Summer is winding down to a close, folks. This signals two things: kids reluctantly heading back to school, and the movie season becoming somewhat disappointing for awhile. As in  January, the early autumn months can be rather lean in terms of outstanding movies. But for me, the Fall of 2002 looks promising, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find a hidden treasure or two looming on the horizon. Here are the ten upcoming Fall films I’m most eager to see:

The Rules of Attraction (limited release Oct. 11) - After Less Than Zero and American Psycho, the works of author Bret Easton Ellis get a third theatrical treatment in director Roger (Killing Zoe) Avary’s The Rules of Attraction. For months, Lions Gate has enticed and confused audiences with one of the most wonderfully-assembled trailers in years. In October, we’ll finally get a look at the much buzzed-about film with an ensemble cast including James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Faye Dunaway, and Eric Stoltz. But don’t expect this tale of love on a college campus to adhere to the rules of the teen-movie genre. By the looks of the trailer (and the now-infamous teaser poster), The Rules of Attraction should to inject some fresh attitude here.

Punch-Drunk Love (limited release Oct. 11, wider Oct. 18) - Never in a million years did I expect to find myself so excited about seeing, guess what, an Adam Sandler movie! Comic Sandler teams up with director P.T. Anderson (Magnolia) for a film about...umm, well...I have no clue. This project has been kept under wraps, but the great trailer outlines a story about a shy man (Sandler) finding true love for the first time. Whatever concoction Anderson and Sandler have come up with, it’s already garnered them recognition. Anderson co-won the Best Director award at this year’s Cannes film festival, and movie fans everywhere are placing this film high on their Must-See lists.

The Ring (Oct. 18) - There is a videotape. If you watch it, you will die exactly seven days later. This is the simple, yet chilling storyline of The Ring, an American remake of a hit Japanese horror film. So far, the buzz for this film has been nothing short of terrific. Judging from the creepy trailer (with one of the most intriguing shots of the year – showing Naomi Watts’s scream being replaced by an Emergency Broadcast System tone), this could be the scariest film since The Exorcist.

Phone Booth (Nov. 15) - From director Joel Schumacher (capable of making great stuff like Tigerland and junk like Batman & Robin) comes a suspenseful tale of a fast-talking guy (Colin Farrell) whose life is thrown for a loop when he answers a ringing phone in a phone booth. On the other end is a man who says he’s pointing a rifle at him and will shoot if he tries to leave. Phone Booth has the potential to be one of the fall’s most surprising and original motion pictures.

Solaris (Nov. 27) - Steven Soderbergh’s first sci-fi film in a career filled with dramas, crime comedies and revenge thrillers features George Clooney as a psychologist investigating strange events aboard a space station revolving around the planet Solaris. Soderbergh must not sleep at night. When I first heard about his remake of this ‘70s science fiction flick, it was due for release in December, then got pushed back to sometime next year. Later I read that filming’s done, post-production work has commenced, and now Solaris is due out in theatres around Thanksgiving time. The man either has coffee in his veins or is one dedicated filmmaker. But no matter. I’m just happy Solaris will be out earlier than I expected.

Below (Oct. 11) - Originally set for release in February, Darren Aronofsky fans can rest assured that the haunted submarine film Below is at last coming to the big screen. The creative Requiem for a Dream director co-wrote this tale of an American submarine in World War II. It’s a story about an underwater craft encountering Nazis and possibly ghosts who inhabit the sea. Directed by David Twohy, who helmed Pitch Black and the underrated The Arrival, Below should provide a good scare at the movies come October.

Moonlight Mile (limited release Sept. 27, wider Oct. 4) – "I’m melodramatic; I’m sappy, but you know you want to see me," shouts the Moonlight Mile trailer. This star-studded drama emphasizes the Academy Award ties of cast members Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, and Holly Hunter. Jake Gyllenhaal (brooding and amazing as the title character in Donnie Darko) plays a young man still getting over the loss of his fiancée, only to find love with another woman. Sarandon and Hoffman play the dead woman’s parents. I have the feeling we’re in for a sugary-sweet ride, but Moonlight Mile appears to be using corniness to its distinct advantage.

Red Dragon (Oct. 4) - Edward Norton, Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Harvey Keitel – a cast this amazing comes along once in a blue moon, and yet here they are, assembled in the fourth film about everyone’s favorite cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. An adaptation of the Thomas Harris novel of the same name (which was made before Manhunter, the first Hannibal film), the Brett Ratner-directed thriller has FBI agent Norton turning to Hopkins’ Hannibal for advice about catching a brutal serial killer (Fiennes) before he strikes again. A new Hannibal movie, a great cast, a terrific poster (the first one, at least), great advanced buzz...really, who could ask for anything more in a film?

 The Transporter  (Sept. 13) – Last week, I saw a trailer for this movie on the Internet. All I can say is "Wow!" Co-written by French filmmaker Luc Besson and starring Snatch’s Jason Statham, the film may sound a little too simple. Its plot centers on a courier who breaks the rules by opening a "package" which turns out to be a beautiful Asian woman. But the trailer contains such exciting images, including one that wins my Money Shot of the Year Award (Statham ringing a doorbell, followed by a bad guy’s-eye-view of Statham running and jumping to knock it down). My verdict: The Transporter should be action-packed.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Nov. 15) - The first Harry Potter film was very faithful to J.K. Rowling’s beloved novel. If that’s any indication, then Harry’s second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry should be his darkest and most thrilling yet. Like most Potter fans, I’m ready for more of Harry’s magic.

Because so many Fall movies look so good, making this list was difficult for me. Other films -- like The Tuxedo, City by the Sea, Welcome to Collinwood, and Treasure Planet, also show considerable potential. I predict this Fall will be a great time to go to the movies.