SEPT. 12
THE FULL MONTY - Six financially strapped English steelworkers (including "Trainspotting's" Robert Carlyle) become Chippendales-style strippers to pay the bills in this comedy-drama.THE GAME - "Seven" director David Fincher wrote and helmed this bizarre thriller, about two brothers (Michael Douglas and Sean Penn) trying to figure out the rules of a deadly role-playing game they're involved in before they lose - which would mean they die.
LA PROMESSE - A motherless Belgian teenager tries to get out from under the thumb of his controlling father, a shady construction contractor, in this drama from filmmaking brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. In Belgian, with English subtitles.
MONDO PLYMPTON - The latest collection of short works by animator Bill Plympton ("The Tune," "25 Ways to Quit Smoking," "How to Kiss," as well as some MTV spots), including some of his newest "Plymptoons."
SEPT.19
IN AND OUT - A contemporary comedy about an about-to-be-married teacher (Kevin Kline) who is "outed" by one of his former students (Matt Dillon), but who insists he's not gay. Co-stars include Debbie Reynolds, Bob Newhart and Tom Selleck.
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL - Crooked cops, corrupt newspapermen and even Howard Hughes are caught up in a tangled web of murder and conspiracies in this film version of James Ellroy's crime noir novel, which stars Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito.
SUNDAY - The Grand Jury Award winner at the 1997 Sun-dance Film Festival, this mystery/drama follows two lonely middle-aged people in Queens (David Suchet, from the BBC Hercule Poirot mysteries, and Lisa Harrow) who meet and carry on a relationship under false pretenses.
A THOUSAND ACRES - A drama, based on Jane Smiley's novel, about three sisters (Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jennifer Jason Leigh) who receive their inheritances early - as well as a lot of surprises involving some family secrets.
WEED - A documentary on the eighth annual Cannabis Cup and Hemp Expo, the worldwide festival dedicated to marijuana use, both legal and illegal. Included are candid interviews with the organizers and participants.
WISHMASTER - Veteran horror director Wes Craven ("A Nightmare on Elm Street," "Scream") is executive produce of this horror/thriller about a murderous genie. The cast includes horror stars Robert ("Freddie Krueger") Englund, Tony ("Candyman") Todd and Kane ("Jason") Hodder.
SEPT. 26
BREAKING UP - Russell Crowe and Salma Hayek play two lovers who can't live with or without each other in this romantic comedy-drama, which was adapted by Michael Cristofer from his own stage play.
THE EDGE - An adventure drama, written by David Mamet, about tensions between two men - a billionaire (Anthony Hopkins) and a wildlife photographer (Alec Baldwin) - which explode when their plane crashes and the two are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness.
THE PEACEMAKER - The first film from the Dream-works SKG studio, an action-thriller about a soldier (George Clooney) and a scientist (Nicole Kidman) who team up to stop a group of international terrorists from using stolen nuclear weapons.
SOUL FOOD - An urban drama about an embattled Chicago family that rallies around its ailing matriarch (Irma P. Hall) when she falls ill. Stars include Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long and Mekhi Phifer.
UNBOUND PASSION - A second sequel to the underground Hong Kong cult hit "Naked Killer." This time, two stepsisters - one of them homicidally unbalanced - literally fight over the same man. In Chinese, with English subtitles.
OCT.3
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN PARIS - Part-remake, part sequel to 1981's "An American Werewolf in London," this horror-comedy from director Anthony Waller ("Mute Witness") stars Tom Everett Scott ("That Thing You Do") as the title character.
THE GINGERBREAD MAN - Kenneth Branagh stars in and Robert Altman directs this adaptation of John Grisham's first screenplay (written before he became a bestselling novelist) about an attorney trying to free his lover from her imposing father (Robert Duvall). Embeth Davidtz and Robert Downey Jr. co-star. (See related story on Page W8.)
THE MATCHMAKER - Janeane Garofalo ("The Truth About Cats and Dogs") and Dennis Leary star in this comedy about an election campaigner who is sent to western Ireland, only to have the natives try to find her a soulmate.
U-TURN - Oliver Stone again steps into "Natural Born Killers" with this dramatic thriller, about a con man (Sean Penn) whose vehicle breaks down in a small Arizona town and finds himself confronted by its odd denizens. Co-stars include Nick Nolte, Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Voight.
