A similar feeling can happen on Fantasy Moguls, when you see that a major small-release film is not available and ignored by the site. On Aug. 22, only one arthouse feature is being released and available in Fantasy Moguls season, so, once I will have previewed that film, I'll take a look at the most promising films scheduled to open between September and October that are not (yet?) included in the Fantasy Moguls schedule. Maybe it will give somebody some ideas.

Creating a sequel to a Shakespeare play could be the dullest idea I've ever heard. Yet on Aug. 22, a film entitled Hamlet 2 will be launched in American theaters. I wonder how many spectators, arriving in front of their local theater, will look at the poster and think "What?! They did a sequel to Hamlet? How low has Hollywood gone?!" Not too many, I hope, because they would then avoid the film and miss what promises to be one of the craziest independent films of the season.

Hamlet 2 is not a sequel to Shakespeare's play (I'm tempted to say "the most famous play ever"). It is a fresh idea which sprouted in the minds of Pam Brady and Andrew Fleming. The former has been a steady collaborator of Trey Parker and Matt Stone on South Park (and Team America), while the latter has had an uneven career behind the camera, from Threesome to Nancy Drew with the likes of The Craft and Dick in the mix as well.

Needless to say, everyone should hope that the influence of Brady's irreverent writing was the strongest creative force to shape Hamlet 2. To judge by word of mouth, it's safe to say that this, in fact, happened. The film stars Steve Coogan as Dana Marschz, a failed actor who makes a concession to his dreams by becoming a high school drama teacher in Tucson, Ariz. Alas, he seems to be on the verge of failing there also, as the drama department is threatened with extinction. In a desperate attempt to save his job, Marschz comes up with a fresh and very personal project to be the next school play: Hamlet 2. The pitch is that it's a time-traveling musical in which the Prince of Denmark comes back from the dead and meets ... Jesus.

I think we can all agree that the play within the film looks dementedly hilarious. And after the debut of Hamlet 2 at Sundance last January, the word on the street was that the film is deliciously funny on its own. The fantastic buzz and rave reviews prompted a bidding war in Park City among buyers, a war that saw Focus Features eventually write a $10 million check. The R-rated comedy sure has some pressure upon its shoulders to live up to its distributor's expectations.

Steve Coogan has yet to make it big in America (Happy Endings, Around the World in 80 Days and Marie Antoinette were not exactly huge hits, and his best films to date have come from his native England, 24 Hour Party People and A Cock and Bull Story). Thanks to his pal Ben Stiller, however, Coogan might begin to get a taste of recognition in the New World. After their collaboration in Night at the Museum, Stiller gave Coogan a meaty bit part in his war movie/film biz parody Tropic Thunder, which could turn into a huge late-summer hit. Which could be at least a small boon to Coogan and Hamlet 2 (which also features Amy Poehler, Catherine Keener, David Arquette and Elizabeth Shue).

Hamlet 2 is due to open small (no word yet as to exactly how small) and then expand the following weekend. Focus Features paid a lot of money to get the rights to the film, and it is obvious they want it to succeed. They know the film has the potential to be an indie hit, so expect them to put a lot of effort into making sure it becomes one.

In August-October Ultimate Movie Moguls leagues, Hamlet 2 costs only $5, and it's a mere $2 in Box Office Moguls leagues. The platform release of the film makes it a potential PTA earner, especially since there is no competition on the limited circuit. The fact it will expand means it should be able to cash in if the buzz builds. Five PTA points are definitely attainable, if the limited release is limited enough, and I think Fantasy Moguls's prediction of a $4.75 million total gross is pessimistic, as it could easily achieve double that with a proper expansion. What's strange with Hamlet 2 is its IMDb User Rating, currently at 5.5 with more than 350 votes. That's despite the fact that the film was a huge success at Sundance and has garnered excellent reviews. Let's hope it will climb up a bit in that area.

I will complete this week's column with a regret. This regret concerns a website familiar to one and all, Box Office Mojo. Lately, I (and probably you, too) have noticed that the site has had trouble keeping up its release schedule up to date: films are listed with old release dates long after that information has changed, some major films are slow to appear in the site's database, and updates are made sometimes only at the last possible second (so to speak). The problem is, Fantasy Moguls take BOM's release calendar as gospel, and if a film does not appear on BOM's calendar, then it does not appear on Fantasy Moguls's radar, either. The same goes for release date changes — this is why it took so long to change Henry Poole Is Here, which BOM kept listed as opening in July long after it was widely known that the film had, in fact, been moved to August.

