After stuffing yourself Thanksgiving Day with some dalmatians, 101 to be exact, with some "Space Jam" smothered on it, and after having a "First Contact" with a member of your family, let's see what you can stuff yourself with movie-wise, this Christmas season.

This is the season where period pieces, epics and dramas come out in strong force. This is only to keep them fresh in the minds of Oscar voters. In November, we had the limited releases of Oscar favorites "The English Patient" with Ralph Fiennes, a beau tiful epic romance, and "Shine", the 1996 Sundance phenomenon. In the next four weeks Hollywood will bombard us with everything from musicals by Woody Allen to spoofs to romance stories.

First up, we have "Daylight," starring Sylvester Stallone. If you're in for disaster and action, this may be the one of the holiday season. Imagine being stuck under the Warren Ave. underpass during a flash flood, and you have the idea of this movie.

Bottom Line: Stallone's last action pic, supposedly, and one of few action movies this season. "Daylight" may leave Cruella and those dalmatians dog paddling to the top of the box office.

Tim Burton returns where "ID4" left off. Friday the 13th is the date when "Mars Attacks!" This alien spoof stars Jack Nicholson in dual roles, Glenn Close, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, motherships full of aliens and Tom Jones (swoon). Burton's m ovie is basically advertised as a spoof of early alien attack movies, not really "ID4."

Bottom Line: If audiences haven't had their fill of aliens after the theatrical release, as well as last week's video release of "Independence Day," Earthlings may be invading theaters in droves.

That same weekend is not for the battle of aliens versus humans, but Whitney and Denzel versus Tom. In the battle for box office romantic-comedy champion, in this corner we have "The Preacher's Wife," and in this corner we have "Jerry Maguire."

"Jerry Maguire" seems to have it all for those men who loathe going to see a romantic movie. It has sports (Tom Cruise's character is a sports agent) and, well, sports. For women, it has Tom Cruise, and, well, Tom Cruise.

In "The Preacher's Wife," Ms. Black Hollywood Whitney Houston goes gospel. Denzel Washington stars as an angel who evolves into a marriage counselor for Whitney's rocky marriage to a minister.

Bottom Line for both: Tough call. Who can't resist that knee weakening Cruise smile, but who can resist the suave charm and acting that Denzel oozes?

Just for you live, rude boys, and other adolescents, here they come. Heh, heh, I said "come." No, it's not "Showgirls II" (I could only wish), instead MTV brings us "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America." The dynamic underachievers take us through their trav els in and out of Hollywood and other great cities in America. Heh, heh, I said "in and out," heh, heh, then I said "wood."

Bottom Line: Heh, heh, "bottom."

Others to look forward to are "Albino Alligator," Oscar winner Kevin Spacey's directorial debut starring Matt Dillon holding a bar full of customers hostage, and "Michael," starring John Travolta as a matchmaking, alcoholic angel.

Now for this year's Oscar hopefuls not mentioned:

"Ghosts of Mississippi," starring Alec Baldwin, James Woods and Whoopi Goldberg. These three actors have had one of their worst years at the box office. Goldberg hasn't had a real hit since "Sister Act." The buzz in all the trade mags is that this is he r best role since "The Color Purple." This true story weaves the tale of District Attorney Bobby DeLaughter's (Alec Baldwin) attempt to bring justice to Byron De la Beckwith (James Woods) after slaying civil rights worker Medgar Evans. Goldberg plays Eva ns' widow.

Henry James is en vogue. Jane Austen is out. The revival begins with the adaptation of his novel, "The Portrait of a Lady" stars Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, with Jane Campion, director of "The Piano," at the helm.

Then there's Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro starring in "Marvin's Room." This seems to be a tearjerking movie about a Florida family struggling with a plethora of serious illnesses.

Oliver Stone and director Milos Forman bring us a humorous First Amendment tale in "The People vs. Larry Flynt," starring Woody Harrelson as the Hustler publisher, and Courtney Love as his stripper wife. Love has been earning great buzz about her role.

And for those of you with lots of time, there's Kenneth Branagh's four hour word-to-word version of "Hamlet." This version stars everyone from Branagh to Kate Winslet to Billy Crystal and Robin Williams.

Finally, two movies my friend Hell-ga and I are highly anticipating and recommend with all our soul.

Hell-ga's movie: "The Evening Star," the sequel to 1983's major tearjerker "Terms of Endearment." Shirley MacLaine reprises her Oscar winning role, along with Jack Nicholson. Others include Marion Ross (of "Happy Days"), Bill Paxton and Juliet Lewis. Wor ds of advice: don't become too attached to a character over 50).

My movie is obvious: "Evita," starring Antonio Banderas, "Brazil's" Jonathon Pryce and Madonna. This Andrew Lloyd Weber-Tim Rice production about Eva Peron and her rise to from lower-class to B-actress to the president's beloved wife finally comes to th e big screen after much Disney hype. Words for the wise: It's all music and singing.

So, rev up that sleigh and hitch the reindeer and head off for your local cineplex. After viewing your movie of choice, play Santa and decide who in Hollywood deserves a lump of coal or a new fire truck.

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