WILL IT SUCK?
Oh, my, yes. If you couldn't gather that from the trailer, just remember that this is from the director of "Flubber" and co-penned by a "Troop Beverly Hills" scribe. Can you believe the British co-anchor from "Best In Show" co-wrote this as well? I guess that's how Levy got involved.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Unfortunately, the whole white-guys-are-funny-when-juxtaposed-with-black-folks thing isn't as played out as it should be. "Bringing Down the House", anyone? $26mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Not until there's an award for cashing a paycheck.

-------------------------------------

GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Frodo becomes a soccer hooligan.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is pretty good. Got mad love at the Malibu Film Festival, and if you can make it there, you can make it in Malibu. Besides, after "Sin City", I'd buy Elijah Wood as a ninja, much easier a soccer stomper.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
"An Unfinished Life" is the only serious indie challenge this week. Otherwise, the field is clear. $6mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No. But between this, "City", and "Everything Is Illuminated", Elijah's laying some groundwork.

-------------------------------------

AN UNFINISHED LIFE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
It's J-Lo! And she's in an indie!

WILL IT SUCK?
Preliminary buzz is not good, which is surprising when you consider that Lasse Hallstrom ("Chocolat," "Cider House Rules," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape") is pretty consistent and is backed here by Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, and Josh Lucas.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This is being given a push worthy of a cohesive Miramax, which will help. Also, the combined following of J-Lo, Redford, and Freeman will bring out an adult demographic that usually goes untapped. $26mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Bob and Harvey certainly hope so. I think that's why they're actually bothering to give this the time of day, even though it's technically fire sale material. But the poor reviews make an Oscar run unlikely for anyone here. It's "The Shipping News" all over again.

-------------------------------------

COTE D'AZUR

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Family has sexual awakening while on holiday. Think wacky comedy, not Skinemax.

WILL IT SUCK?
Audiences seem to like this more than critics, though Berlin gave it an award. From the writing/directing team of Martineau and Duscatel, which will mean something if you've seen "The Adventures of Felix", but if you haven't, like me, you'll just say, "Huh?"

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Premieres at numerous gay and lesbian film festivals will give this some traction with the queer cinema crew, but not much else. $400,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Queer Cinema and the Academy still aren't on speaking terms.

-------------------------------------

CURANDERO

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
"I don't practice Santeria...oh, no, wait, I do."

WILL IT SUCK?
This is written by Robert Rodriguez, who hasn't really penned horror before (remember, he only directed "From Dusk Til Dawn"). Other than that, not much is known about the director, Eduardo Rodriguez, except that he's not related to Robert.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Dealing with the horror in theaters the following week will be hard enough. If, in fact, this is a part of the Weinstein Co. (post-Miramax Bob and Harvey's new venture), it's in good shape, as the brothers will want to pimp the hell out of their first efforts. Still, it's a hard sell. $3mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Horror and the Academy still aren't on speaking terms.

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SEPTEMBER 16
-------------------------------------

JUST LIKE HEAVEN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Mark Ruffalo falls for Ghost Reese Witherspoon.

WILL IT SUCK?
God help me, this might actually be good. The only reason I say this...well, there are two, technically...has nothing to do with the trailer, which makes this look like a painful waste of talent - especially Jon Heder and Donal Logue. The reason there is {gulp} hope for this is Mark Waters, director of two other films which should have sucked horribly - "Mean Girls" and the "Freaky Friday" remake. And to hear very preliminary buzz, it looks like he may have done it again. It doesn't hurt that one of the "Friday" screenwriters is on board along with the guy who co-wrote "Rain Man".

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Mark Waters doesn't just play to critics. And even a poorly reviewed Witherspoon romcom ("Sweet Home Alabama") makes bank. "Flightplan" will, however, be a mitigating circumstance the following week. $128mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
They don't love Waters that much.

