From Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy®-winning director Rich Moore comes “Wreck-It Ralph,” a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping adventure. For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day.

Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero.

On his quest, Ralph meets tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty, and feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, who may just be his first real friend. But everything changes when a deadly enemy is unleashed, threatening the entire arcade and Vanellope herself.

Ralph finally gets his chance to save the day—but can he do it in time? “Wreck-It Ralph” crashes onto the big screen on November 2, 2012, in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln,” a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

During President Lincoln’s tumultuous final months in office, he pursues a course of action to end the Civil War, unite the country and abolish slavery.

Genre: Drama
Rating: TBD
U.S. Release date: November 9, 2012 (exclusive); November 16, 2012 (expansion)

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones
Director: Steven Spielberg
Producers: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Executive Producers: Daniel Lupi, Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King
Screenplay by: Tony Kushner
Based in part on
the book: “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”
by Doris Kearns Goodwin

While there is nothing offensively bad about General Education, the sheer blandness of the entire production makes this one of the more miserable films I’ve had to sit through in a long time. Running under 90 minutes, it felt like an eternity having to wallow through such generic material. With talented comedians such as Janeane Garofalo and Larry Miller, this is a film disguised as a comedy, but with nothing funny to say. It didn’t matter how hard I tried to force a laugh. Jokes landed with a thud as the actors gamely delivered their lines with the enthusiasm of somebody reading a phone-book.

Chris Sheffield (who has a credit as Pimply Corporate Kid in Transformers: Dark of the Moon) plays Levi Collins, a supposed tennis pro, despite the filmmakers refusal to show any of his alleged talents. After being offered a tennis scholarship to a school he doesn’t even want to attend, he is devastated to learn that he failed a class and will have to take 10 days of summer school. Unfortunately, he was planning to go on a 10-day trip to Mexico with his incredibly annoying friends at the same time. What’s he going to do?!

Wouldn’t you know it, he ends up falling in love, confronting his overbearing father, warming up to the difficult teacher, etc. It just goes on and on, with the end seeming to never come. This is a movie that doesn’t know what it wants to be. There are attempts at over-the-top comedy, family drama, romance, and on and on.

The ONLY semi-interesting aspect of this film is Levi’s sister Emily, played by newcomer McKaley Miller. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there is something amusing about this child’s attempts to be a successful mime and theatrical performer. The filmmakers seemed to have found a balance with Emily between going too over-the-top and seeming like a realistic and entertaining character. Miller seems to have a lot of fun with the role, providing welcome moments of relief from the rest of the film’s monotony.

Overall, this film is pure fluff. There is nothing of substance, and while I don’t need all of my films to have something to say, there needs to at least be a point for existing. Visually, the film looks cheap, far less impressive than your average television show. I’m not sure who the target audience is for this film as it’s not crazy enough for young kids, but far too juvenile for older viewers. I don’t know how the producers of this film managed to get a theatrical release out of this, but if you are so inclined, General Education is now playing.

In the great tradition of female phone sex comedies comes…oh wait, there was that breast-feeding mom in Short Cuts and Spike Lee’s bargain basket DVD, Girl 6, so perhaps the genre has been waiting For A Good Time, Call… to come along before Hollywood starts conceiving copy cats.

At first glance, it seems perfectly natural for mainstream movies to avoid the raunchy desperate world of phone sex, but I doubt it has ever been approached from the unique perspective of writer-producers, Katie Naylon and Lauren Miller. The two writers first met as randomly paired roommates in the Florida State dorms where their contrasting personalities clashed at first, but ultimately enhanced their lasting friendship in a ying-yang type of connection. This personal experience is what ultimately informs the relationship and chemistry between the fictional Lauren and Katie (played by Ari Graynor). But real life did not just inform their on-screen Odd Couple dynamic, Katie actually ran a phone sex line her freshman year of college and much of her experience manifests itself in the film.

“I think it was really great that I had that experience and I knew that it was really funny and as soon as you tell someone that, they say ‘hold on, tell me everything’ so I knew it was the perfect backdrop to this friendship story” ~ Katie Naylon, screenwriter-producer

And that’s just what For A Good Time, Call… is, a story of two unlikely friends bonding through the uncommon experience of running their own phone sex line. Those who come looking for an American Pie-type sex romp will hopefully be satisfied by two friends trading off sexual puns and innuendo as they become adults. Despite the sweet emerging friendship at the center, the movie balances it out with some unforgettable cameos from self-proclaimed masturbation enthusiasts Kevin Smith and Seth Rogan among others. First-time feature director, Jamie Travis does a fantastic job of riding the line between overly sentimental and overtly sexual. He finds a perfect tone that amplifies the titillating jokes and compliments the “braw-mance” that drives the story.

