With the release of “The Dark Knight Rises” now in the rear-review and the Summer beginning to wind down, I thought it might be a good time to look ahead to the absolutely thrilling Fall line-up that we’ve all known was coming since at least this time last year. Some things have been pushed back to next year, as they always are. “Gravity” (can’t wait), “World War Z,” and, most recently, “Gangster Squad,” have joined the 2013 slate, which looks like it will be pretty great as well (“Twelve Years a Slave,” “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” “Man of Steel,” “Pacific Rim,” “Elysium,” “Knight of Cups,” “Out of the Furnace,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” etc.). But what we have is still immensely promising. From big-budget studio fare to small-budget indies, the Fall of 2012 looks to have something special for everyone. I toyed with the idea of ranking these, but it’s just too difficult to do so. “The Master” is definitely my #1, since Paul Thomas Anderson may very well be my favorite director and Philip Seymour Hoffman may very well be my favorite actor. But most of everything after that is too close to categorize. We’re in for a real treat in the upcoming months, as both critics and fans will find numerous offerings to get excited about.

The Master

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix, Laura Dern

Why: Because I adore PTA films and the trailer is mesmerizing

Release Date: September 14 (Limited)

Skyfall

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Albert Finney, Javier Bardem

Why: Because the teaser is awesome and Mendes is going big-budget

Release Date: November 9

The Place Beyond the Pines

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Rose Byrne

Why: Because “Blue Valentine” is amazing and Gosling is brilliant

Release Date: TBA

Zero Dark Thirty

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, Chris Pratt

Why: Because of the premise and because “The Hurt Locker” is so good

Release Date: December 19

Django Unchained

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Jonah Hill, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins

Why: Because it’s Tarantino, but also because it’s about a slave-turned-bounty hunter

Release Date: December 25

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving

Why: Because we get to see Middle Earth again on the big-screen

Release Date: December 14

Only God Forgives

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas

Why: Because “Drive” is amazing and Gosling is brilliant

Release Date: TBA

Les Misérables

Director: Tom Hooper

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Samantha Barks

Why: Because it could be something very special

Release Date: December 14

Seven Psychopaths

Director: Martin McDonagh

Cast: Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell

Why: Because “In Bruges” is such a great movie

Release Date: November 2 (Limited)

To the Wonder

Director: Terrence Malick

Cast: Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz, Javier Bardem

Why: Because Malick is one of our greatest directors

Release Date: TBA

The Great Gatsby

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton

Why: Because “Moulin Rouge!” and “Australia” are visual delights

Release Date: December 25

Cloud Atlas

Director: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and Tom Tykwer

Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon

Why: Because of that visually arresting six-minute trailer

Release Date: October 26

Lincoln

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Jared Harris, Jackie Earle Haley, John Hawkes, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Walton Goggins, David Strathairn

Why: Because Day-Lewis doesn’t do a lot of movies, but when he does, you want to be there. And talk about a supporting cast…

Release Date: November 16

Argo

Director: Ben Affleck

Cast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin

Why: Because this premise is so crazy that it’s true, and Affleck is getting better and better with each film

Release Date: October 12

Anna Karenina

Director: Joe Wright

Cast: Keira Knightley, Kelly Macdonald, Aaron Johnson, Jude Law, Matthew Macfadyen

Why: Because “Pride and Prejudice” and “Atonement” are good movies, and it’s not everyday that you see writing credits that include the names Leo Tolstoy and Tom Stoppard.

Release Date: November 9

More Titles: This is 40, Mud, Killing Them Softly, Looper, Amour, Rust & Bone, The Sessions, Hyde Park on Hudson, Silver Linings Playbook, Thanks for Sharing

-Rob