While the first half of 1999 may have been littered with films we would call disappointments if we had had any expectations to begin with (see Carrie 2 -- or don't, actually), some terrific performances did manage to emerge from the refuse (see Carrie 2's Emily Bergl). The fall slate appears far more encouraging, with Satan dominating slashers, original storylines exceeding sequels and nary a big-budget remake to be found. However, in the off-chance that all the movies suck, we've made our fall preview a guide to those actors, actresses and director who will ensure there is at least some semblance of quality in your viewing experience. Think of them as redeeming factors for movies that, to be honest, won't likely need redeeming -- but just in case, you can count on these guys and girls to pull you through. For more general information about the fall lineup -- you know, like what they're about and stuff -- please consult our movie news page, which will be updated with each issue. For now, just keep these people in mind:

Kathryn Erbe in Stir of Echoes A relative unknown with over 10 credits to her name, Erbe has her first leading role as Kevin Bacon's other half in A Stir of Echoes, and word has it that this will not be her last. After the slew of forgettable supporting parts in films such as What About Bob? and George Wallace, Erbe most recently gained notice for her creepy and effective performance in the outstanding HBO prison drama Oz as Shirley Bellinger, the jail's only female prisoner. (While also bringing Kevin Bacon a cozy one degree closer to Hell's Angel-turned-actor Chuck Zito.) Erbe's part as Maggie Witzky in Stir is expected to be her breakout role, and the film (based on the novel by Richard Matheson) is rumored to be the most frightening since, well, The Blair Witch Project, another release from Artisan Entertainment. Release Date: September 10, 1999

Patricia Arquette in Stigmata As far as four-sibling acting families from the 80s and 90s go, the Arquettes have become a sort of an anti-Baldwins -- an idiosyncratic alternative to those bland brunette boys. Leading the pack is middle child Patricia, whose previous films have ranged from the offbeat True Romance to the unusual Ed Wood to the flat-out bizarre Lost Highway. Talented yet sometimes under-appreciated, Patricia has always has fine, edgy taste in roles, and she doesn't do AT&T commercials either. In the inevitably-compared-to-the-Exorcist religious thriller Stigmata, Arquette plays Frankie, a decidedly un-Christian woman who nonetheless bears the bodily wounds of the crucified Christ. Watch as Patricia oozes blood from her head and steals the flick from her co-stars. (Oh, and in case you're still wondering, the fourth Arquette and Baldwin are Alexis and Daniel, respectively.) Release Date: September 10, 1999.

Janusz Kaminski of Lost Souls If there is anyone who can redeem a Winona Ryder movie, it is accomplished cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, who marks his directing debut with the supernatural horror film Lost Souls. Kaminski's cinematic career took off in 1993, when, for his ability to withstand shooting Vanilla Ice without actually shooting him (in 1991's Cool As Ice), he was promptly rewarded by becoming Stephen Spielberg's top cinematographer. (Okay, he was actually discovered after Spielberg viewed his student work from Columbia College, but that weathering-the-Ice factor must've been a plus.) His Oscar-winning films include Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan; other exceptional credits include Jerry Maguire, Amistad, and Jurassic Park: The Lost World. And for those Polish-impaired types still stumbling over Kieslowski, here's a tip: it's pronounced YAH-nush Kah-MIN-ski. Learn it well. Release Date: October 8, 1999

James Marsters in The House on Haunted Hill Though many consider him to be a newcomer of sorts, James Marsters was acting for years on-stage before he decided that he couldn't make any money that way and decided to get off-stage and on-camera. Landing the role of Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer certainly didn't hurt his career: he's recently signed a two-year contract to appear on Buffy as a regular, and will be doing guest shots on the series' spinoff, Angel. But he's not stopping there... he'll also be appearing in the upcoming House on Haunted Hill, a remake of the 1958 William Castle film. What role does he play? We haven't the slightest idea (though we welcome info at info@the11thhour.com). Marsters is a favorite of the 11th Hour editorial staff, and we predict only bigger and better things in his future, though for now we're more than happy to see him on the big screen in any damn thing. Release Date: October 29, 1999

Christian Bale in American Psycho Before I go into the glory that is Christian Bale, let it be known that this serial killer tale once bore an even greater mark of evil: that of Leonardo DiCaprio. In the days before a certain someone thought he was king of the world, Bale and director Mary Harron (see previous issue) were set to star in and shoot, respectively, the film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' controversial 1991 novel. When DiCaprio voiced interest in the part, Harron and Bale were temporarily dropped, and the budget soared from $6 million to $40 million to accommodate a certain $21 million salary. Thankfully, DiCaprio chickened out, and now it is again the talented, charismatic and extremely fine-looking Bale who inhabits the lead role of nihilistic, blood-thirsty yuppie-gone-really-wrong Patrick Bateman. Bale first came to prominence at age 12 as the lead in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun; he has since assembled an astounding variety of roles, including a 19th-century gentleman in Little Women, a glam-rocker in Velvet Goldmine, and Demetrius in A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. His part in American Psycho has brought him some notoriety due to the novel's graphic nature; hopefully audiences will be able to look beyond the (often ignorant) outcry to watch one of this generation's most skilled actors in a role that is nothing if not challenging. Release Date: November 1999 (date still uncertain).

