As if preparing viewers for film-barren months ahead, the holiday season usually offers up a bountiful movie feast. With its main course following Thanksgiving entertainment, the "late 2002-early 2003" menu appears packed with a variety of movies for every taste -- offbeat tales, epic motion pictures, true stories, and one spiffy-looking horror flick. Here are the ten holiday films I’m most eager to see:

1. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (limited release -- December 27; wider -- January 10). Actor George Clooney makes his directorial debut in what may be the holiday’s oddest picture. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is based on the “unauthorized autobiography” of Chuck Barris (played by Sam Rockwell), that crazy host of television's “The Gong Show.” Barris claims he led a double life as a CIA assassin. With a screenplay by Being John Malkovich scribe Charlie Kaufman and a cast that also includes Clooney, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, and Rutger Hauer, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is set to fill this holiday season with a touch of originality and sheer insanity. 

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (December 18).  A year after the first chapter of J.R.R. Tolkein’s famous literary trilogy hit the big screen, number two is set to provide fans with the middle section of Frodo Baggins’ journey. Will he cast the ring of Sauron into Mount Doom this time? Maybe, but he'll have to watch out for Gollum, a slimy creature who also pursues the ring. The Two Towers  also features the rebirth of Gandalf and the epic battle of Helm’s Deep. Director Peter Jackson turned The Fellowship of the Ring into an exciting cinematic adventure. If this is any indication, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, due out in 2003, will share the same ambitious spirit.

3. Catch Me If You Can (December 25). Steven Spielberg is back to his two-movies-a-year shenanigans, releasing the excellent sci-fi/thriller Minority Report in June and the decidedly sunnier Catch Me If You Can just in time for the awards season. Catch Me If You Can, based upon the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., focuses on a young man who posed as an airline pilot, a lawyer, a doctor, and, at the same time, wrote over $1 million in forged checks. Returning from a two-year acting break, Leonardo DiCaprio plays the bright Frank, who flees in pursuit from an FBI agent (Tom Hanks) and seeks the help of his father (Christopher Walken). DiCaprio also has Gangs of New York coming out within a week after Catch Me If You Can. My prediction: in the battle between these two movies, the combined efforts of Spielberg, Hanks, Walken, and DiCaprio will win.

4. Adaptation (limited release -- December 6). Alright, so Adaptation could be considered infinitely weirder than Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. This film is a reflection of reality, as screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (who also wrote Confessions…) turns the spotlight upon himself. Adaptation is the story of Kaufman (portrayed by Nicolas Cage, who also plays Kaufman’s “brother”), a writer hired to adapt Susan Orlean’s nonfiction novel "The Orchid Thief." As a result of his screenwriting assignment, Kaufman ends up taking a good, long look at his own life. Too odd to describe, the movie emerges as the result of collaboration between Kaufman and director Spike Jonze, the same team behind Being John Malkovich. It’s an original, reality-bending tale, one that might be too offbeat for mainstream moviegoers. But for those who embraced the inventiveness of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation is sure to deliver more of the same.

5. Chicago (limited release -- December 27; wider -- January). While I’m still taking flack from my classmates for loving Moulin Rouge so much, I’m preparing for Chicago, the big-screen version of Bob Fosse’s Broadway smash. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger star as Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, two cabaret performers who become opponents in the pursuit of fame, success, and suave lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). Chicago promises to serve up a blending of music and dizzying madness a la Moulin Rouge with a more high-profile cast. If anything, Chicago is worth paying full admission just to see if Richard Gere can sing and dance. 

6. Gangs of New York (December 20). After numerous re-shoots, release date changes, and battles with Miramax execs, Martin Scorsese’s labor of love will arrive in time for the holidays. I'm expecting Gangs of New York to be epic in every definition of the word, a grand production with a cast of hundreds and a sweeping cinematic flair. Gangs is the story of Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young man searching for a way to exact revenge on the brutal gang leader (Daniel Day-Lewis) who murdered his father in New York City, circa the mid-1800s. Scorsese has fought long and hard to make Gangs of New York a reality, and I wouldn't be surprised if this flim makes a significant impact on moviegoers. 

7. About Schmidt (limited release -- December 13; wider -- January 3). I don't agree with people who say Jack Nicholson is suffering from "acting burn-out." After giving a memorable  performance as a haunted detective in last year’s overlooked thriller The Pledge, Nicholson might be up for another Academy Award nomination for his work in Alexander Payne’s About Schmidt. Nicholson plays a man who discovers himself while trying to establish a closer relationship with his daughter, and I'm impressed by the brilliant ad campaign for this movie. The trailers show an ordinary man taking charge of his life; the poster features a mere rain cloud above Nicholson’s ragged face. Pure and simple fluff? Not with Nicholson in the lead role. About Schmidt holds the potential to be much deeper than that.

8. Max (limited release -- December 27; wider -- January). In Max, John Cusack plays Max Rothman, an art dealer who takes a young man (Noah Taylor) with a fierce soul and passion for art under his wing. Unfortunately, this young man loses focus and starts to pursue other interests. The young man's name? Adolf Hitler. A film about getting into the mind of a person who would later become a figure of supreme evil seems like a risky project. However, watching the trailer and considering the talent involved in Max, I have confidence in the execution of the idea. For me, Max looks like a dark, compelling, thought-provoking picture -- one that takes a chance and might work even better than expected.

9. Antwone Fisher (December 20). Recent Oscar-winner Denzel Washington makes his directorial debut by helming the true-life drama Antwone Fisher. Fisher himself wrote the screenplay, based upon his own life. While one might doubt the validity of some events, this story of a young man who faces his aggression after joining the Navy appears well-done and emotionally powerful in the trailers. I can’t help imagining myself standing in line already. 

10. Darkness Falls (January 10). While compiling this list, I realized I hadn’t included anything that looks like just plain  movie fun. And then I thought about Darkness Falls, an eerie little chiller that puts a spin on the Tooth Fairy legend. The idyllic town of Darkness Falls becomes haunted by the spirit of one of its former citizens, a woman who was killed after being accused of a child murderer (kids gave her their loose teeth for money, and some kids didn’t come back). As all the award-hungry films are wrapping up their campaigns, Darkness Falls comes along to remind us what horror movies were invented for: to be entertaining and to scare the life out of us. The year 2003 promises an abundance of horror flicks, and Darkness Falls looks like the perfect appetizer for this popular genre. 

It was difficult for me to make this list. In addition to all these great independent films, I’m eager to see "big event" flicks as well. I’m as psyched-up for Star Trek: Nemesis as I am for Joe Carnahan’s acclaimed Narc. In any case, I'm happy this holiday season includes something for everyone -- even if it means Touchstone may actually release The Hot Chick.

Happy Holiday Viewing!