-------------------------------------

PROOF

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Gwyneth Paltrow plays the daughter of a renowned but kinda nutty math professor who fears that she, too, may have the squirrel-bait gene.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good-but-not-great, though with David Auburn adapting his own play with the help of Rebecca Miller (who can relate to having a famous dad - call him "Art"), and John "Shakespeare in Love" Madden directing Paltrow again with Hope Davis, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Anthony Hopkins in tow, you'd expect more great.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This makes a little more sense as a limited release. Will have to fight chirpier romance "Heaven" and downer drama "Lord of War" for the adult demo. Lack of clarity on Miramax jurisdiction here doesn't help. $27mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
It's already got a Tony and a Pulitzer. Madden directed Paltrow to a win once before. It stands to reason he could at least get her a nom. Then again, mighty Miramax was pulling the strings for "Shakespeare". This time, who knows?

-------------------------------------

LORD OF WAR

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
I never thought I'd mention this movie twice in the same year, but think of the rest of "Deal of the Century" (the last ten minutes were "Stealth").

WILL IT SUCK?
First off - Coolest. Poster. Ever. Andrew Niccol bought enough good will with me by writing "The Truman Show" to get me to overlook "Gattaca" and "S1m0ne", both of which he also directed. Here he's pulling double duty again, but I'm willing to give him another chance, especially with the trimmings of Nick Cage, Ian Holm and a decent trailer.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It'll probably come in second when it opens, and drop off rapidly in the face of "Flightplan" the following week. Us cynical types tend to show up the first weekend, then crawl away to our blogs. $37mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If Nick Cage gets nominated this year, it'll probably be for "The Weather Man".

-------------------------------------

VENOM

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Sadly, not about the Spider-Man villain. Some teens get chased by some thing in Louisiana.

WILL IT SUCK?
Let me count the ways. Director Jim Gillespie ("I Know What You Did Last Summer" - that's how good this will be if things go "well") also did the largely-considered-unreleasable Stallone thriller "D-Tox". The writers have more video games to their credit than movies, though in this case that's strangely appropriate - the movie is based on a video game that never made it to market. Actually, the most positive thing I can say about this movie is that two of the writers worked on "The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay", often hailed as one of the best movie-to-video-game adaptations of all time. That would be very encouraging - IF THIS WERE A VIDEO GAME!

Well at least Johnathan Jackson and Method Man have finally found a project to do together.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Apparently, September is the new October. We've got "Exorcism" the week before, "Cry_Wolf" this week, and "Flightplan" (not horror, but still) the next. Seeing as all of those have had trailers out long before this one, "Venom" has far too much catching up to do. $18mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
After dissing Method Man in "How High", how can you expect the Academy to show him love now?

-------------------------------------

CRY_WOLF

WHAT'S_THE_PITCH?
After inventing an internet myth, high school kids start getting killed in, wouldn't-cha know, the same way they do in the myth.

WILL_IT_SUCK?
In the interests of full disclosure, I should probably mention the director and writing team behind this also did a short film in which a friend of mine was heavily involved. The movie was actually really good (it's called "Tower of Babble" if you want to try and track it down) and that gives me hope for this, which I would otherwise just dismiss because the track record of films with internetty titles ("swimfan," "feardotcom") is pretty shitty.

HOW_WELL_WILL_IT_DO?
The second frame of "Exorcism" will not be kind, nor will "Flightplan" the following week. But this'll kick "Venom"'s ass. $33mil.

WILL_ANYBODY_REMEMBER_IT_AT_OSCAR_TIME?
Not_so_much.

-------------------------------------

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Elijah Wood looks for the woman who saved his grandfather's life during the Holocaust.

