The late Gene Siskel always covered his eyes and ears whenever a critics' screening was preceded by preview trailers. He didn't want his critical judgment tainted by preconceptions, good or bad.

Not me. I'd rather sit through two hours of previews than most of the films released these days. Especially these days, when studios often dump underachieving movies into the drab hammock between summer and the winter holidays.

John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson and George Clooney in O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Oh, there will be an occasional film to anticipate between now and Thanksgiving. Just not as many as in those months when audiences and chances for year-end honors increase.

That was evident from last week's visit to ShowSouth in Orlando, a convention of theater owners mostly from Florida and Georgia. It's a small, informal congregation compared with ShoWest in Las Vegas, also sponsored by the National Association of Theater Owners.

One thing the conventions have in common is that many studios use them to practice "exhibitor relations." That's shop talk for: "Here's what we're giving you to make money with for the next few months."

Movies are described to theater operators by studio promotions types who find the upside to everything. You wonder how they keep a straight face while cheerily describing an obvious piece of dreck. They pass around goodies like buttons, hats and shirts and take orders for posters and banners weeks in advance of a release. All with the purpose of convincing exhibitors to push hard for their films' success.

Paramount Pictures is even offering a $50,000 bounty to be shared by theater managers who devise the snazziest campaigns for Rugrats in Paris: The Movie. Keep that in mind when you see Pampers hanging over the snack bar.

Best -- and worst -- of all are the "product reels," as they are officially called. Shop talk for: "Here's a bunch of preview trailers edited in a way to make every movie seem like an Oscar contender."

We watched 43 previews in 21/2 hours, including several that were longer than the two minutes usually allotted in theaters. Even Siskel might have gotten a kick out of that.

But, he was right. I do have preconceptions now about the next three months of movies. Many aren't positive. But I'm flexible. The final product is what matters most.

A few clips -- especially the double dip of Robert De Niro in Meet the Parents and Men of Honor -- suggest better films than I expected. Others, like the dark comedy Nurse Betty and Robert Redford's golf fable, The Legend of Bagger Vance, confirmed my original anticipation. I've already seen Cameron Crowe's rock 'n' roll treasure, Almost Famous, in its entirety. The preview was a nice flashback.

Eleven studios were represented at ShowSouth. Disney didn't make the 10-minute drive from the Magic Kingdom to the Peabody resort to promote its Touchstone/Miramax/Buena Vista empire. That prevented sneak peeks of the Coen brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou and Matt Damon chasing All the Pretty Horses (which did preview at ShoWest in March).

The rest of the usual suspects attended: Universal, Sony, Warner Bros., Paramount, Fox, DreamWorks and New Line. Rising studios USA Films, Destination Films and Artisan Entertainment also realized ShowSouth's promotional potential. They didn't supply previews of such interesting ideas as John Travolta's lottery scam in Lucky Numbers or Kevin Spacey's heartwarming turn in Pay It Forward. But, hey, 43 previews. Who can really complain?

The exposure to those advertisements inspired a change in the way this year's Fall Movie Guide will be handled. Rather than listing the films chronologically, we'll sort them into three categories:

Don't miss -- Judging from the previews, this looks like the real deal.

Don't hurry -- Nothing to stand in line for at the box office. Home video might be an equally pleasing and cheaper source of entertainment.

Don't bother -- This one is self-explanatory.

Both my initial impressions and the release dates are subject to change. There is nothing I would like more than to have the good feelings confirmed and the bad ones reversed.

Don't be discouraged. Better times are around the corner. We'll pick up the creative pace again at Thanksgiving. Until then, turkeys are always in season.

Are you wondering if a certain fall movie release is worth the wait?

Times film critic offers his impressions based on preview trailers, Hollywood buzz and old-fashioned gut feelings.

Here's a list of movies expected to arrive by Thanksgiving, divided into three categories: "Don't miss," "don't hurry" and "don't bother." There's also a section titled "don't ask," noting art-house films that will make it here whenever the studios are ready.

Don't miss

Nurse Betty (Sept. 8) -- Soap opera addict (Renee Zellweger) stalks her favorite actor (Greg Kinnear). Meanwhile, hit men (Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock) who killed her husband stalk her. It's a loopy comedy that won best screenplay honors at the Cannes Film Festival.

