Summer movies are designed to make lots of money without earning many Oscar nominations.

Studios worry that Oscar movies will be overlooked unless they are released in the fall or later. Therefore, if a movie is an Oscar blockbuster (like "Titanic"), don't expect a summer release.

But if it's a "non-Oscar" blockbuster, now's the time!

There have been notable exceptions ("Saving Private Ryan" arrived on July 24), but the trend is clear.

Having said all this, "Star Wars III" may well be another exception. It's strong enough to capture a Best Picture nomination and it will certainly earn a host of technical nominations. "Cinderella Man" also seems to break the mold.

So with a the new Cinemark Helena adding eight more screens to our community, the summer of 2005 promises to be an exciting time for filmgoers.

How to preview the summer movies?

I've decided to offer two top 10 lists -- 1) most likely box office hits and 2) movies I, personally, am most eager to see. Needless to say, the lists are not the same!

Let's start with the projection of the $100 million summer hits, in order. (Please do not save this article. It will likely be embarrassing to have this mailed to me after the actual box office totals are known.)

1. Star Wars III (May 1). The "final" film in George Lucas' "Star Wars" six-part space opera. Pretty obvious selection, and also a bit unfair since I already know that it made $50 million on its midnight showings alone! It's first four days earned $158 million. The worldwide box office will likely exceed $750 million before the force fades.

2. Batman Begins (June 17). Another sequel. Another big hit. Christopher Nolan, the genius behind "Memento" and "Insomnia," directs a cast that includes Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Rutger Hauer and Katie Holmes. Along the way we learn the secret of the origin of the Batmobile. Very promising!

3. War of the Worlds (July 1). Could be a flop, but Spielberg's flops make $200 million anyway. And Tom Cruise always seems to draw crowds. Believing that the reality of 9/11 might make such a tale of an Alien attack more timely, Spielberg has, reportedly, set the story in contemporary America rather than in 1898 when H.G. Wells wrote the tale. Entertainment Weekly says Spielberg rejected 1898, in part, because the clothing styles weren't cool enough then.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (July 15). Intriguing director, intriguing stars, classic story. Tim Burton ("Edward Scissorhands," "Sleepy Hollow") directs Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore (who played Peter in "Neverland"). It's dangerous to remake a classic film, but Depp and Burton may just pull it off.

5. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (June 10). Sexy stars and lots of explosions. The paparazzi were going wild around the locations where "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" were shot, trying to get catch Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie smooching. The tale involves two secret assassins, married to each other, who each keep their occupation secret from the other. "What'd ya do at work today, darling?" "Oh, nothing much, a guy thought I was hitting on him." "Hope you put him in his place!" "Not to worry, dear." Nicole Kidman turned down this role. I guess once you've cuddled up with Tom Cruise, you don't need Brad Pitt.

6. Fantastic Four (July 8). The Marvel comic books come alive! Kids may think it's a rip off of "The Incredibles," but Marvel had this story first: A quartet of friends with unique superpowers save the world - an invisible woman, a stretched-out man, a hulkish thing and a humanized flame thrower. The unique quartet sets out to save the world from Dr. Doom. Tim Story directs Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Ioan Gruffud, Chris Evans and Julian McMahon (as Dr. Doom.)

7. Madagascar (May 27). From Dreamworks, who gave us "Shrek 2" and "Shark Tale" comes a tale of zoo animals who launch an escape to return to the wild. Momentum alone -- and the need for family films in summer time -- should drive this to big box office, even though previews look a little less compelling than "Shrek." Voices include Chris Rock, Ben Stiller and Andy Richter. The title is the heavenly island where the animals hope to find peace.

8. Cinderella Man (June 3). An Oscar film with Russell Crowe finds a summer date. I'm betting it will be high quality and that audiences will appreciate a serious film amidst the host of lighter more combustible releases. Oscar-winner Russell Crowe ("Gladiator," "A Beautiful Mind") plays heavyweight boxer Jim Braddock. Renee Zelwegger plays his wife, Mae. Ron Howard, who directed "A Beautiful Mind," may make another run at the top Oscar with this.

9. The Longest Yard (May 27). Quickie quiz. Who's the real odd couple? Tony Randall & Jack Klugman? Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau? Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson? Brian Schweitzer and John Bollinger? All wrong answers. How about Adam Sandler, 39, Chris Rock, 39, and Burt Reynolds, 69. OK, so there are three of them. Odd triplet, then. Whatever. A risky remake of the 1974 original. Could easily be stopped for no gain, but it may also Rock.

10. Wedding Crashers (July 15). Every summer needs a raunchy comedy. In this one, which reportedly may earn an "R" rating, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson specialize in attending weddings, uninvited, so they can pick up the cute bridesmaids. Catch the bouquet, earn a date with Owen -- whether you want to or not. Christopher Walken and Will Farrell turn up, too.