Despite its prominent sexual premise, For A Good Time, Call… brings a mainstream sensibility to an indie film, which should help it play to a broad audience. With that said, the film is not exactly groundbreaking. There are a few nice spots where we’re reminded to be in love before making it, but it doesn’t go above and beyond anything that can’t be surmised from a 1980’s after-school special. The comedy chiefly relies on puns and innuendo to come up with punch lines that are fun, but it rarely delves into the character driven conflict that’s been setup. I thought the tension between the two leads gets resolved far too early on and that the Odd Couple pairing should have brought about far more laughs and character development than it actually did.

That said, For A Good Time, Call… brings a sweet sensibility to raunchy subject matter, which shows the world low-budget independent movies can be broad enough to reach a sexually-liberated mainstream audience.

In a Hollywood dominated by Dark Knights, Avengers, or any project with the potential for multiple Roman numerals after the title, it is a delight to see Sundance darling, For A Good Time, Call…, get a mainstream studio release. It is not unusual for Sundance films to jump the festival circuit to the Hollywood box office, but they usually tend to be niche auteur pieces with Oscar dreams. Not here. For A Good Time, Call… forgoes the epiphanies and heavy-handed life lessons in favor of a fun coming-of-age story about two disparate 30ish women laced in sexual innuendo.

Tonally, it is cut from the same cloth of a Judd Apatow comedy, but without the pedigree or male genitalia. Fortunately for the audience, the studio system was not ready for people with vaginas to talk about vaginas, which forced the resilient writers and former Florida State University dormmates, Katie Naylon and Lauren Miller, to champion their own project. By stepping outside the studio system, they forfeited the luxury of a Hollywood budget, but were more than compensated with creative vision and flexibility.

“They (Katie and Lauren) say that they wrote this with my voice in mind, which is so incredibly flattering and amazing. But when they were going down the studio world they couldn’t come to me. I couldn’t of played Katie, just like Lauren could of never played Lauren. And when they decided to make it on their own, they came to me and wrote the most wonderful beautiful letter that made me cry.” ~ Ari Graynor who plays Katie in the film

The process of making a film in the typical Hollywood fashion is often described as daunting and painful with every executive in-house trying to make their mark on the project. It is obviously not impossible for amazing films to get made through a major studio, but one probably has better odds of hitting it big in the Mega Millions. If Lauren and Katie were to stick with the studio route, their script would probably be on the shelf somewhere gathering dust until Emma Stone finally graduates from Hollywood high school. Instead of being deterred by the constant stream of no’s, Katie and Lauren were invigorated to bring their baby to life through their own “chutzpah.”

“Making an independent film is really, really hard and you just have to never take ‘no’ for answer and we got a lot of no before we started to make it independently. And once we started, we got a lot of no. But if you really have the drive and desire to do something, I think you should just do it and explore every avenue you possibly can.” ~ Lauren Miller who co-wrote the screenplay and plays Lauren in the film

Keep the Lights On chronicles an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City through love, friendship, and addiction.

Documentary filmmaker Erik (acclaimed Danish actor Thure Lindhardt in his first leading role in a U.S. film) and closeted lawyer Paul (Zachary Booth, Damages) meet through a casual encounter, but soon find a deeper connection and become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk takers-compulsive, and fueled by drugs and sex.

In an almost decade-long relationship defined by highs, lows, and dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries and dignity while being true to himself.

Keep the Lights On is shot with a grainy beauty that resonates with the texture of New York City, accentuated by disco beats and a mournful cello, both from musician Arthur Russell’s eclectic catalog.

Director Ira Sachs’s fearlessly personal screenplay is anchored by Lindhardt, who embodies Erik’s isolation and vulnerability with a gentle presence. Harrowing and romantic, visceral and layered, Keep the Lights On is a film that looks at love and all of its manifestations, taking it to dark depths and bringing it back to a place of grace.

Parenting is not something you are taught, but something you learn. We all have been brought up different within our own families and when we meet the right person we want to make our own new family to grow and share life with. This is the essence of Peter Hedges (Dan in Real Life, About a Boy) new film.

Cindy and Jim Green are anxious to become parents any means necessary. While in an interview to become adoptive parents they recount their only experience, Timothy. Within the session of the interview the Green’s will recount how Timothy came to “grow” into their lives and become everything a parent could ever want in a child. But at what cost and what lesson learned remains to be seen from this new natural wonder in their lives.

Hedges brought to the screen a heartwarming and passionate story of what parents and children go through to make a family from a story by character actor Ahmet Zappa (Jack Frost, Pump up the Volume). Ahmet has given the right seed with which Hedges was able to make everyone in the theater emotional in the best way. Thought provoking and intellectual for all ages to enjoy as my son told me after taking him to the screening.

You can’t go too wrong either with the pairing of Jennifer Garner (Juno, Alias) and Joel Edgerton (Warrior, The Thing) as Cindy and Jim Green. The pair are a wonderful match as a couple who has tried everything to have a baby. In every detail of their portrayals you can hear and feel the frustration, joy, anger, happiness they show on screen. Another nod to Hedges for bringing these two together and bringing out what many in real life have gone through.

