It seems that the annual early-fall, late-summer movie drought is coming to a close. Every year, without fail, movie theaters fill with critically acclaimed films during the fall and winter.

This sudden influx of films released can be mostly attributed to the quickly approaching 2012 Academy Awards (with an applicant deadline of December 31, 2011). Since most film production companies with Oscar-prospective movies would like to take as much time as possible for production, it makes sense that they’d wait until the last second for release.

This practice also has a lasting effect on moviegoers. When popular movies are released so close to the end of the calendar year, cinephiles cannot help but remember their lasting effects. It’s not uncommon for people to rave about movies released in the winter all the way through the following spring.

Another reason movies benefit from being released in the winter is because they avoid the massive summer blockbuster brawl/mix-up. The first month of summer is always littered with movies that cost millions upon millions of dollars to produce and often overshadow any critically acclaimed films that otherwise would have received more attention.

Fall and winter is a time to appreciate cinema at its finest. It’s a time to go to the movies, buy some popcorn, and get cozy while enjoying the massive amount of awesome movies that are in theaters. Some may argue that the summer is the best time for movies. This is true if you enjoy blockbusters with an excessive amount of explosions and too much testosterone. If good acting is your forte, however, the winter is your time of year for cinema.