zine producer realizes there’s more to life than orgies he barely remembers.

Writer-director: Everett Lewis.

* So? Awkward but promising.

September 11

Anthology

Empire Pictures

The idea: Eleven directors from different countries contribute to this examination of the fateful day and its aftermath.

Directors: Youssef Chahine, Amos Gitai, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Shohei Imamura, Claude Lelouch, Ken Loach, Samira Makhmalbaf, Mira Nair, Isrissa Ouedraogo, Sean Penn, Danis Tanovic.

* So? Provocative.

Small Voices

Drama

Sky Island Films

With: Alessandra De Rossi, Amy Austria, Gina Alajar, Dexter Doria.

The idea: Idealistic, young Philippine teacher arrives to teach in impoverished rural town.

Writers: Gil Portes, Adolf Alix, Senedy Que.

Director: Portes.

* So? The Philippines’ submission for 2002 Oscars.

Oct. 17

Hotel Room

Drama

Hollywood Independents

With: Barbara Bouden, Erik Krauss, Paris Kiely.

The idea: Five strange tales unfold in a New York hotel.

Writer: Cesc Gay.

Directors: Gay, Daniel Gimelberg.

* So? Familiarly bleak.

Hypnotic

Thriller

First Look

With: Goran Visnjic, Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Miranda Otto, Corin Redgrave, Claire Rushbrook, Fiona Shaw.

The idea: Therapist’s gift for seeing flashes from patients’ minds involves him in police investigation.

Writers: William Brookfield, Nick Willing, based on the book “Doctor Sleep” by Madison Smartt Bell.

Director: Willing.

* So? Spooky Brits.

Pieces of April

Comedy-drama

United Artists

With: Katie Holmes, Oliver Platt, Patricia Clarkson, Derek Luke, Alison Pill, Alice Drummond, John Gallagher Jr.

The idea: Woman desperately seeks a working oven in her apartment building as her critical family approaches for Thanksgiving dinner.

Writer-director: Peter Hedges

* So? First-time director Hedges scripted “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” and “About a Boy.”

Porn Theatre

Romantic comedy

Strand

With: Vittoria Scognamiglio, Jacques Nolot, Sebastien Viala.

The idea: Cashier, customer and projectionist engage in a romantic roundelay, against a backdrop of patrons’ liaisons.

Writer-director: Jacques Nolot.

* So? Hard-core with heart.

Returner

Science-fiction action

IDP/Samuel Goldwyn

With: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Ann Suzuki, Kirin Kiki.

The idea: Woman becomes embroiled in a crime war when she journeys back from the future to avert an alien invasion.

Writer-director: Takashi Yamazaki

* So? Diverting.

Runaway Jury

Suspense

Fox

With: John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Bruce McGill, Jeremy Piven.

The idea: Relentless “jury consultant” Hackman engages panelist Cusack in battle.

Writers: Brian Koppleman & David Levien and Rick Cleveland and Matthew Chapman, based on the novel by John Grisham.

Director: Gary Fleder.

* So? First screen pairing of Hackman and Hoffman.

The Singing Detective

Musical

Paramount Classics

With: Robert Downey Jr., Robin Wright Penn, Jeremy Northam, Katie Holmes, Carla Gugino, Adrien Brody, Jon Polito, Saul Rubinek, Mel Gibson, Alfre Woodard.

The idea: The setting for the bedridden novelist’s musical fantasies is transferred to noirish L.A.

Writer: Dennis Potter, based on his British television series.

Director: Keith Gordon.

* So? Interesting transition.

Sylvia

Drama

Focus Features

With: Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig, Jared Harris, Michael Gambon, Blythe Danner.

The idea: Study of the influential writer Sylvia Plath’s intense personal and creative relationship with husband Ted Hughes.

Writer: John Brownlow.

Director: Christine Jeffs.

* So? Paltrow’s mother Danner plays Plath’s mother.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Horror

New Line

With: Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel.

The idea: A new version of the shocker that set the tone for horror from the 1970s onward.

Writer: Scott Kosar, based on a screenplay by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper.

Director: Marcus Nispel.

* So? A brand-new Leatherface.

Veronica Guerin

Suspense

Touchstone Pictures

With: Cate Blanchett, Gerard McSorley, Ciaran Hinds, Brenda Fricker.

The idea: Newspaper reporter takes on Dublin’s drug lords.

Writers: Carol Doyle, Mary Agnes Donoghue, story by Doyle.

Director: Joel Schumacher.

* So? True story gets the Bruckheimer treatment.

Oct. 22

In the Cut

Psychological thriller

Screen Gems

With: Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Damici.

The idea: New York English professor embarks on a steamy, high-risk affair with a detective investigating a brutal murder.

Writers: Jane Campion, Susana Moore, based on the book by Moore.

Director: Campion.

* So? Ryan’s hope.