WILL IT SUCK?
The key here will be to balance the quirky comedy (yup, it's a comedy) with, you know, that other thing. By some accounts, first time writer/director Liev Schreiber (adapting the acclaimed novel) pulls it off. I can see Wood being able to carry the film. The trailer gives the feel of "Garden State" in the Ukraine. However, the poster makes Wood look like his character in "Sin City", which makes me think he's looking for this woman so he can kill and eat her.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Second frame of "Unfinished Life" is trouble, as is the first frame of "Thumbsucker" (never mind Wood being in competition with himself from "Hooligans"). It seems almost unfair to throw "Corpse Bride" into the mix, but it'll be in limited release, too. And then you've got "Oliver Twist" and "History of Violence" the next week. Crowded. $8mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If Wood gets a nom, it'll be for this, but most of the buzz is surrounding newcomer Eugene Hutz in a supporting role and maybe Schreiber for Adapted Screenplay.

-------------------------------------

THUMBSUCKER

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
About a kid who tries to stop sucking his thumb with support from an all-star cast including Keanu Reeves, Vince Vaughan, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Tilda "Suddenly I'm in Every Movie This Year" Swinton.

WILL IT, UM, SUCK?
Buzz is pretty solid, though audiences don't seem as taken as critics. Still, the lead, newcomer Lou Taylor Pucci, won awards at both Sundance and Berlin for his performance. I like the cast and the trailer.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Has a nice rep to carry it into a crowded weekend. Still, "Corpse Bride" will obscure most indie fare, and heavy hitters come up to bat the following weekend, making holding on to an audience a tricky proposition. $6mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Maybe an Indie Spirit Award for Pucci.

-------------------------------------

THE THING ABOUT MY FOLKS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Dad (Peter Falk) goes on road trip with Son (Paul Reiser) after Mom (Olympia Dukakis) walks out.

WILL IT SUCK?
The buzz is surprisingly good given the schmaltzy-ass premise and trailer. However, the screenplay comes from none other than Reiser himself, who also wrote 17 episodes of "Mad About You". On an unrelated, random-casting/U2 trivia note, U2 tour manager Dennis Sheehan has a cameo as a tackle shop owner. Yeah, I'm obsessed.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Just too crowded for something like this to get noticed, especially in Indiewood. $3mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Not for the kind of dough this'll make.

-------------------------------------

HELLBENT

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Your typical slasher flick, but gay.

WILL IT SUCK?
Holding the banner as the First Gay Horror Flick is no easy calling, but by most accounts this succeeds. I gotta tell ya, the poster's creeping me out already - nothing that sharp should be that close to someone's eye. If he is gay, writer/director Paul Etheredge-Ouzts must certainly know horror, having grown up that way in Fort Worth, Texas.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The plethora of horror doesn't help (and since it's set on Halloween, couldn't they have released it on Halloween, when there are actually fewer horror films to compete with?), but this is the kind of niche flick that given the right push and word of mouth could turn into a surprise cult hit. $1mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
I believe we've already covered the Academy's feelings on these genres.

-------------------------------------

KEANE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy tries to cope with the loss of his missing daughter - except maybe he doesn't have a daughter and he's totally nuts.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is not so good, it apparently has little to offer except a compelling premise, one touched on in "The Forgotten" and next week's "Flightplan".

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
With a similar notion using a much bigger star the following week and nothing stronger than Magnolia Pictures pushing the marketing, this will get buried. $100,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Much as I'd love to see Damian Lewis ("Band of Brothers") get some props, it ain't gonna happen for this.

-------------------------------------

SEPARATE LIES

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Tom Wilkinson tries to cover for his wife when she and her lover kill a guy by accident. Not so much hilarity ensues.

WILL IT SUCK?
This is the directorial debut of Academy Award Winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes ("Gosford Park"). He wrote this, too, so we're in good hands. Plus Emily "I used to be in everything" Watson and Rupert Everett are along for the ride as the wife and lover. Early buzz is positive.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Fox Searchlight would do well to move this. They have the marketing muscle to push this but in this crowded a field even they could get their ass handed to them. $800,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Maybe if they released this later and it made more money.

-------------------------------------

TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy accidentally gets married to a dead chick. Like you've never done that.

