The dog days of summer cinema occasionally produce a gem.

“A Constant Gardener” was an Oscar winner that came out in late August, after all.

Maybe it’s “A Little Prayer,” opening next weekend. Austin Butler has an action comedy next week as well. Or maybe a Riz Ahmed/Lily James thriller or a Ron Howard period piece parable opening today is a sleeper.

Is our Oscar winning director facing the Rob Reiner fall-off that most marquee names deal with at some point or other? His latest being released by Poverty Row distributor Vertical in one of the deadest cinema weekends of the year is a bad sign.