The following movies are playing at South Coast theaters. Times are shown for movies at Pony Village Cinemas. () indicates showings for Friday-Sunday only. For locations outside the Bay Area, call the theaters for showtimes.

Amelia

After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia Earheart (Hilary Swank) was thrust into a new role as America’s sweetheart. Yet her belief in flirting with danger and standing up as her own woman never changed. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, including her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam (Richard Gere), and her long time friend and lover, pilot Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor).  (PG for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (12:20 p.m.), 3:05, 5:50, 8:30

Astro Boy

Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy (voice of Freddie Highmore) is a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters (Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Kristen Bell). (PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (12:45 p.m.), 3:10

The Box

An unhappily married couple (Cameron Diaz, James Marsden) receive a small wooden box on their doorstep. At the push of a button, the box brings its bearer instant wealth but also instantly kills someone the bearer doesn’t know.  (PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (12:35 p.m.), 3:20, 6:05, 8:50

Capitalism: A Love Story

What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Michael Moore takes us into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. What he finds are the all-too-familiar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal — and 14,000 jobs being lost every day. (R for some language.) Savoy Theatre.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

A 14-year-old boy (Chris Massoglia) unknowingly breaks a 200-year-old truce between two warring factions of vampires. Darren  hung out with his best friend (Josh Hutcherson), got decent grades and usually stayed out of trouble. But when they stumble upon a traveling freak show, things begin to change. A vampire (John C. Reilly) turns him into something bloodthirsty. (PG-13 for sequences of intense supernatural violence and action, disturbing images, thematic elements and some language.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• 5:35 p.m., 8:15

Couples Retreat

Four Midwestern couples (Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau, Kristin Davis, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love and Kali Hawk) embark on a journey to a tropical island resort. While one of the couples is there to work on their marriage, the other three set out to jet ski, spa and enjoy some fun in the sun. They soon discover that participation in the resort’s couples therapy is not optional. Suddenly, their group-rate vacation comes at a price.  (PG-13 for sexual content and language.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (1:10 p.m.), 3:50, 6:30, 9:05

Disney’s A Christmas Carol

Ebenezer Scrooge (voice of Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, until the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come (all Carrey) take him on an eye-opening journey. (PG for scary sequences and images.) Pony Village Cinemas, Redwood Theater.

• (1 p.m.), 3:30, 6, 8:25

The Fourth Kind

When a UFO is sighted, it is called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it is known as the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it is the third kind. The next level is abduction. In Nome, Alaska, a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year since the 1960s. Despite multiple FBI investigations, the truth has never been discovered. Here in this remote region, psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich) has videotaped sessions with traumatized patients and unwittingly discovered some of the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever. (PG-13 for violent/disturbing images, some terror, thematic elements and brief sexuality.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (1:40 p.m.), 4:10, 6:45, 9:15

Law Abiding Citizen

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), a hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Over his objections, Nick is forced by his boss to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice. Ten years later, the man who got away with murder is found dead and Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a warning to Nick: Either fix the flawed justice system that failed his family, or key players in the trial will die.  (R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape and pervasive language.) Redwood Theater.

The Men Who Stare at Goats

Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit, the New Earth Army, which is changing the way wars are fought. A legion of “Warrior Monks” with unparalleled psychic powers can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through solid walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Now, the program’s founder, Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), has gone missing and Cassady’s mission is to find him. Bob impulsively decides to tag along. When the pair tracks Django to a clandestine training camp run by renegade psychic Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), the reporter is trapped. (R for language, some drug content and brief nudity.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (1:35 p.m.), 4:05, 6:35, 9

Michael Jackson’s This Is It

A rare glimpse into the final days of Michael Jackson, the documentary is compiled from an estimated 80 hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage of the legendary entertainer preparing for his 50 sold-out shows at London’s O2 Arena before his untimely death in June. (PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images.)  Pony Village Cinemas.

• (12:55 p.m.), 3:40, 6:25, 9:10

Paranormal Activity

After a young, middle class couple (Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat) moves into what seems like a typical suburban tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a possibly demonic presence that is most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep — or try to. (R for language.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (1:50 p.m.), 4:20, 6:50, 9:25

Where the Wild Things Are

Max (Max Records), a rambunctious and sensitive boy, feels misunderstood at home and escapes. He lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures (voices of Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper, Paul Dano, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker) whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions.  (PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (12:50 p.m.), 3:15, 5:40, 8

Zombieland

Two men have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a big wuss. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) is an AK-totin’, zombie-slayin’ badass. As they join forces with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), they must rely on each other. (R for zombie horror violence/gore and language.) Pony Village Cinemas.

• (12:15 p.m., 2:30), 4:50, 7:10, 9:30

Pony Village Cinemas: 756-3447, Redwood Theater: (541) 412-7575, Savoy Theatre: (541) 253-6887

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