You will witness in this very column, though, that not every week brings its share of master directors like the ones mentioned above. Of course, there's always the solution of cheating a bit. So, once I've told you about the two Dec. 21 limited releases, the brevitously titled Flakes and Steep, stay around. I will give you a few hints at what to expect from Chinese master Wong Kar-Wai, whose next film doesn't open until February.

When playing Fantasy Moguls, I think you will all agree that besides seeing the film that took up one-third of your budget delivering solid business, one of the biggest satisfactions is scoring unexpected points with a $2 movie no one really cared for. That is thrilling, and also very, very rare. I know what you are all thinking: "What, there's a $2 catch coming in December???!!!" Well, actually, no. Flakes (Dec. 19) is indeed a $2 pick, both in Ultimate Movie Moguls and Box Office Moguls leagues. But it's hard to picture it becoming an arthouse sensation, in the midst of the awards hopefuls' battles. (Although one could rightly argue that there are no such films opening in limited release on the week of Dec. 21.)

One might think that this little film distributed by IFC First Take and starring indie darlings Aaron Stanford and (the exquisite, delicious, lovely, etc.) Zooey Deschanel would be a young filmmaker's work. But Flakes, which chronicles the struggle of a young couple running an independent "cereal bar," who witness the arrival of a competitor preparing to steal their concept and put it into a global scheme, is the work of an old timer. Heathers, Hudson Hawk, Airheads, or, more recently, 40 Days and 40 Nights . Any fans of Michael Lehmann around here? Yep, he's the one behind this indie comedy (starring the exquisite, delicious ... no wait, I already told you that), only a few months after the pretty much disastruous release of his last film, Because I Said So (I know, it's not very glorious).

So what are exactly Flakes's chances? Quality-wise, it's hard to say since there's not much buzz surrounding it, either good or bad. And that's despite the film's being presented at the South by Southwest Film Festival last March. (Nobody saw it there? Nobody has an opinion?) In the pitch, you can sense a little bit of a Dodgeball vibe, although without any 'stache-wearing Stiller or wrench-conked Justin Long on the radar. Basically, without any of the fun (although one could argue that the exquisite, delicious, etc., Zooey Deschanel makes great compensation). Of course, Fantasy Moguls's predictions are very low, not even $1 million at the box-office, no PTA points, and a weak 6.0 User Rating. I fully expect the rating to be better, in the high 6s at least. But that's pretty much all there is here (okay, I'll admit it has a shot at grabbing at least one PTA point). Oh, and one last thing, Christopher "Doc Brown" Lloyd has a small role. I'll let you decide if that's cool or not. (It's Doc Brown! Of course it's cool!)

Can extreme skiing be a major draw for arthouse audiences? That's what Sony Pictures Classics must have thought when the specialty distributor aquired Steep (Dec. 21), a documentary chronicling the history of extreme skiing, from the sport's origins to its era of professional competition. Why not after all? Sports documentaries are rare on the big screen, and the subject of skiing is even more rare. The potential for a strong PTA is clearly envisioned by Sony, who's releasing the PG-rated film for Christmas, when everyone is already thinking about snow ... and sleighs, Santa, elves (how did I go from extreme sports to elves already??) and all the other December activities you can think of (well, at least for those who live in an area where it's cold enough for such things).

The difficulty will be to attract a bigger audience than just extreme sports enthusiasts. And, for the moment, the review published in Variety doesn't really incite me to become an enthusiast, as it basically compares the film to a big commercial. Not the kind of word of mouth that tends to twinkle in the ears of film buffs. It's just one review though, and maybe other critics will be more seduced by Steep, directed by Mark Obenhaus, a specialist of docs who often worked with late Peter Jennings on TV. What should make you be cautious with this film is the price tag Fantasy Moguls has put on it in Ultimate leagues, which is $8. It's not going to ruin you, but it's still a high price to pay if the film gets snowed under by the more prestigious and attractive Oscar hopefuls still playing on the arthouse circuit (then those two PTA points Fantasy Moguls anticipates would melt into zero). Like almost all documentaries, you can bet on a good IMDb User Rating, though, between 7 and 7.5.

There's a pre-Christmas lull at the arthouse, as you can see, so let me take you into the future. No Delorean or Doc Brown are needed for this tip, since we're traveling just two months ahead, to Feb. 13 and the U.S. release of My Blueberry Nights. This film will without a doubt be one of the major arthouse events of early 2008. Why? Because foreign masters of cinema are very, very often huge draws to American cinephiles, and this one's from (let's not be afraid of superlatives) one of the most important Asian filmmakers of the last 20 years, Mr. Wong Kar Wai. As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express and Happy Together made him a critical darling, before masterpiece In the Mood for Love turned him into one of the most renowned names of Chinese cinema in 2000. After the strange and fascinating 2046 in 2004, My Blueberry Nights is Wong's ninth feature film, but his first filmed in the language of Shakespeare.

Of course, everyone was, or is, anxious to see if the director's particular atmosphere could be as fascinating when the set changes from Hong Kong to the United States. No more Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Gong Li or Zhang Ziyi here (sniff). The star of the film is Norah Jones (her screen debut; no, we're not related), who plays Lizzie, a young woman who, after being dumped by her boyfriend, decides to leave New York behind her and go on a trip across the United States. The characters she meets along the way are portrayed by several excellent actors: Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn and Natalie Portman. It must not be hard when you're Wong Kar Wai to find good actors speaking English to appear in your film.

Last May, My Blueberry Nights opened the Cannes Film Festival, and competed for the coveted Palme d'Or. Critical response was mixed, between those who were charmed by Wong's unique way of filmmaking, and those who felt the Chinese director had lost some of his touch, magic and poetry, giving the story a beautiful shell, but with no pearl inside of it. Although, as a true admirer of Wong Kar Wai, I was sad to find myself in the "lost his touch" opinion group, I don't think the mixed reaction will prevent the film from being an indie event next February. After all, the User Rating is already great, with 7.7 and almost 500 votes. So keep an eye on it, and keep your ears open for the American word of mouth in the next few weeks.

Aaaaaah, Wong Kar Wai's scores. It's a big part in his films' fascinating atmosphere. As this "Dances with the Arthouse" is coming to an end, take a few minutes to listen to some of Wong's emblematic soundtracks. Any of them, you can't make a mistake, they are all fantastic. (He even put Dean Martin's "Sway" in 2046. Grin.) Well, after honoring this Chinese filmmaker, let me tell you what I have in store for next week. A great set if you ask me, as two great directors, Woody Allen (Cassandra's Dream) and Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood), and two promising first features, Persepolis and The Orphanage, will be at the center of the debate. (So to speak ... I'll actually just be debating with ... myself. Sigh.) Bonsoir!

Indie Jones has seen Bridge to Terabithia more than 200 times, although he tends to fast forward through all the parts that don't have Zooey Deschanel in them. Sell him your old DVD copies of Elf or Failure to Launch at danceswiththearthouse@gmail.com.