So now it has come to this. We're approaching autumn and that could only mean films are being released with Oscar on their minds. Either that or they're dumping films upon us to mix things up. Here are the movies being released in the next four months sure to generate buzz, both good and bad.

September 1

Vanity Fair - Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, Reese Witherspoon seeks a higher position in society in 1820's London.

September 3

The Cookout - Cultures clash as a just-signed basketball player decides to hold a cookout for his black family, his white neighbors, and his friends, both rich and poor.

Paparazzi - A celebrity is fed up with the paparazzi hounding him so he decides to kill them all.

Wicker Park - Josh Hartnett decides to settle down in Wicker Park until he puts everything on hold to search for his long-lost love.

September 10

Cellular - Chris Evans is the only one who can save a kidnapped Kim Basinger and the only thing helping him is the conversations they're having on their cell phones. Can he save her before the battery runs out???

Resident Evil: Apocalypse - I didn't even know this movie did well enough to earn a sequel, but here we are. Some movies deal with zombies, others a biological weapon. In this sequel, Milla Jovovich reprises her role to defeat zombies and stop a biological weapon from detonating.

Criminal - Diego Luna and John C. Reilly happen upon some rare currency from U.S. history, but in order to sell it, they need the help of Reilly's sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal. (Limited)

September 17

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow - In the computer generated world of tomorrow, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, and Angelina Jolie work to find out why all the famous scientists are being abducted.

Mr. 3000 - Bernie Mac's whole life is based on his achievement of hitting 3,000 times in baseball, but ten years later, a careful study of the records shows he is three hits short, forcing him to come out of retirement.

Silver City - While the film is about a high-level conspiracy involving a dead body, one can't ignore the performance by Chris Cooper as the President who's bumbling qualities will remind everyone of our own real President.

Wimbledon - Paul Bettany has been merely an average tennis player but finds his muse in Kirrsten Dunst, and suddenly finds himself on the verge of winning the most famous tennis tournament in the world.

Head in the Clouds - Charlize Theron is a wealthy woman living in Europe, dating Stuart Townsend and is best friends with Penelope Cruz. As World War II erupts though, Townsend and Cruz focus their energies on fighting the Fascists while Theron entertains the Nazis. While all three separate, their destinies bring them back together. (Limited)

September 24

First Daughter - Romance blossoms as Katie Holmes, the president's daughter, attends college, but how will she react when she finds out the true identity of her new love?

The Final Cut - Robin Williams continues his string of creepy roles as a scientist who implants a chip in kids to gather information for postmortem movies.

The Forgotten - Julianne Moore deals with the loss of her son until she finds out that he was just a figment of her imagination.

The Last Shot - Matthew Broderick's dream of filming a major production in Providence, Rhode Island is threatened by the revelation that the producer (Alec Baldwin) is using it to investigate the Mafia for the FBI.

Shaun of the Dead - A British comedy lampooning the recent spate of zombie movies.

A Dirty Shame - John Waters' latest film sees Tracey Ullman become a sex addict as a result of a concussion she suffered. (Limited)

The Motorcycle Diaries - A road trip of Latin America by motorcycle has a profound effect on the lives of two friends. (Limited)

October 1

Hair Show - Peaches (Mo'Nique) owes $50,000 to the IRS and the only way out of this mess is to earn first place at a hair show.

Ladder 49 - Joaquin Phoenix is trapped while at the scene of a fire as John Travolta and company rush to save him.

Shark Tale - From Dreamworks comes another animated film, this time involving a fish named Oscar (Will Smith) who becomes a great hero for fending off a shark only to find himself a target. Robert DeNiro, Renee Zellweger, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and Martin Scorsese also provide voices.

Around the Bend - Michael Caine, Christopher Walken, Josh Lucas, and others journey around the world to discover more about themselves. (Limited)

I Heart Huckabees - Albert (Jason Schwartzman) is going through an existential crisis, but when the detectives who were helping Albert soon turn their focus on helping the very cause of his problems, Jude Law and his girlfriend Naomi Watts, Albert teams up with others to take matters into his own hands. (Limited)

October 8

Friday Night Lights - Another in a long line of inspirational sports movies turns its attention to high school football, chronicling the actions of a high school team of a struggling small town in Texas.

I Am David - A story about a young boy's travels through Europe from war-savaged Bulgaria.

Raise Your Voice - Hilary Duff combines her musical and acting talents to make this film about a girl who goes to summer music camp on the strength of her extraordinary voice against her father's wishes.

A Sound of Thunder - When a time travel trip run by Ben Kingsley goes awry, Edward Burns must undo the damage.

Taxi - Sorry, the TV series isn't coming to the big screen. Jimmy Fallon is a cop who can't drive and is forced to use the cabbie services of Queen Latifah to track a group of bank robbers.

Stage Beauty - Ned's (Billy Crudup) acting career is over after the King orders no man shall play female parts any longer but Claire Danes hopes to turn his career around. (Limited)

October 15

Shall We Dance? - A workaholic (Richard Gere) discovers a passion for dancing. It doesn't hurt to have Jennifer Lopez as a dancing partner.

Team America: World Police - The creators of South Park bring out a team of marionettes to save the world from terrorism.

Being Julia - Based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham, a May-December affair involving turns into a revenge plot when the woman discovers her lover has his sights set at a younger woman. (Limited)

The Machinist - Christian Bale's confusing life may be pieces of a puzzle that when fit together will unlock the reasons why he has lived this way for so long. (Limited)

P.S. - Laura Linney is a 30-something college admissions officer who falls for one of the applicants (Topher Grace). (Limited)

October 20

Sideways - Jack is about to be married and Miles decides to treat him to one last road trip. But lots of wine leads to women complicating things for the two men. Directed by Alexander Payne.