OCT. 8
SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET - In this fact-based drama (adapted from Heinrich Harrar's memoirs), Brad Pitt stars as a mountain-climber who begins a physical journey into the Himalayas during World War II and continues to trek into metaphysical waters with the Dalai Lama.
OCT. 10
GANG RELATED - The late rapper/actor Tupac Shakur (in his final role) stars with Jim Belushi in this drama/thriller about two corrupt detectives trying to cover up the accidental murder of a DEA agent.
MONDO - A homeless 11-year-old boy wanders through the streets of Nice, France, encountering street musicians, a bum and kind-hearted strangers - while on the run from police officers - in this drama from director Tony Gatlif ("Latcho Drom"). In French, with English subtitles.
MOST WANTED - A former military man (Keenen Ivory Wayans) becomes the subject of a manhunt by the U.S. Army and the local police after he discovers some national secrets in this thriller, which co-stars Paul Sorvino, Jon Voight and Jill Hennessey.
NAPOLEON - A family adventure, about the journey of a golden retriever puppy throughout the Australian outback. Among the actors providing voices for the various animals are Adam Wylie, Joan Rivers, David Ogden Stiers and Bronson Pinchot.
ROCKET MAN - A comedy, much of which was filmed in Utah, about a klutzy scientist (comedian Harland Williams) who endangers the crew of the first manned mission to Mars, including a trained chimpanzee.
OCT. 17
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - A black comedy from director Taylor Hackford ("Dolores Claiborne," "An Officer and a Gentleman") about an idealistic young lawyer (Keanu Reeves) who joins a new law firm, only to find his new boss (Al Pacino) has a bit of the devil in him - quite literally.
THE END OF VIOLENCE - Director Wim Wenders ("Wings of Desire") explores how acts of violence, both real and fictional, can affect people's lives. This drama stars Bill Pullman, Gabriel Byrne, Andie MacDowell and Peter Horton.
GOING ALL THE WAY - Two young G.I.s (Jeremy Davies and Ben Affleck, from "Chasing Amy") return from the Korean War to their sleepy Indiana hometown in this drama (based on Dan Wakefield's bestseller), which premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER - "Scream" scriptwriter Kevin Williamson also penned this thriller about four teens (including TV stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar) who conceal a ghastly crime, only to be stalked by someone who has learned the truth.
PLAYING GOD - David Duchovny from TV's "X-Files" stars in this kinky dramatic thriller about a love triangle involving a chemically dependent physician (Duchovny), a career criminal (Timothy Hutton) and the woman who loves them both (Angelina Jolie).
WASHINGTON SQUARE - Agnieska Holland ("Europa, Europa" "The Secret Garden") directed this version of the Henry James novel, with two-time Oscar winner Maggie Smith, Albert Finney, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Ben Chaplin ("The Truth About Cats and Dogs") in the cast.
OCT. 24
THE ASSIGNMENT - In yet another remake of "The Day of the Jackal," master spies Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley use an American naval officer (Aidan Quinn) to entrap a ruthless political assassin.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD - Prop comedian Carrot Top comes to the big screen in this comedy about a surfer/inventor who inherits a major manufacturing company. Courtney Thorne-Smith, Raquel Welch and Jack Warden co-star.
FAIRYTALE - A TRUE STORY - Peter O'Toole stars as author/paranormal investigator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harvey Keitel plays escape artist Harry Houdini in this fact-based drama, about two young cousins whose claims to have photos of "fairies" in 1917 were investigated by both men.
GATTACA - Natural-born human Ethan Hawke tries to infiltrate the world of genetically bred "yuppies" in this futuristic tale, which co-stars Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin and Ernest Borgnine.
HURRICANE STREETS - Winner of three awards from the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, first-time director Morgan J. Freeman's urban drama follows a streetsmart kid (Brendan Sexton III) in Staten Island trying to escape a life of crime.
A LIFE LESS ORDINARY - In this comedy-drama from the "Trainspotting" team, an unemployed twenty-something (Ewan McGregor) kidnaps his boss' daughter (Cameron Diaz), only to fall in love with her. Meanwhile, the duo is pursued by a pair of guardian angels (Delroy Lindo and Holly Hunter). Filmed primarily in Utah.
