If you look at the box office numbers that Disney’s 3D re-release of The Lion King did not too long ago, it’s clear that there is more than a little interest out there for seeing some of the studio’s classic efforts being once again released on the big screen. So Beauty and the Beast 3D probably doesn’t need any assistance when it comes to drawing families to the theaters. Regardless, an announcement that Walt Disney Pictures made today confirms that it’s going to get some heavyweight help whether it needs it or not. Disney’s animation department has hit a bit of a slump in the last decade, not being able to recreate the magic of its classic releases or its second golden age that came in the 90s; but one film that has bucked the trend of disappointment and gone on to become quite a success is the studio’s retelling of the Rapunzel legend Tangled. The film was a success financially, praised critically, and I myself know a two-year-old little girl who watches it about three times a day. So she and millions of other little kids will undoubtedly be thrilled to hear that an animated short, Tangled Ever After, is going to be released in front of Beauty and the Beast 3D come January 13th.

Back in May, the illustrious Matt Patches put together a list so honest, so compelling, so original, that I had absolutely no choice but to copy it almost totally wholesale to craft my own version. Patches’s list was comprised of eight films his previous girlfriends had forced him to watch that made him who he is today (the list was, of course, titled “8 Movies My Past Girlfriends Forced Me to Watch That Made Me Who I Am Today” because we here at FSR are nothing if we are not succinct). The list, while interesting on a purely cinematic basis, also said something surprisingly deep about the nature of relationships themselves – mainly when it comes to the all-important element of compromise. Patches, a gentleman and a scholar, found some compelling honesty in his consistently sweet tales of cinematic (and romantic) discovery. My list starts off with a film that made me realize my first boyfriend was possibly also interested in other men. That’s just the sort of list this is. Here are seven movies that seven different suitors all “forced” me to watch at different points in my (admittedly still young) cinematic life. More than any individual lesson each film taught me, together the list forms one giant reminder of what I love best about going to the movies – endless possibility. Take a peek at my list after the break, and then feel free to pipe in with any films that someone made you watch that ultimately changed your

A few weeks ago I attended a screening of Tangled, the 50th animated feature out of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Tangled, of course, is the tale of Rapunzel — though with the expected tilt and sing-a-long twist that is a hallmark of every Disney feature. For those not in the know, the story of Rapunzel and her long locks was most famously told by the Brothers Grimm — though the fairy tale was decidedly darker than the Disney telling, and with key plot details shifted for benefit of an extra happy ending. Instead of Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) being the daughter of a peasant couple stealing vegetables from the garden of an enchantress — she is the daughter of nobility — the king and queen of an unnamed kingdom. Her hair imbued with the ability to restore youth to whomever control its power, Disney’s Rapunzel is stolen away by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) for just this purpose, and raised in a well hidden tower in the middle of the forest.

This week, Fat Guy Kevin Carr loosens his belt and falls asleep on the couch after eating too much turkey. But with three days left in the weekend, there’s always the opportunity to brave the hoards of crazy holiday shoppers to see a movie. It’s time to look at a new Disney princess with Tangled, dance with the divas from Burlesque and go Faster with a piece of the Rock.

Walt Disney Pictures has released the first trailer for their upcoming animated film Tangled, which tells the story of Rapunzel and her absurdly long hair. According to the studio, this is an action-packed, swashbuckling, animated musical comedy. Which won’t be so bad, assuming Chuck star Zachary Levi can sing.

Southland Tales, an apocalyptic fever-dream of a film, is both, or perhaps neither, a failure and a startling success.