A new year means a new crop of blockbuster movies to anticipate.

What's looking good, or at least interesting, in 2010? Here are a dozen titles that have me salivating (in roughly chronological order, though release dates are tentative):

"Shutter Island" » The last time Martin Scorsese made an old-fashioned scary movie was "Cape Fear," so he should be primed and ready with this thriller -- starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo as federal agents looking for a psychotic killer (Emily Mortimer) who has disappeared from a mental institution. Just seeing Ben Kingsley and Max Von Sydow in the trailer gives you the willies. (Feb. 19)

"Cop Out" » Kevin Smith's movies usually show off his screenwriting skills better than his directing abilities. So why's he directing somebody else's screenplay -- and a buddy-cop action comedy with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan? Could go either way. (Feb. 26)

"Alice in Wonderland" » What a natural pairing: Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll, in a new adaptation of the fantasy classic. And with a cast that includes Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen of Hearts and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, this one could be everyone's cup of tea. (March 5)

"Hot Tub Time Machine" » With a title like that, how can you go wrong? With John Cusack in the lead, it could be this generation's "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." (March 26)

"Kick-Ass" » Superhero conventions get skewed in this adaptation of the comic by Mark Millar (who also wrote "Wanted"), which got a strong reaction from the geek contingent at Comic-Con last summer. (April 16)

"Iron Man 2" » Robert Downey Jr. suits up again as industrialist-turned-superhero Tony Stark. This time he's up against Mickey Rourke (yikes!) and Scarlett Johansson (yowza!). (May 7)

"Get Him to the Greek" » British comic Russell Brand returns as pampered rock star Aldous Snow (his character from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"), as a nervous intern (Jonah Hill) has to ensure Snow makes it to his concert. All depends on your tolerance for Brand's bad-boy comedy. (June 11)

"Toy Story 3" » Pixar. Say no more. (June 18)

"Inception" » Director Christopher Nolan gets to mix his brain-twisting ideas ("Memento," "The Prestige") with a "Dark Knight"-size budget for this thriller about corporate espionage and the power of the mind. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a cast that includes Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (July 16)

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I" » I've stuck with the boy wizard this far, and I gotta see how it ends. Then I'll read the books, I promise. (Nov. 19)

"Tron: Legacy" » Finally, the sequel I've been waiting for since 1982 -- now that the effects have caught up to the video-game thrills. (Dec. 17)

"The Green Hornet" » Delayed repeatedly, with changes in cast and director, this superhero adaptation has been in the pipeline for a long time. Will director Michel Gondry and stars Seth Rogen and Stephen Chow deliver? I'll believe it when I see it. (Dec. 22)

Sean P. Means writes the Culture Vulture in daily blog form, at blogs.sltrib.com/vulture