WILL IT SUCK?
Well, Tim Burton knocked it out of the park this summer with "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and here he's teamed again with screenwrtier John August who's working with a writer from "Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Edward Scissorhands". Great voice talent, including Johnny Depp, Albert Finney, Helena Bonham Carter, Richard E. Grant, Danny Elfman, Jane Horrocks, Christopher Lee, and Deep Roy.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The only thing that I don't get is why is this being released limited the week before it's goes wide. Are they trying to create word of mouth? It's created. The anticipation for this film is high. It can only get worse. In any case, this is sure to run up a huge per screen average and win the limited release battle for its weekend, and will likely give "Fightplan" a run for its money the following weekend in wide release. $73mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Excpect plenty of technical noms, perhaps in competition with "Charlie".

-------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER 23
-------------------------------------

FLIGHTPLAN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Lady loses her child on a plane, but then no one remembers seeing the child get on. Sound familiar?

WILL IT SUCK?
Apparently it's okay to be afraid to fly again. With this and "Red Eye", the plane-thriller genre (which, at the moment, consists of these two films and an episode of "The Twilight Zone") is just gonna, um, take off (I apologize). Anyway, we've got Billy Ray of "Shattered Glass" fame co-screenwriting here, which would give me more confidence if he hadn't also written "Color of Night". Jodie Foster rarely wastes her time and here she's joined by "Glass" alum Peter Sarsgaard, so there's a lot to root for.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This is pretty much gonna run the table. Mitigating factors include "Corpse Bride" and the fact that audiences may be all planed out after "Red Eye". $96mil.

-------------------------------------

ROLL BOUNCE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
"You Got Roller-Served."

WILL IT SUCK?
The biggest strike this has against it, and it's a formidable one, is that it's from the writer of "Beauty Shop." Take that away, though, and you've got Malcom D. Lee at the helm, who's two for two ("Undercover Brother," "The Best Man"), and Chi McBride, Charlie Murphy, and Nick Cannon (who looks like he'll be funnier in his five minutes here than in all of "Underclassman") in supporting roles.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The black audience is not being catered to this month, so target demo acquired. Other than that, though, I don't know how much air is left to breathe after "Flightplan" and "Corpse Bride" take their lungfulls. $39mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No, but I'd like to see Lee's trajectory continue this way.

-------------------------------------

DEAR WENDY

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Kids form a gun club. Madness ensues.

WILL IT SUCK?
Probably not. It's directed by Thomas Vinterberg, helmer of the most lauded of Dogme flicks, "The Celebration". And to keep the Dogme streak going, it's written by Lars Von Trier. Early buzz doesn't have this being nearly as good as either artist's best work, but still damn compelling. Check out Jamie Bell expanding his indie cred and straying further still from "Billy Elliot" territory.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Has to deal with an even higher profile meditation on violence ("A History of Violence") and bunch of kids ("Oliver Twist") both in the same week. $200,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If "Dogville "can't get love with Nicole Kidman and a cast of thousands, this won't register at all.

-------------------------------------

OLIVER TWIST

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Roman Polanski's version of the Dickens classic. Make your "get him away from those kids" jokes now.

WILL IT SUCK?
As a director, Polanski's formidable. And here he's teamed up again with "Pianist" scribe Ronald Harwood. To top it all off, you've got Ben Kinsley as Fagin. Early buzz is unanimously up.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Its biggest challenge comes from "A History of Violence". The audiences for these two may be different enough for that not to make much of a difference, however. Still, Dickens can be a hard sell. $33mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Let's see. Polanski? Kingsley? Dickens? Maybe there's an outside chance.

-------------------------------------

DALTRY CALHOUN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
A sort of "Happy Gilmore"/"Big Daddy" morph where Johnny Knoxville has to suddenly take care of a 14 year old girl. And play golf, I think.

