Photo courtesy of Miramax Films "Kill Bill," a martial arts adventure about revenge and betrayal, is the long-awaited new film from director Quentin Tarantino. The film comes out this fall.

Tarantino splits film into two, Macaulay Culkin returns to big screen

Gone are the summer blockbusters. And the Oscar contenders are looming on shelves, bundled away until winter.

This is why the fall movie season doesn't always bring out the best from movie studios. Take caution: Last fall brought us Rob Schneider's masterpiece, "The Hot Chick" and the thrilling action flick about snowboarding crime fighters, "Extreme Ops."

The good news, of course, is that no matter what crap they throw at us over the next few months, nothing will be worse than "Gigli."

The key to a good fall movie experience is research. Look for these gems this fall, and avoid anything with a poster that reads, "starring Cuba Gooding Jr."

"Party Monster" (Sept. 5)
(Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato; Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Marilyn Manson)
The Plot: Culkin, who hasn't been in a movie in nine years, plays a drugged out and dragged out party organizer who kills his drug dealer and accidentally admits it on TV. Rumor has it Richie Rich still can't act, but Green turns in a memorable performance.
The Odd Part: Culkin throws huge parties and becomes a drug addict? This is what most of us would do if left home alone.

"American Splendor" (Sept. 12)
(Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini; Paul Giamatti)
The Plot: Giamatti stars as everyman Harvey Pekar, who has a dead-end job and a dead-end life. With the help of an illustrator friend, Pekar creates a comic book dedicated to ordinary life. The film becomes a mix of animation and live action as Pekar's life finds new meaning.
The Odd Part: There's already some best actor buzz for Giamatti, even though this is his first starring role. After "X-2" and the "Hulk," he might end up being the comic hero of the year.

"Anything Else" (Sept. 19)
(Woody Allen; Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Fallon)
The Plot: In Allen's latest romantic comedy, Biggs plays a comedic writer who falls head over heels for Ricci. Unfortunately, Ricci seems to only be able to have sex with other men. Allen's last few movies have made squat at the box office. This might be a chance to prove that he is still loved by audiences, even though he married his adopted daughter.
The Odd Part: Biggs could turn out to be an actor. He appeared in a stage version of "The Graduate" and might be able to get past his early pie humping. But probably not.

"Duplex" (Sept. 26)
(Danny DeVito; Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore)
The Plot: Stiller and Barrymore are a married couple who find the perfect New York duplex. But the upstairs tenant is a crazy old lady who proceeds to make their life way more complicated. Rumor has it Owen Wilson ("Zoolander") was originally slotted to play Stiller's spouse.
The Odd Part: DeVito got another directing job after "Death to Smoochy?" Hopefully he can be saved by co-writers John Hamburg ("Meet the Parents) and Larry Doyle III ("Beavis and Butthead").

"The School of Rock" (Oct. 3)
(Richard Linklater; Jack Black)
The Plot: After getting fired from his rock band just before the Battle of the Bands, Black poses as a substitute teacher and sets out to make his own band of 4th graders, without getting caught by parents or the principal. Linkalter also directed "Waking Life" and "Dazed and Confused."
The Odd Part: In order to conquer the box office, Black might have had to tone down his act. Let's hope not, I don't think Black is as appealing without his edgy "cock-pushup" antics.

"Kill Bill: Volume One" (released Oct. 10)
(Directed by Quentin Tarantino; starring Uma Thurman)
The Plot: Thurman, playing a martial arts master named Black Mamba, is on a mission to kill her former boss and husband, Bill. Lots of blood and twists follow. The previews make the flick look like "Pulp Fiction" meets "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
The Odd Part: In what is becoming the popular trend among studios, this long awaited Tarantino film will be split into two parts (a la "Matrix"). Make sure to sneak into the second part next spring, so as not to pay double.

"Matrix Revolutions" (Nov. 5)
(Wachowski brothers; Keanu Reeves)
The Plot: The Machines try to destroy Zion, but Neo does crazy fighting. Bad acting and great special effects ensue.
The Odd Part: Neo goes back in time with the help of a time-traveling phone booth. Getting help from his excellent buddy Bill S. Preston Esquire and Socrates (pronounced "SoöCrates"), they defeat the machines and totally make out with the babe, Trinity.