Oct. 24

Beyond Borders

Drama

Paramount

With: Angelina Jolie, Clive Owen, Teri Polo, Linus Roache, Noah Emmerich, Yorick Van Wageningen.

The idea: Socialite falls for idealistic doctor, plunges into his world of high-risk humanitarian work.

Writer: Caspian Tredwell-Owen.

Director: Martin Campbell.

* So? Pair for the course.

Brother Bear

Animated

Walt Disney Pictures

Voices: Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Jason Raize, D.B. Sweeney, Michael Clarke-Duncan, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas.

The idea: Boy embarks on a grand adventure when he’s transformed into a bear.

Directors: Aaron Blaise and Bob Walker.

* So? Phil Collins provides five songs.

Bus 174

Documentary

ThinkFilm

The idea: The 2000 hijacking of a commuter bus in Rio de Janeiro became a live media sensation.

Director: Jose Padilha.

* So? Reality TV.

Gothika

Supernatural thriller

Warner Bros.

With: Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr., Charles S. Dutton.

The idea: Psychologist struggles to remember what happened on the night her husband was murdered -- a crime she appears to have committed.

Writer: Sebastian Gutierrez.

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz.

* So? Tense.

Scary Movie 3

Comedy

Dimension

With: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards, Jeremy Piven, Anthony Anderson, Eddie Griffin, Simon Rex.

The idea: Third installment parodies everything from “Signs” to “The Matrix.”

Writers: Craig Mazin and Pat Proft.

Director: David Zucker

* So? “Airplane” director returns to spoof turf.

Yossi & Jagger

Drama

Strand

With: Ohad Knoller, Yehuda Levi, Assi Cohen.

The idea: Two male Israeli army officers have a love affair on a remote military base.

Writer-director: Eytan Fox.

* So? Not your ordinary Middle East story.

Oct. 31

Alien: The Director’s Cut

Science fiction/horror

Fox

With: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto.

The idea: Scott’s new version of his interstellar suspenser is re-cut with never-before-seen-footage.

Writers: Dan O’Bannon, story by O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

Director: Ridley Scott.

* So? A face-hugging, chest-busting original.

Close Call

Drama

Prime Media Pictures

With: Annie Lee, Jeff Fahey, Philip Moon, Angie Lee.

The idea: Asian American teen’s life unravels when she falls into crime, sex and drugs.

Writer-director: Jimmy Lee.

* So? An Asian American “Thirteen.”

Die Mommie Die!

Comedy

Sundance Film Series

With: Charles Busch, Frances Conroy, Philip Baker Hall, Natasha Lyonne, Jason Priestley, Stark Sands.

The idea: Fallen pop diva is discovered having an affair, leading to a series of betrayals and mysteries.

Writer: Busch.

Director: Mark Rucker.

* So? Homage to Ross Hunter-style ‘60s soaps.

Shattered Glass

Drama

Lions Gate

With: Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard, Chloe Sevigny, Melanie Lynskey, Steve Zahn, Hank Azaria, Rosario Dawson.

The idea: The story of star journalist Stephen Glass, whose career was derailed by revelations of deception.

Writer-director: Billy Ray.

* So? Realistically cynical.

Suspended Animation

Horror

First Run Features

With: Alex McArthur, Laura Esterman, Rebecca Harrell, Fred Meyers.

The idea: Hollywood animator is stranded with cannibalistic sisters.

Writer: Dorothy Tristan.

Director: John Hancock.

* So? Creepy

Nov. 7

Anything but Love

Musical romance

IDP/ Samuel Goldwyn

With: Isabel Rose, Andrew McCarthy, Cameron Bancroft, Eartha Kitt.

The idea: Woman obsessed with classic Hollywood glamour is torn between old flame and a cynical pianist.

Writers: Robert Cary, Isabel Rose.

Director: Cary.

* So? Curiosity.

In My Skin

Psychological drama

Wellspring

With: Marina de Van, Laurent Lucas, Lea Drucker, Thibault de Montalembert.

The idea: Research analyst becomes obsessed with her body -- especially the cuts -- following an accident.

Writer-director: De Van.

* So? More physical than psychological.

Love Forbidden

Thriller

Strand Releasing

With: Rodolphe Marconi, Andrea Necci, Echo Danon.

The idea: Two male college students in Rome fall into a dangerous, erotic relationship.

Writer-director: Rodolphe Marconi

* So? Studiously tedious.

My Sister Maria

Documentary

Rainbow Releasing

The idea: Maximilian Schell pays homage to his sister, German actress Maria Schell.

Director: Schell.

* So? Fascinating, poignant.

9 Dead Gay Guys

Comedy

TLA Releasing

With: Glenn Mulhearn, Brendan Mackey, Steven Berkoff, Michael Praed, Vas Blackwood, Simon Godley, Raymond Griffiths, Fish, Abdala Kaserwan, Karen Sharman.

The idea: Two supposedly straight Irish lads scheme to snare a rumored fortune stashed deep in London’s gay society.