Will Smith and Matt Damon in The Legend of Bagger Vance

Men of Honor (Sept. 20) -- Cuba Gooding Jr. has a ripe role as Carl Brashear, the first African-American U.S. Navy diver. Robert De Niro co-stars as an officer bucking against an intolerant status quo. The preview puts a lump in your throat.

Almost Famous (Sept. 22) -- Cameron Crowe was 15 when he started writing for Rolling Stone. Now, the creative heart behind Jerry Maguire tells us what rock 'n' roll was like in the 1970s. This semi-autobiographical film already has a spot reserved on my top-10 list.

The Exorcist (Sept. 22) -- William Friedkin's horror masterpiece returns in limited release with digitally enhanced sound and extra footage. The preview is a grabber, with flashes of the infamous crab walk scene that was trimmed for being too disturbing in 1973.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Sept. 29) -- No previews yet, but the Coen brothers (Fargo, The Big Lebowski) rarely fail to please. George Clooney and John Turturro play Depression-era convicts on the run.

Meet the Parents (Oct. 6) -- This preview earned the best response of any screened at ShowSouth. Ben Stiller spends a neurotic weekend with his girlfriend's parents. Dad is played by Robert De Niro in Analyze This comedy form.

Dr. T and the Women (Oct. 13) -- Richard Gere is a playboy gynecologist dealing with a stunning list of patients: Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler. Directed by Robert Altman, one of the few filmmakers whose name turns a movie into an event.

Richard Gere and Helen Hunt in Dr. T & The Women

All the Pretty Horses (Oct. 20) -- Cormac McCarthy's mythic Western novel has a kindred spirit in director / Hollywood outlaw Billy Bob Thornton. Matt Damon plays a horse wrangler riding through lust and dust in Mexico. The cinematography looks gorgeous.

Girlfight (Oct. 20) -- A troubled Latino teenager (newcomer Michelle Rodriguez) finds pride and romance in the boxing ring. Prizes at Cannes and Sundance film festivals indicate it's more that just Rocky with a salsa beat.

The Legend of Bagger Vance (Nov. 3) -- Matt Damon plays a fallen war hero learning the perfect golf swing as a metaphor for life from a Zen caddie (Will Smith). Directed by Robert Redford with his usual attention to period detail and golden-boy redemption.

Don't hurry

John Travolta in Lucky Numbers

Saving Grace (Sept. 1) -- Dotty Englishwoman (Brenda Blethyn) grows marijuana to make ends meet. Should have a nice future on home video.

Beautiful (Sept. 1) -- A beauty pageant contender (Minnie Driver) must conceal her daughter (that Pepsi kid) to win the crown. There she is: Miss It's All About Me.

The Way of the Gun (Sept. 8) -- Lively caper from Christopher McQuarrie, who won an Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects. Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Philippe play bumbling kidnappers.

Bait (Sept. 15) -- Petty con man (Jamie Foxx) is trailed by FBI agents looking for his friend. Loud action, and Foxx does have charm.

The Tao of Steve (Sept. 15) -- Overweight schlub (Donal Logue) seduces beautiful women with quick wit and Steve McQueen cool. No, it isn't science fiction.

Erica Leerhsen in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

Woman on Top (Sept. 22) -- Jilted housewife (Penelope Cruz) starts a TV cooking show and becomes a national sex symbol.

Remember the Titans (Sept. 29) -- Football coach (Denzel Washington) deals with post-integration pressures in the Deep South while building a winner.

Best in Show (Sept. 29) -- Spinal Tap guitarist Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman) lends his "mockumentary" style to a ritzy dog show.

Cherry Falls (Sept. 29) -- A killer stalking small-town virgins gives new meaning to the term "safe sex."

Get Carter (Oct. 6) -- Sylvester Stallone in a glossy remake of Michael Caine's lean, mean 1971 drama about a vengeful gangster.

The Contender (Oct. 13) -- Vice presidential appointee (Joan Allen) has sexy skeletons in her closet. A pit-bull investigator (Gary Oldman) smears her reputation. Perfect for an election year.

Bounce (Oct. 13) -- Young widow (Gwyneth Paltrow) falls in love with the man (Ben Affleck) who should have died in a plane crash instead of her husband.

Adam Sandler in Little Nicky

Pay It Forward (Oct. 20) -- Timid teacher Kevin Spacey inspires a student (Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense) to create a pyramid scheme of world kindness.

Bedazzled (Oct. 20) -- Timid computer programmer (Brendan Fraser) sells his soul to the devil (Elizabeth Hurley) for seven wishes. Based on the 1967 comedy starring Dudley Moore.

