After a battle that has been raging over the past week between Disney and UK cinemas, Odeon has announced officially that it will not be showing Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland when it opens in March.

Disney has revealed – via facebook of all places – that’s it’s 2010 release based on the story of Rapunzel is going to be entitled Tangled. It could spell the end of the Disney tradition of naming their films after their central character, as it seems that the studio is worried that calling the film Rapunzel would alienate boys and prevent them from wanting to see it.

The gloves are on for the showdown we’re all waiting for at this year’s Oscars. The big contenders for Best Director are Avatar’s James Cameron and The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow. So who should bag the Oscar? Let’s review the contenders, shall we?

It may be strange to think it, but in an age where we’re so used to 3D creatures, pixilated flying houses and talking toys, a 2D film can be considered pushing the boundaries of today’s kids entertainment. Gone is the golden age of Disney classics- The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin – all-singing, all dancing, all bloomin’ marvelous. Today what kids want is action explosions, nifty special effects and some smooth-talking robots, right?

New Gremlins 3D on the way? A new film in the Gremlins has been talked out pretty much since Gremlins 2: The New Batch hit our screens back in 1990. Though Joe Dante has publicly stated he won’t be involved (speaking to horror movie site Bloody Disgusting last year, he didn’t exactly mix his words: “They won’t be coming to me. I can tell you that for a fact.”) the studio bods seem keen.

James Cameron, director of blockbuster mega-hit Avatar, has confirmed that he wants to turn the franchise into a trilogy. To be fair, considering that the film has so far grossed $1.4 billion so far world-wide, financially the idea makes a lot of sense. But for those of us with devestating memories of diaster sequels that have tainted the memories of truly brilliant first films, we can’t help but be on our guard.

According to figures released today from the UK Film Council, 2009 had the highest cinema attendance in the last six years, with over 170 million people visiting their local theatre. This means that contrary to popular prediction, the film business is alive and booming.

Still Walking is quite simply a masterclass in creating subtle, hauntingly moving family drama, and anyone watching it will have a hard time forgetting the relationships it presents us with. It’s rare to come across such a low-key minature masterpiece and is a very welcome reminder of the understated wonder that good cinema can create.

A million balloons, a flying house and a talking dog. Disney and Pixar team up once again to bring us yet another graphically and visually dazzling animation. Showing both in 2D and 3D, it’s the cocktail of action, adventure and comedy with an added shot of good morals we can normally expect from this prosperous pairing.

There are few stories more tragic amongst the continuingly unstable African political landscape than that of Zimbabwe. This heartbreaking new documentary by Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey is a portrait of a local family under siege as a result of Robert Mugabe’s regime, this time through the eyes of an oft-overlooked category of victims – the white African. It’s a rare filmmaking triumph that makes it impossible to turn away from the injustice of life in this harrowing country.