Elle Fanning

CHICAGO – Francis Ford Coppola’s “Twixt” should have been a momentous occassion. One of the most important directors of the ’70s returning to the world of horror for the first time since the vastly underrated “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” And yet the film barely got released after a festival run and now comes essentially straight to DVD and Blu-ray for most viewers. It’s a mess. No doubt.

CHICAGO – I usually avoid this kind of hyperbole but I adore the best of Studio Ghibli and know their entire catalog well and so I feel I can say it — “My Neighbor Totoro” is one of the best family films of all time. Hayao Miyazaki’s gentle variation on “Alice in Wonderland,” has everything that we identify with Ghibli, including a respect for nature, magical sense of fantasy, and importance of family.

CHICAGO – There are plenty of good reasons to see Sally Potter’s beguiling, tenderly bittersweet coming-of-age drama, “Ginger & Rosa,” but one reason trumps them all. Her name is Elle Fanning. The enormous potential she exuded in everything from art house gems (“Somewhere”) to mainstream blockbusters (“Super 8”) pays off in this sterling showcase, solidifying her status—at age 14—as one of the top talents in modern film acting.

CHICAGO – Cameron Crowe’s “We Bought a Zoo” should have made more money. Sure, it’s a cheesy slice of family entertainment but when the cheese is this well-crafted, performed, and delivered, one can’t complain too much about it. “We Bought a Zoo” is too long, not subtle enough, and pretty manipulative, but it the manipulation works. Matt Damon is stellar (as he always seems to be lately) and Crowe tells this old-fashioned tale with enough skill to make it entertaining. “We Bought a Zoo” is one of those rare cross-demographic films — from children to grandparents — that doesn’t insult the intelligence of any of them.

CHICAGO – Cameron Crowe’s “We Bought a Zoo” is an undeniably manipulative crowd-pleaser but there’s something about being manipulated in such an expert manner that makes the tugging on the heartstrings easier to take.

CHICAGO – In our latest family dramedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the new film “We Bought a Zoo” starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson from the director of “Jerry Maguire”!

CHICAGO – The sincerity of “Super 8” is the wondrous highlight of this film. Director J.J. Abrams creates a valentine to the lives in his childhood, and the films within that dream state. Combining nostalgia, suspense and of course, hope, “Super 8” is one of the more emotional and impactful American films of the year.

Update on 11/26/11 at 12:05 a.m.: Prizes will be hidden on Saturday AFTERNOON on Nov. 26, 2011! See our clue tweets here to find out where to go!

CHICAGO – Hide & Tweet! Unpuzzle the Twitter mystery and win! In our second edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hide & Tweet, follow our clue tweets to discover one of two secret Chicago locations and snag one of 10 “Super 8” Blu-ray/DVD combo packs for yourself!

CHICAGO – Hide & Tweet! You’ve never seen a HollywoodChicago.com Hookup like this before because it’s never been done – anywhere! Join the hunt!

CHICAGO – The mind boggles when attempting to comprehend the unmitigated disaster known as “The Nutcracker: The Untold Story,” which was titled “The Nutcracker in 3D” during its theatrical run. Other bad films have tried to adapt Tchaikovsky’s ballet classic for the big screen (remember Macaulay Culkin’s version from the ’90s?), but none have sunk to the depths of appalling ineptitude inhabited by this Christmas turkey.