Lucky Numbers (Oct. 27) -- TV weatherman John Travolta rigs a local lottery with all the appeal writer-director Nora Ephron can muster.

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (Oct. 27) -- Joe Berlinger's sequel looks surprisingly conventional in previews, with obvious shocks and a steadier camera.

The 6th Day (Nov. 10) -- Arnold Schwarzenegger gets cloned, replaced and wants to know who stole his life.

Little Nicky (Nov. 10) -- The son of Satan (Harvey Keitel) invades New York. Sounds creepy until you realize Junior is played by Adam Sandler. Then, it's creepier.

The Rugrats gang in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie

Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (Nov. 17) -- Chucky and the crew visit Reptar World, a transparent swipe at EuroDisney. Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry join the voice-over cast.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Nov. 17) -- Why do ads for this movie remind me of Robin Williams' flop, Toys? Jim Carrey's best tool, his elastic face, is buried under makeup appearing too scary for small children. I do not like the looks of this, Sam I Am.

Don't bother

Highlander: Endgame (Sept. 1) -- More Dungeons and Dragons hoo-hah for a dwindling audience that cares.

Whipped (Sept. 1) -- Buddies swap notes on carnal conquests, then fall for the same sexpot (Amanda Peet, The Whole Nine Yards).

Turn It Up (Sept. 6) -- Inner-city musician (rapper Pras) makes it big. New Line Cinema informed ShowSouth that no preview trailers will be made available for this film. How's that for a vote of confidence?

Crime + Punishment in Suburbia (Sept. 15) -- Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel goes modern with a teenage girl (Monica Keena) feeling, like, guilty about killing her abusive father.

Chain of Fools (Sept. 22) -- Suicidal barber (Steve Zahn) steals rare coins and falls in love with the cop chasing him (Salma Hayek). Happens all the time.

The Watcher (Sept. 22) -- Keanu Reeves is a serial killer, James Spader is the detective who failed to catch him and Marisa Tomei is the psychologist treating them both. Group therapy, anyone?

Urban Legends: Final Cut (Sept. 22) -- The old horror-movie-within-a-horror-movie riff again. Imitative sequel to a forgettable rip-off of a genre past its prime.

Impostor (Oct. 6) -- Aliens threaten Earth (again?), and Gary Sinise plays a scientist suspected of assisting the invasion.

The Ladies Man (Oct. 13) -- Another Saturday Night Live spin-off. Tim Meadows gets an overdue chance to be a star and a stereotype to do it, playing skank charmer Leon Phelps.

Lost Souls (Oct. 13) -- Almost a lost movie, after sitting on the shelf for more than a year. Winona Ryder does the demonic possession thing.

Drew Barrymore, Bill Murray, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz in Charlie’s Angels

The Little Vampire (Oct. 27) -- Autumn isn't a good time for children and movies. This lame-looking comedy about a boy (Jonathan Lipnicki) and his blood-sucking buddy is as good as it gets.

Digimon: The Movie (Oct. 6) looks worse.

Charlie's Angels (Nov. 3) -- When the wind blows just right, you can smell this one coming. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu turn the 1970s TV series into smutty jokes and slow-motion martial arts.

Red Planet (Nov. 3) -- Val Kilmer leads a $70-million mission to Mars, not long after Disney's expensive expedition barely left the launching pad. Now we know why Mars is red; it's all that ledger ink.

Don't ask . . .

. . . when some promising art films will open locally. Studios are testing the waters before deciding upon wide releases, postponing until Oscar season or giving up entirely on a project.

Before you can see them, you'll probably hear plenty about:

Requiem for a Dream, a nightmarish tale of drug addiction from Darren Aronofsky, creator of Pi.

Lars von Triers' grim musical and Cannes prizewinner, Dancer in the Dark.

Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine) as the Marquis de Sade in Quills.

Into the Arms of Strangers, a documentary about World War II refugee children.

A version of The Fantasticks, off-Broadway's longest-running musical.

Spike Lee's race relations spoof, Bamboozled.

Bootmen, featuring the rhythmic noise of performance artists Tap Dogs.

The coming-of-stage comedy Billy Elliot, about a boy who swaps boxing gloves for ballet shoes.

Nick Nolte in The Golden Bowl, adapted by the Merchant-Ivory team from Henry James' novel.

And, married neighbors (including Cannes best actor winner Tony Leung) finding themselves In the Mood for Love.

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