Summer movie season may be over, but that doesn't mean the movies stop. Here's a look at all the sci-fi, horror and fantasy entries coming your way as 2011 winds down

By Don Kaye
Special to MSN Movies

The summer movie season is over, and while it wasn't too hard to top 2010's disappointing slog, 2011's crop of warm-weather fare was still a mixed bag. For every "Captain America" or "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (two big tentpole films that were actually satisfying on several levels), you had brainless sludge like "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" or inexplicable misfires like "Cowboys & Aliens." As for hapless failures like "Green Lantern" ... let's just let them rest in peace.

But never fear, because fall is here, and while the studios turn toward Oscar bait (i.e. so-called more serious movies), there are still enough genre entries to keep us busy as we inch inexorably toward the holidays. You can certainly expect the latest in money-printing franchises ("The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" and "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"), but also a number of films that are taking creative or commercial risks ("The Adventures of Tintin," "Immortals" and "In Time" could all either succeed wildly or fall flat on their faces).

Two early September entries -- "Apollo 18" and "Shark Night 3D" -- will have already opened by the time you read this, but since they were not screened for critics, we're not expecting much out of either. Don't worry though: Some of the other genre offerings coming up between now and Christmas may be just unusual or provocative enough to leave a lasting impression. With big stars, big directors and even a few big ideas, the fall season is wide open.

Facebook: Tells us which movies have you excited most this fall!

(Relativity/Summit/20th Century Fox)