To make this story truly be about family, you need the child. In this case, Timothy played by relative newcomer CJ Adams with whom Hedges had worked on ‘Dan in Real Life’ with. Hedges loved working with CJ on that project that he lasted through hundreds of auditions to get this starring role. It was well deserved. CJ is a creative and at this time in his acting career an adorable young man who shines. Throw in a little puppy love with another new face, Odeya Rush as Timothy’s young love interest and you will see what it can be like as parents and as children in a family.

‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’ is a great film for the entire family to go see. It is a great tale of how we as parents struggle with rules, chores, and life just like kids. We’re not perfect and we make mistakes. What makes us good or even great parents is when we learn and not make them again. This is a film that will make everyone appreciate what a family can be. I look forward to seeing it again with my whole tribe.

I must warn this is a Spoiler Alert. I always tie movies into a “today’s social commentary” on my life. As I look at the reality of this film it really does hit upon an issue that has become more common, families being different. Our world has changed and it isn’t Black and White, Hispanic or Asian it is worldly when it comes to family. I myself am the child of an afro Cuban and Caucasian. I do not consider myself Hispanic or White but a mutt. I hate having to fill out what ethnicity I am for this fact. Much like Timothy who is not human or plant but a child in Cindy and Jim’s eyes, my mom and father love me for who I am and have become. My parents made mistakes, Cindy and Jim made mistakes. Timothy had knowledge beyond his years I had that similar knowledge. It didn’t matter as life was about learning from those mistakes and making life better using that knowledge. I know that as I currently write this I will make mistakes with my new family but I know it will be okay as I will learn and grow with these two children and lovely woman who have opened their arms to me and allow me to be part of what we all want in the end, love and family.

Follow my entertainment adventures throughout Southern California on Twitter @SCThrillsMarc.

From the big top to the big screen, visionary filmmaker James Cameron and director Andrew Adamson (Shrek, Narnia) invite you and your family on an all new 3D adventure: Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away. A young couple who is separated, must journey through the astonishing and dreamlike worlds of Cirque du Soleil to find each other, as audiences experience the immersive 3D technology that will allow them to leap, soar, swim, and dance with the performers. This Holiday Season, Cirque du Soleil brings their world to your city!

Release: December 21, 2012

Cast: Igor Zaripov, Erica Kathleen Linz

There’s always been something haunting about the world of stop-motion animation. Since the success of The Nightmare Before Christmas, the painstakingly slow process of producing and shooting a stop-motion animation film inherently becomes a topic of conversation. The time and commitment it takes to meticulously choreograph and execute just one scene with constantly moving characters and parts would drive most producers back to CGI. Luckily, there are still a few oddballs out there getting the most out of their stop-motion action figures and putting on a show.

In ParaNorman, Sam Fell and Chris Butler take the directing reigns and further the family-friendly horror movie genre that seems to only exist in the world of stop-motion animation. ParaNorman follows the same vein as Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas in blending the surreal elements of a fantastical horror movie into childhood adventure story. There’s something inherently creepy about the world of stop-motion animation where the storytellers are injecting life into inanimate toys making it the perfect medium for an all ages zombie romp.

The story is shown through the lens of an eleven-year-old named Norman who loves watching campy zombie movies with his grandma who is dead. The only people Norman seems to enjoy talking to are the dead ones, which further alienates him from everyone except his chubby freckled face tag-along, Neil. Norman lives in what seems like a fairly typical suburban New England town of Blithe Hollow, except of course, the curse cast on the town by an evil witch centuries ago. Events converge and Norman’s paranormal gift becomes essential to stopping the zombies and ending the witch’s curse.

Norman, like most eleven year-olds, feels like an outsider and his reputation as the kid who talks to dead people confirms his status. This works for Norman. He never longs for popularity of any sort. When we meet him, he’s reluctant to bond with even Neil, another obvious social outcast. We feel the emotional wall Norman puts up around the normal world protecting himself from the living. Fortunately for Norman, a zombie attack is just what he needed to prove to everyone what he’s made of.

Once the paranormal activity is in full motion, Norman and Neil gather support from their older siblings: Norman’s sister, Courtney, and Neil’s big brother, Mitch. Along with the school bully, Alvin, this ragtag group of suburbanites form an ensemble of familiar yet unique characters in the midst of a horror movie scenario. There’s plenty of action thrilling action and frightening suspense for a story told with action figures, but there’s so much heart and character at the center of Norman’s emotional journey every moment plays up-to-scale.

ParaNorman creates a classic childhood adventure story in the fantastical world of horror movies. With a character who takes on the world of the undead and adolescent anxieties in the same blow, this is a film to please both Norman’s parents and peers.

Academy Award®–nominated writer/director Peter Hedges (“Dan in Real Life,” What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”) brings enchantment to the screen with “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” an inspiring, magical story about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim—and their small town of Stanleyville—learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts.

When young Timothy suddenly comes into the lives of Cindy and Jim Green, they learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts.

Check out photos from the “Green” Carpet Premiere!