THE LOCUSTS - A dark tale of romance and mystery in 1960 rural Kansas, involving a drifter (Vince Vaughn, from "Swingers) who is drawn into the lives of some local ranchers and farmers, all of them under the control of the evil Delilah Ashford Potts (Kate Capshaw).
SWEPT FROM THE SEA - A romantic drama, based on a Joseph Conrad story and set in 19th-century England, about a young servant girl (Rachel Weisz) and her immigrant lover (Vincent Perez), the lone survivor of a capsized ship bound for America.
OCT. 31
THE ICE STORM - Ang Lee ("Sense and Sensibility," "The Wedding Banquet") directed this version of Rick Moody's infamous novel, about two Connecticut households rocked by infidelities during the 1970s. Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Joan Allen and Christian Ricci star.
INCOGNITO - Master art forger Jason Patric is on the run from both his former employers and detectives after he's betrayed in this thriller from director John Badham. Irene Jacob ("Red") and Rod Steiger co-star.
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE - A bungling American (Bill Murray) goes to England to visit his brother, a businessman (Peter Gallagher), but winds up embroiled in cloak-and-dagger activities in this comedy from director Jon Amiel ("Copycat").
SWITCHBACK - Writer Jeb Stuart ("Die Hard," "The Fugitive") penned and directed this thriller about an FBI agent (Dennis Quaid) searching for the serial killer who kidnapped his son. Co-stars include Danny Glover and R. Lee Ermey.
NOV. 7
BEAN - British comedian Rowan Atkinson brings his beloved television character to the big screen in this farce, which has the trouble-prone and troublesome nebbish working in a posh California art gallery for collector Burt Reynolds.
BOOGIE NIGHTS - Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Don Cheadle and Burt Reynolds star in this already controversial drama (which had to make major cuts to avoid an NC-17 rating) about the adult entertainment industry during the 1970s.
KUNDUN - Martin Scorsese dramatizes the life of the Dalai Lama, from his early childhood to his exile from Tibet, in this already controversial drama, which strained relations between officials in the United States and China, who did not want to film to be made.
MAD CITY - Greek director Constantin Costa-Gavras ("Missing," "The Music Box") returns to filmmaking with this drama that explores what effect mistakes can make on a career, as seen through the eyes of a disgraced TV journalist (Dustin Hoffman) and an unemployed security guard (John Travolta).
STARSHIP TROOPERS - Robert A. Heinlein's classic science-fiction novel, about futuristic marines sent off to other worlds to repel an invasion of huge intergalactic insects, comes to the big screen, courtesy of director Paul Verhoeven ("Showgirls," "Robocop").
THE WINGS OF A DOVE - An adaptation of Henry James' classic novel about a society woman (Helena Bonham Carter) who has to chose between her status and her commoner journalist lover (Linus Roache). Alison Elliott ("The Spitfire Grill") co-stars.
NOV. 14
THE JACKAL - Bruce Willis plays the elusive assassin Jackal in this updated remake of "The Day of the Jackal," which also stars Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier as the men hunting him.
THE LITTLE MERMAID - A re-release of the 1989 Disney animated classic (which won an Academy Award for its wonderful score, including the song "Under the Sea"), just in time for the holidays and to compete with the upcoming "Anastasia."
ONE NIGHT STAND - An extramarital affair continues to haunt a happily married man (Wesley Snipes) in director Mike Figgis' followup to "Leaving Las Vegas." Nas-tassja Kinski, Kyle McLachlan, Ming Na-Wen and Robert Downey Jr. co-star.
SCHEDULED WITHOUT FIRM DATES
B. MONKEY - Director Michael Radford follows up "Il Postino (The Postman)" with this comedy-drama about a woman with a troubled past trying to start her life over.
Rupert Everett ("My Best Friend's Wedding") co-stars.
BANDWAGON - An ultra-realistic but still comic "mock-umentary" on the fictional rock quartet Circus Monkey, beginning with their first practice to final blows.
