Atop the highest hill buzz-wise is The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, opening Dec. 17. The final LOTR film is expected to break not only box office records, but also the Oscar tradition of snubbing fantasy.

Also sure to spark a new barrage of cyber-debate is The Matrix Revolutions on Nov. 5, despite the vague disappointment of this summer's The Matrix Reloaded, which left many fans of the movie-making Wachowski brothers confused at best.

Fans of Patrick O'Brien's seafaring novels, Russell Crowe and director Peter Weir (Gallipoli) are talk-ing up Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (Nov. 14).

Whether it attracts big awards, big money or both, Cold Mountain will come under microscopic inspection from fans of Charles Frazier's sprawling Civil War novel on which the movie is based. Nicole Kidman and Jude Law star; Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) directs. Opening day is Dec. 25.

Another historical epic - The Last Samurai starring Kidman's ex, Tom Cruise - has been the topic of fevered talk since some Matrix Reloaded audiences reportedly laughed out loud at the trailer. Nonetheless, the movie is stirring excitement among history buffs, Cruise followers and fans of director Ed Zwick (Glory). It opens Dec. 5.

- Margaret A. McGurk