WILL IT SUCK?
Chances are it will be better than "The Dukes of Hazzard", but that's not saying much. The thought of Knoxville in an indie written and directed by a first-time female helmer is intriguing, though.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Intriguing to me, I should say. I don't know that most Knoxville fans are going to want to watch him in a flick that doesn't involve him setting his cock on fire or something. $300,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Let's just say this is a better path to that ultimate goal for Johnny than, say, "Walking Tall."

-------------------------------------

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Well, first Thag hit Grock with a bone. Then Grock threw a rock at him. Then came the Dark Ages...Oh, this history? Um, some guy in a diner defends himself and it turns out he may have used to be some sort of killer. So, anyway, after the Dark Ages...

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is very, very, very good. This is being hailed, at least on IMDB, as David Cronenberg's greatest achievement yet. Critics are loving it, too. Based on a graphic novel without being a superhero tale, not unlike "Road to Perdition". Think of it as a realist graphic novel adapatation movement. I'm sure I can come up with a better name, but it's a fresh zeitgeist.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
"Capote" may be an issue the following week, but this week it has Cronenberg's following to take on "Oliver Twist". $22mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
It's about time Cronenberg got some props, and with the buzz that this has been getting, it's not entirely out of the question.

-------------------------------------
SEPTEMBER 30
-------------------------------------

THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Geez, no pressure! Shia LeBeouf takes on a golfing champ. Based on the historic 1913 US Open.

WILL IT SUCK?
This has a lot going for it in the context of being a Disney film. Disney + LeBeouf = "Holes". Disney + Sports = "Miracle," "Remember the Titans," "The Rookie". On top of that, you've got Bill Paxton directing his sophomore effort, after knocking "Frailty" out of the park. Yes, the screenwriter did "Fantastic Four", but he's adapting his own novel here, so maybe we're in luck.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This has about as good a chance as anything else opening wide this week. "Wallace and Gromit" will demolish it the following week, but it might make it as high as two if "Flightplan" holds on to the top spot for its second frame. $65mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Disney sports excursions almost never get Oscar love, but it would be nice to see LaBeouf or especially Paxton get some props.

-------------------------------------

SERENITY

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Rent the first (and only) season of "Firefly." Then it will all make sense.

WILL IT SUCK?
Did you like "Firefly"? A bunch of people did. I was sort of on the fence. Regardless, I love writer/director Joss Whedon and have incredible faith in him as a scribe. The best of "Buffy" and "Angel" combined strong dialogue and strong action, two items which almost never come packaged together in modern entertainment. Hopefully this can do the same.

Whedon has been cleverly sneak peeking this here and there for a while now to build buzz. The result? Audiences absolutely love it. Critics are split down the middle.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The rabid fan base might help this open well. Still, that wasn't enough to keep the show on the air. On the other hand, I can think of another cancelled sci-fi series that turned into a thriving franchise. $48mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No Emmy, no Oscar.

-------------------------------------

INTO THE BLUE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
"The Fast & the Soaked."

WILL IT SUCK?
I'm just gonna throw this out there. You see if it grabs you or not. Jessica Alba in a swimsuit for two hours. Anything? Same question, Paul Walker. Huh? Your response to that should pretty much determine whether or not you wanna see this film, because that's probably the most it'll have to offer. This was delayed from the summer. It wasn't even dropped into August. That means MGM (or whatever's left of it) didn't feel it could compete with "The Cave." Oh, and it was written by the guy who wrote "Torque."

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Crap just isn't the commodity it used to be ("Stealth," "Supercross"). Still, one should never underestimate the power of Paul or Alba. Or Paulba. $20mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No, but ten bucks says they let Alba present.

-------------------------------------

THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Remember when Julianne Moore played a 1950's housewife? No, that other time. Well, she does it again here, playing a woman based on a real-life jingle writer who worked out of her home while raising many, many kids.