THE BUTCHER BOY - A big-screen adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel by writer/director Neil Jordan ("The Crying Game," "Michael Collins") about a boy who retreats into a fantasy world to escape his troubles, which eventually spill out tragically.
DARK EMPIRE - A futuristic thriller, from writer/director Alex Proyas ("The Crow"), about a man who discovers that his "reality" is nothing but an artificial creation. William Hurt and Kiefer Sutherland star.
DECONSTRUCTING HARRY - Veteran novelists Woody Allen and Billy Crystal compete for the affections of a buddy author (Elisabeth Shue) in Allen's newest comedy, which also features Kirstie Alley, Eric Bogosian, Robin Williams and Demi Moore.
DESPERATE MEASURES - A serial killer (Michael Keaton) gets loose in a hospital after he escapes a bone-marrow transplant procedure for the son of a police officer (Andy Garcia).
GUMMO - Writer Harmony Korine ("Kids") makes his directorial debut with another drama about troubled teens, this time in a tornado-struck Ohio town. Max Perlich (TV's "Homicide: Life on the Streets) and Chloe Sevigny ("Trees Lounge") star.
THE HOUSE OF YES - Writer/director Mark Waters' disturbing black comedy about a young woman (Tori Spelling) meeting her warped in-laws (including Parker Posey, who won an acting award from the 1997 Sundance Film Festival for her performance).
INTIMATE RELATIONS - Based on a true story, this black comedy tells the story of a seemingly perfect family in 1950s England whose lives are disrupted when the matriarch (Julie Walters) seduces a much younger lodger (Rupert Graves).
KICKED IN THE HEAD - A black comedy for twentysomethings, about a young New Yorker (Kevin Corrigan) who loses his job, girlfriend and apartment, all in short order. Linda Fiorentino co-stars as an airline stewardess who helps him look past his troubles.
KILRONAN - A thriller starring Gwyneth Paltrow as a young woman who finds out that her new mother-in-law (Jessica Lange) has a very, very dark side. Co-stars include Johnathon Schaech ("That Thing You Do!") and Hal Holbrook.
KISS THE GIRLS - A psychological thriller, based on James Patterson's bestseller, about a police psychologist (Morgan Freeman) racing to save his niece from a pair of serial killer. Ashley Judd co-stars.
THE LONG WAY HOME - A documentary on the plight of thousands of Holocaust survivors, which premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, narrated by Morgan Freeman.
MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION - Martial-arts fighters try to save the world from an interdimensional demon in this sequel to the 1995 surprise hit, based on the video game.
THE MYTH OF FINGERPRINTS - A contemporary drama, which premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, about the lives and loves of a New England family (Noah Wyle, Julianne Moore, Roy Scheider and Blythe Danner) and conflicts that occur during their Thanksgiving get-together.
NIGHTWATCH - Director Ole Bornedal remakes his low-budget Dutch thriller, originally shown at the Sundance Film Festival, about a night watchman at a morgue who is suspected of being a serial killer. "Trainspotting's" Ewan McGregor stars with Nick Nolte in a script co-written by Bornedal and Steven Soderbergh ("sex, lies and videotape").
PHANTOMS - Horror novelist Dean Koontz's tale about a long-dormant, but destructive, ancient force that is reawakened in a Colorado town comes to the screen, courtesy of director Joe Chappelle and stars Peter O'Toole, Joanna Going, Rose McGowan and Ben Affleck.
SLIDING DOOR - In this romantic comedy, a variation on "It's a Wonderful Life," a young woman finds her life changed when she misses a London subway train. But then she gets another chance to make it. Or does she?
SWEET HEREAFTER - Director Atom Egoyan's faithful adaptation of the Russell Banks novel (it was even praised by the author himself), about a lawyer (Ian Holm, "The Fifth Element") capitalizing on the misery of the teenaged survivors of a bus crash.
WELCOME TO SARAJEVO - This acclaimed fact-based drama follows a group of foreign journalists (including Woody Harrelson and British stage star Stephen Dillane) in wartorn 1992 Sarajevo.
WIDE AWAKE - After his grandfather dies, a 10-year-old boy tries to find the meaning of life from a group of adults (including Rosie O'Donnell, Dana Delany and Denis Leary) and helps them recapture their youth.