And now for my "most eagerly anticipated summer movies." Only "Cinderella" and "Willy Wonka" are found on the "hit list" above. The others are "sleepers" that promise to keep me more awake than many/most of the blockbusters.

1. Cinderella Man (June 3). See above. Russell Crowe has a reputation for being very difficult to work with. He drips attitude on the set. Who cares. He's one of the finest actors in the world today -- and when he's on screen he convincingly transforms himself into whoever the script tells him to be. No way this film will be knocked out. It's going the distance.

2. Saraband (July 8). In 1973 Swedish master Ingmar Bergman shot a made-for-TV movie (which was then released in 1974 as a feature film) about the decline of a marriage starring Liv Ullman, then 35, and Erland Josephson, then 51. Now, 30 years later, Bergman, now 86, revisits that marriage as Ullman, 30 years after the divorce, decides to visit her ex-husband. Again, this film was made-for-TV and then released theatrically. It's structured as "10 duets," each a glimpse into the intricacies of human relationships. How can this NOT be a great film?

3. Broken Flowers (August 5). Bill Murray, an aging playboy, revisits past lovers such as Jessica Lange and Sharon Stone. Directed by Jim Jarmusch. After seeing Murray in "Lost in Translation," I can't wait for another "serious" Murray film. I may be disappointed, but I'll still be first in line.

4. Heights (June 10). The latest Merchant-Ivory ("Howard's End," "Room with a View") film focuses on a young woman (Elizabeth Banks, 30) whose torn identity is symbolized by her struggle to choose between a fast life in Manhattan or a quieter one in the suburbs. Also with Glenn Close and Isabella Rossellini.

5. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (June 3). OK, I'm a sucker for friendship movies, even if this one sounds cornier than the Corn Palace itself (Says something about South Dakota when a Corn Palace is a major attraction, doesn't it?) The publicity summary for "Traveling Pants" goes thusly: Bridget, Lena, Carmen, and Tibby have been best friends forever. For the first time, they will be split up for the summer, sharing a pair of magical pants. Boy, could this be bad. But, on the other hand, what if it offers a genuine glimpse into twenty-something friendship? Warning: I was one of the two critics in America to love "St. Elmo's Fire."

6. Horror for a hot summer day: The summer includes a number of promising horror films, many by fine directors. (Don't let the genre fool you: some fine filmmakers are possessed by horror films.) The summer's horror offerings include "Land of the Dead," (June 24) the latest "undead drama" from master director George Romero; "Red Eye," (August 19) from another fine director Wes Craven, finds a hit man tending to business on a late-night flight (not apt to be shown on cross-country flights); "Dark Water" (July 8). Japanese director Hideo Nakata ("Ring") directs Jennifer Connelly who finds her New York apartment haunted by water. Warning: Could just be a leak, Jenn; and "High Tension" (French film, "Haute Tension"). Reviews from Europe are uniformly positive about this tale of college kids at a farmhouse, fending off a killer.

7. Bad News Bears. (July 22). OK, so not many critics have a Bergman film and "Bad News Bears" on the same "best of the summer" list. But I'm already laughing after seeing the trailers showing Billy Bob Thornton being a raunchy Little League coach Buttermaker who takes his team to Hooters for a celebration. The team of writers that created "Bad Santa" is up to no good again. Don't know if it will be fit for families, but I do suspect that it will be funny. I can see coaching workshops showing Thornton's "Bears" and "Friday Night Lights" as a double bill. Coaches will leave somewhat confused.

8. The Four Brothers (August 12). I love it. I love it not. Director/Writer John Singleton ("Boyz N the Hood") spins a tale of foster brothers (Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund) who attend the funeral of their foster mother -- and discover she died in mysterious circumstances. They seek answers and, if need be, revenge.

9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (July 15) (see above). The return of "Neverland" stars Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore (young Peter), under the direction of Tim Burton, is enough to raise my hopes. However, I love children's literature and if this movie destroys the book, I'll swear off chocolate for a week!

10. Myrna Loy Movies! The summer has a number of "alternative" offerings that might well not be booked into mainstream Helena movie theaters. Among the most promising include: "Romance and Cigarettes" (August 19), a musical with James "Soprano" Gandolfini as an ironworker married to Susan Sarandon, while having an affair with Kate Winslet. Bet he's tired at work; "5x2" (date unknown). An independent film by Francois Ozon ("8 Women," "Swimming Pool"), a 38-year-old French director I love. This tale is about thirtysomething friends as they journey through the decade; "Summer Storm" and "Dorian Blues" are both complex studies of sexual identity; "Howl's Moving Castle" (June 10), an animated children's film from the makers of "Spirited Away"; and a smaltzy one, "My Summer of Love," directed by Pavlikovksy. A tale of two strong, unique women who form a summer "friendship."