WILL IT SUCK?
It's an interesting story. I'm sure there's a whole article to be written on the notion of companies relying on consumers for jingles and how that acclimates to today's contentious interactive media environment, but I'm guessing that's not the thrust of this drama. And acclaimed writer/director Jane Anderson ("Normal") working with Julianne Moore seems a solid bet. But here's what makes me nervous. Even though this is a DreamWorks production (and the notion of a limited DreamWorks release is intriguing in and of itself) it's coproduced by, wait for it, Revolution Studios. Can their influence, even secondary, ruin an otherwise laudable project? The last time they tried to do "prestige" we ended up with "Mona Lisa Smile". Here's hoping all they did was get coffee for DreamWorks.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Julianne Moore is probably a comparable name to Philip Seymour Hoffman in indie circles, so this could give "Capote" a run for its money, except more people have heard of the guy Hoffman's playing. $16mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
I don't think the Academy will nominate Moore a third time for playing this role. Then again, I didn't think they'd do it twice in the same year ("The Hours," "Far From Heaven").

-------------------------------------

CAPOTE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Truman Capote in a flick focusing on the writer's investigation into four murders in Kansas that led to his book "In Cold Blood."

WILL IT SUCK?
Probably not. Just hearing Hoffman as Capote is chilling. Early buzz is good. Chris Cooper offers support as a local sherriff and Catherine Keener takes on the key role of Harper Lee.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I don't know that people are all that interested in Truman Capote or "In Cold Blood." On the other hand, the buzz surrounding this and Hoffman's performance could make them interested. On yet another hand, George Clooney's directorial take on another famous news figure (Edward R. Murrow) comes out the following week. $14mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
This could be Hoffman's year...for a nod. (Can you believe that hasn't happened yet? To this day I can't fathom him not getting a supporting nom for "Almost Famous.")

-------------------------------------

MIRRORMASK

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
"Labrynth" with a hell of a lot more CG.

WILL IT SUCK?
Audiences are a little more on board with this flick than critics, but even the critics who like this are down on the story, which is odd when you consider the major selling point of this piece is that's it's the first movie written by famed fantasy author Neil Gaiman. Still, looking at the trailer, which is unusual, granted, it looks like something that's supposed to look cool rather than something that actually looks cool.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Although anticipation is relatively high for this, I don't think the audience for it is an indie, art-house crowd. They might actually do better to go for a wide release. $500,000.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Maybe some technical awards.

-------------------------------------

DUMA

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Kind of like "Lassie," but with a cheetah.

WILL IT SUCK?
I have it on good authority (a friend in Chicago who's seen it already) that this, in fact, does not suck, and that is the opposite of suck, which is to say quite good. The fact that the first 15 reviews in at Rotten Tomatoes have placed this at 100% seems to bear him out. But if he's wrong, I'll send you his e-mail address.

Probably doesn't hurt to have "The Black Stallion" and "Never Cry Wolf" director Carroll Ballard on board, along with Hope Davis and Campbell Scott.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This does sort of stand out in the otherwise heavy drama of the season. Warner Bros. would be well advised to play up the whole "March of the Penguins" nature angle and try to turn this into another sleeper hit. Don't know if it'll work, though. $4mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
"Black Stallion" got two nods, but had Coppola singing its praises.

-------------------------------------

LITTLE MANHATTAN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Continuing the "Mad Hot Ballroom" tradition of things being cuter when kids do them in New York, two tykes fall in love in Manhattan.

WILL IT SUCK?
Written by one of the "Wimbledon" scribes and directed by another. There are worse romantic comedy pedigrees, I suppose. Bradley Whitford plays the dad, if that does it for ya.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Lost in the shuffle. $2mil.

WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No, but Bradley Whitford deserves some sort of Bradley Whitford Award.

Remember how I was all psyched about the return of Shane Black last month? Well, that's been delayed to next month, and I'm still psyched. But not nearly as psyched as I am for the return of Nick Park, Cameron Crowe, George Clooney, and, God help me, Zorro. -- Dave Thomas