October 22

Alfie - A British playboy (Jude Law) in New York City discovers the truth and consequences of his free-wheeling lifestyle.

Finding Neverland - Starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Finding Neverland follows J.M. Barrie's journey toward creating Peter Pan.

The Grudge - This horror flick starring Sarah Michelle Gellar centers upon a curse passing down from generation to generation.

Surviving Christmas - Ben Affleck yearns for a Christmas like he had as a child, so he returns to his childhood home for a nice, old-fashioned Christmas, even if his family doesn't live there anymore.

October 29

Ray - A biography about Ray Charles starring Jamie Foxx, who certainly looks the part.

Eulogy - The patriarch of a dysfunctional family has died but the following days sees the chaotic nature of their personalities struggle to co-exist and the comfort it provides. Stars Ray Romano, Hank Azaria, Kelly Preston, and Zooey Deschanel. (Limited)

The Hollow - Marking the acting debut of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys is this film that continues the Sleepy Hollow story of the Headless Horseman. (Limited)

It's All About Love - Set in the near future much different than today, a separated couple (Joaquin Phoenix and Claire Danes) meet to sign the divorce papers but other things at work threaten both of their lives. (Limited)

November 5

Alexander - The first of two films about Alexander the Great is released, this one starring Colin Farrell in the title role and directed by Oliver Stone.

The Incredibles - From Pixar comes probably the next big idea in animated film, a story about a retired superhero who returns after receiving a top-secret communique.

Birth - Nicole Kidman believes her husband has been reincarnated in a boy. (Limited)

November 10

The Polar Express - Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks team up in an animated version of the children's story about a ride to the North Pole.

Seed of Chucky - In a particularly shrewd move of counter-programming to The Polar Express, the fifth installment of the horror series Child's Play is released.

November 12

After the Sunset - Master thief Pierce Brosnan is lured back at the promise of a big score.

The Ringer - With Johnny Knoxville in the mix, two guys conspire to rig the Special Olympics.

Kinsey - A story of the life of Alfred Kinsey, a pioneer in the study of human sexuality. (Limited)

November 19

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - Renee Zellweger returns to her role as Jones, picking up right where the first movie left off in her new relationship with Colin Firth.

National Treasure - Nicolas Cage finds some competition in his quest for a Revolutionary War treasure chest: the FBI.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie - The hit children's TV series makes it to the big screen.

Bad Education - This new film from director Pedro Almodovar follows the lives of two people from grade school to adulthood. (Limited)

November 24

Beauty Shop - More hijinx in hair styling ensues as Queen Latifah brings her character from the Barbershop sequel to her own beauty shop.

Christmas with the Kranks - The Christmas spirit is usually strong at the Kranks' household, but with their daughter not coming home, the parents (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to take a vacation. But a daughter's change of heart brings about a rushed preparation for the joyous holiday.

The Flight of the Phoenix - A plane crashes carrying a bunch of outcasts and through the rebuilding process, their own lives begin to get rebuilt.

Beyond the Sea - Kevin Spacey plays the role of Bobby Darin, a successful musician who has battled health problems throughout his life. (Limited)

December 3

The Phantom of the Opera - The revival of Broadway in cinematic form continues with Joel Schumacher directing a big-screen version of this enduring musical, a movie which includes a new song from Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Closer - With a cast featuring Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen, this romantic drama sure can't go wrong, can it? Written and directed by Mike Nichols. (Limited)

December 10

Blade: Trinity - Honestly, I didn?t even know they were making a third Blade film but here it is with Wesley Snipes in the lead role again. Here, he joins up with a couple of Nightstalkers to battle a modern Dracula.

Ocean's Twelve - The entire cast from Ocean's Eleven plus Catherine Zeta-Jones travel to Europe to pull off another heist.

The Life Aquatic - Wes Anderson is back with another film and the usual cast: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Angelica Huston. Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum come along for the ride as Bill Murray is an European oceanographer traveling the waters. (Limited)

December 17

The Aviator - This biography of Howard Hughes focuses on his early years as he expanded his fortunes to include Hollywood and the skies while falling for Katherine Hepburn and Ava Gardner. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead with Kate Beckinsale and Cate Blanchett supporting.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - One of the more anticipated movies of the season finds Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, who schemes to steal the inheritance of two orphaned children, but continually fails, often with hilarious results.

Spanglish - A newly immigrated mother and young daughter from Mexico are taken in by a couple (Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni) where they must deal with the language barrier and the cultural barrier.

December 22

Meet the Fockers - Now that Ben Stiller has successful dealt with the father of the bride, Robert DeNiro, it's now time for the two sets of parents to meet. Playing Stiller's parents are Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand.

December 24

An Unfinished Life - Robert Redford has been living in solitude ever since his son's death, but 10 years later, the person he blames, his daughter-in-law Jennifer Lopez, comes back with a granddaughter he didn't know he had while old wounds begin to show up once again.

Proof - Starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins, a daughter comes to the aid of her dying father, a math professor who is losing his grip on reality.

The Woodsman - Kevin Bacon struggles to rebuild his life as he tries to escape his past as a sex offender. (Limited)

December 25

Fat Albert - One of Bill Cosby's most popular characters gets the live action treatment as Kenan Thompson plays the title role.

December 29

Synergy - It's an office relationship of a different sort as Dennis Quaid's new younger boss, Topher Grace, begins to date his daughter, Scarlett Johansson.