’The U.S. vs. John Lennon’ is among a spate of documentary films being released this fall.

’American Hardcore’ documents the 1980s punk music scene. Art house films can always be counted on for substance. But vice isn’t forbidden, as new indies filled with sex, drugs and violence prove.

The most controversial one is likely to be John Cameron Mitchell’s graphic "Shortbus," opening Oct. 4, about sexually experimental New Yorkers who meet at an underground salon. Meanwhile, on the lowbrow side, in "Sleeping Dogs Lie," a woman tells her deepest erotic secret - and it’s a doozy - to her shocked fiance (Oct. 20).

Other women have more serious issues. In "Sherrybaby," Maggie Gyllenhaal is a newly sober mother (Sept. 8). A suburban wife (Petra Wright) becomes unhinged in "Laura Smiles" (Oct. 20). Sarah Michelle Gellar explores a murder in "The Return" (Nov. 10). An insecure Ashley Judd beds strangers in "Come Early Morning" (Nov. 17). And Abbie Cornish is seduced by heroin in "Candy" (Nov. 17).

As for guys: The streets of ’80s New York drag down Freddie Prinze Jr. in "Brooklyn Rules" (Sept. 8). The drama "Aurora Borealis" finds "Dawson’s Creek"-er Joshua Jackson all grown up (Sept. 15), and narcoleptic Gael García Bernal falls for Charlotte Gainsbourg in "The Science of Sleep" (Sept. 22).

Lighter fare includes the marriage mockumentary "Confetti" (Sept. 15), Rowan Atkinson in "Keeping Mum" (Sept. 15), Rupert Grint and Julie Walters in "Driving Lessons" (Oct. 13), and the turn-of-the-century love story "Sweetland" (Oct. 18).

Among real documentaries, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" exposes the movie-rating process (Sept. 1); "Saint of 9/11" is about the late Rev. Mychal Judge (Sept. 6); "Al Franken: God Spoke" spotlights the liberal comic’s spats with Fox News (Sept. 13); "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" tells how the government watched the former Beatle (Sept. 15); "The Ground Truth" looks at the lives of Iraqi soldiers (Sept. 15); "American Hardcore" (Sept. 22) crowd-dives into the ’80s punk scene; "49 Up" updates Michael Apted’s series (Oct. 6); and "F---" takes a look at a word that a family newspaper can’t print (Nov. 10).