Christina Ricci in Sleepy Hollow More often than not, Christina Ricci has been the best part of somewhat mediocre movies, whether redeeming the disastrous Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, stealing every scene in The Opposite of Sex, or making 200 Cigarettes downright tolerable. So the thought of her in the beyond amazing-looking Sleepy Hollow (co-starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton) is attractive to say the least. In her first truly adult role, Ricci plays Katrina Van Tassel, the love interest to Depp's Ichabod Crane. Pairing her with Depp is an inspired choice, but the movie itself is populated by so many cool individuals it was difficult to narrow it down to just one for this list; aside from Ricci, Depp and Burton, Sleepy Hollow was written by Andrew Kevin Walker (Seven), scored by Danny Elfman, contains stunt work by Ray Park, and has a supporting cast including Miranda Richardson, Casper van Dien, and Christopher Walken as the Headless Horseman. Oh yeah, and it's based on a classic horror legend -- does this possess amazing ruleage or what? Release Date: November 19, 1999

Gabriel Byrne in End of Days Byrne in Hell, baby! If ever there were a poster boy for apocalyptic religious horror flicks with millennial doomsday themes, it's Gabriel Byrne. While no stranger to the terrifying and ungodly (anyone see Polish Wedding?), 1999 marks a special year for the Irish actor as he does time as both a Catholic priest (Stigmata) and, well, Satan (End of Days). It is his demonic turn that is most intriguing, however, since he faces an unusual opponent: Arnold Schwartzenegger, here as a cop protecting co-star Robin Tunney from Gabriel's unseemly desire to impregnate her and raise a breed of world-dominating hellspawn. (OK, perhaps he's onto something there.) Byrne's take on the penultimate lord of evil will no doubt be interesting; the classically-trained actor has a long history of critically-acclaimed films that bear little resemblance to typical Schwartzenegger fare. Hmmm, then maybe this one will be good. Release Date: November 24, 1999

Doug Hutchison in The Green Mile This eagerly anticipated second Stephen King foray into the prison story genre sports an impressive cast: Tom Hanks, Gary Sinese, Harry Dean Stanton, etc. But for those of us at The 11th Hour the man of the hour will be the ultra-charismatic Doug Hutchison. So what if he's portraying the slimy, no good, cowardly, sadistic, pain in the ass prison guard Percy Whetmore? And while Doug has played many a good guy role, it's his bad boys that bring us back for more. His impressive resumé includes small screen stints as uber-villains Eugene Tooms in The X-Files, Elroy in Space: Above and Beyond, and The Polaroid Man in Millennium, while on the big screen, he's best remembered as white-trash-is-too-kind-a-description Pete Willard in A Time to Kill and the heavily made up Golum in the otherwise unwatchable Batman and Robin. Release Date: December 17, 1999

Lance Henriksen in Scream 3 At the time of this article, Scream 3 has assembled a truly bizarre cast, full of indie notables (Parker Posey, Matthew Keeslar), requisite WB escapees (Scott Foley, Eliza Dushku, possibly Shannon Doherty), '80s relics (Patrick Dempsey) and even a Hawn spawn (Kate Hudson). However, the most intriguing addition has to be Lance Henriksen, the genre legend with over 60 credits to his name (including Aliens, Near Dark and the canceled series Millennium). Now what would the accomplished Lance be doing in a film like this? Well, this is the series that resurrected The Fonz -- and rumor has it that Scream 3 will actually pay tribute to Lance's previous credits by casting him as a detective similar to his Millennium protagonist Frank Black. Regardless whether this is true, it will be refreshing to see someone over the age of 30 in the film, and you just can't get any cooler than Lance. Release Date: December 10, 1999

Johnny Depp in The Ninth Gate Depp. Polanksi. Horror film. Can we say "yay"? 1999 has been a swell year for Depp fans (Ninth Gate marking his third genre flick of the year, following The Astronaut's Wife and the aforementioned Sleepy Hollow), especially those of us who love to see him all tormented and freaky and stuff. And no one gives torment and freakiness (in more than just the cinematic respect) like banned director Roman Polanski, whose Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby are two of the most terrifying and unnerving films ever made. Polanski's cinematic output has shown a marked decrease in quality since he peaked with Chinatown in the 1970s; however, if any actor was perfectly suited for this controversial director, it is definitely the intense and versatile Depp. Ninth Gate showcases all-too-familiar themes (the millennium, Satan, etc), with Depp playing a rare arts dealer who finds a conspiracy while searching for ancient books containing secrets to summoning the devil. But with ones of the world's finest actors working with a renowned director making his first foray into horror in 30 years, Ninth Gate will likely stand out from the demonic crowd -- and if not, well, there's always the drool factor. Release Date: December 24, 1999

-- Compiled by the staff of The 11th Hour