Writer-director: Lab Ky Mo.

* So? Endearingly ridiculous, like John Waters.

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself

Romance

ThinkFilm

With: Jamie Sives, Shirley Henderson, Adrian Rawlins.

The idea: Cheery Glasgow bookstore owner and his suicidal brother fall in love with the same woman.

Writers: Lone Scherfig and Anders Jensen.

Director: Scherfig (her first English-language film).

* So? Wryly observed.

TBA

Carnage

Drama

Wellspring

With: Chiara Mastroianni, Angela Molina, Lucia Sanchez, Lio, Clovis Cornillac, Jacques Gamblin.

The idea: Recipients of the various pieces of the carcass of a bull slain in a ring in northern Spain are the basis for interconnected stories.

Writer-director: Delphine Gleize.

* So? Grim business.

Japanese Story

Drama

IDP/ Samuel Goldwyn

With: Toni Colette, Gotaro Tsunashima, Matthew Dyktynski, Lynette Curran.

The idea: Mismatched geologist and businessman travel deeper into danger in the Australian desert.

Writer: Alison Tilson.

Director: Sue Brooks.

* So? Opposites interact.

Junked

Hollywood Independents

With: Thomas Jane, Jordan Ladd.

The idea: Bisexual hustler, drug dealer and hooker try to survive on the crime-ridden streets.

Writer-director: Lance Lane.

* So? Seamy streets.

The Singing Forest

Musical romance

Hollywood Independents

With: Jorge Ameer, Erik Morris, Craig Pinkston, Shelley Price, Jon Sherran.

The idea: Reincarnated Holocaust victim believes his daughter is in love with the reincarnation of his gay lover.

Writer-director: Ameer.

* So? Embodiment of confusion.

To Be and To Have

Documentary

New Yorker

The idea: Life in a French village schoolhouse.

Director: Nicolas Philibert.

* So? An education.

The Human Stain

Drama (Oct. 3)

Miramax

With: Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris

The idea: Classics professor tries to rebuild his life after racism charges drive him from his post.

Writer: Nicholas Meyer, based on the novel by Phillip Roth

Director: Robert Benton

* Miramax has high ambitions for this prestige package in which Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins play against type. In the rare film version of a Philip Roth book (the last feature film was 1972’s “Portnoy’s Complaint”), he’s an academic with a big secret, and she’s hiding out at a dairy farm, dealing with her own issues with the past. On their separate films, director Robert Benton and screenwriter Nicholas Meyer have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to handle sensitive material intelligently, regardless of its commercial potential.

Anything Else

* This time Jason Biggs plays the nebbish, to whom Woody Allen’s character serves as sort of a mentor. Well-received at the Venice Film Festival, it probably ranks as better than his most recent work but doesn’t approach the level of his best work.

Comedy (Sept. 19)

DreamWorks

With: Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Stockard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon

The idea: New York writer falls in love with unpredictable free spirit

Writer-director: Woody Allen

Intolerable Cruelty

Romantic comedy (Oct. 10)

Universal

With: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward Herrmann, Richard Jenkins, Billy Bob Thornton

The idea: A divorce lawyer and serial divorcee face off for an epic battle of the sexes.

Writers: Robert Ramsey & Matthew Stone and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen; story by Ramsey & Stone and John Romano

Director: Joel Coen

* The first movie the Coens have directed from a script they didn’t originate. The early word from some who’ve seen it? George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones generate high-voltage on-screen chemistry on the order of Hepburn and Tracy: screwball comedy with teeth and claws.

Out of Time

Crime drama (Oct. 3)

MGM

With: Denzel Washington, Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan, Dean Cain

The idea: A shocking murder sends the police chief of a small Florida town on a race against time.

Writer: Dave Collard

Director: Carl Franklin

* Sex, deception and intrigue keep the characters busy in this contemporary noirish film written by Dave Collard, the first collaboration of Denzel Washington with director Carl Franklin since “Devil in a Blue Dress,” which also had its share of shady figures.

Elf

Comedy (Nov. 7)

New Line

With: Will Ferrell, Ed Asner, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel

The idea: A human raised by elves at the North Pole seeks his roots in Manhattan.

Writer: David Berenbaum

Director: Jon Favreau

* Will Ferrell as a man raised by elves? Because Ferrell has a way with way-out characters (remember “Old School”?) this is a wacko premise that just might work because of the overall casting and the script.

The Matrix Revolutions

Science fiction/action (Nov. 5)

Warner Bros.

With: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada-Pinkett Smith

The idea: The final episode of the futuristic trilogy

Writers-directors: Andy & Larry Wachowski

* Will this one make up for “The Matrix Reloaded”? Will the evil machines reach Zion? Will Neo defeat Mr. Smith? Will Morpheus survive? Who will betray Neo? (He wouldn’t be a genuine Christ figure if someone close to him didn’t betray him.) Will anyone care?