Now, I have here a list of major arthouse features scheduled to be released in American theaters in September or October (of course there are many more smaller films that could be listed here, but let's not get too greedy). Yet none appears on BOM's calendar yet, and thus neither are they available in Fantasy Moguls leagues. Which is a shame, because these are essential films for the game. With the hope that Box Office Mojo will again become the trustworthy site it's been in the past, let me introduce you to these films:

Burn After Reading (Sept. 12) — Barely a year after multiple Academy Award-winning film No Country for Old Men, their biggest success to date, Joel and Ethan Coen (aka the Coen Brothers) have already given us a new feature film, one that, tonally speaking, is miles from their Cormac McCarthy adaptation. An espionage comedy, Burn After Reading follows a motley bunch of gym employees who attempt to sell the secrets of a CIA agent. The film has the best poster of the year (it's been designed to hark back to the look of ads for Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder), a killer cast (Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins and J.K. Simmons) AND opens the upcoming Venice Film Festival. What can you ask more?

Battle in Seattle (Sept. 19) — I am sure Stuart Townsend has had enough of being called Mr. Charlize Theron (oops, I did it again). The Irish actor's career has known more lows than highs these past few years, and maybe that's why he decided to step behind the camera. The big surprise is that he's done so with Battle in Seattle, a clumsy but brave look at the infamous World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle in 1999. The subject is strong, and, as often happens when an actor begins a filmmaking career, the cast is impressive, with the likes of Charlize Theron (of course), Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta, Martin Henderson, Michelle Rodriguez, André Benjamin, Connie Nielsen, Channing Tatum and Joshua Jackson (I have seen the film from beginning to end, and don't recall seeing Jackson anywhere ... he must have been well hidden).

Appaloosa (Oct. 3) — Ed Harris directs himself, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons and Renée Zellweger in an old-school Western? Sign me in! In a time when sheriffs and outlaws have become rare on the big screen, such visits to the genre have become precious and exciting. And although the splendid naturalistic approach of Andrew Dominik with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford did not attract audiences (how foolish they are, to have missed such a beautiful film), at least James Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma was a surprise hit. Appaloosa theme reminds me of Kevin Costner's Open Range (another recent surprise hit), and that's another reason to get excited. Let's hope that the recent demise of the film's distributor, New Line Cinema, won't disturb its release. Quick, make it available in Fantasy Moguls!

Rachel Getting Married (Oct. 3) — Something Wild, The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia ... Jonathan Demme is not an insignificant director. The man may have turned to documentaries more often in the past few years — he hasn't made a feature film since The Manchurian Candidate back in 2004 — but the New York native is a man whose ventures behind the camera should be considered events. His latest, the story of a young woman who gets out of rehab to go to her sister's wedding, is clearly more low-profile than his former features. Sony Pictures Classics will release it a few weeks after the film will have premiered at Toronto and Venice.

Happy-Go-Lucky (Oct. 10) — I already gave you the happy-go-lowdown a couple of weeks back about Mike Leigh's new film, which grabbed the Best Actress prize at last February Berlin Film Festival. Let's all keep our eyes out for it.

Synecdoche, New York (Oct. 24) — Charlie Kaufman's eagerly awaited debut as a director finally approaches. OK, so the film has been blasted by critics when it was presented at Cannes last May. And it was shut out of the Palmares. Still, Kaufman filming one of his own scripts, another labyrinthine tale, featuring such great thespians as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Hope Davis and Jennifer Jason Leigh, how is it possible to resist and not get yourself quietly awaiting such a program?

Let's hope this long-distance call to the minds behind the film release calendar at Box Office Mojo will have a noticeable repercussion. Or else I'll keep on struggling to tell you about arthouse releases. On August 29, for example, there are no limited release in play in Fantasy Moguls, so I may take next week off. But don't forget to bet on small films, and go see them in theaters. Like, for example, the arthouse hit Tell No One, an excellent European film noir. And don't forget either to go take a look at our friend Shrykespeare's brand new website TheLatestMovieReviews.com.

Indie Jones has never attempted to blackmail a CIA agent, but he does look like Brad Pitt. Any lovely ladies who live in or near Paris and would like to gaze at his chiseled features as he holds forth about the latest arthouse films, drop him a note at danceswiththearthouse@gmail.com.