In its first weekend of wide release, The Bucket List charged to the top of the box office. Its tally of $19.54 million ($20.9M) just edged Ice Cube's First Sunday which debuted with an even $19M. There was some talk that upstart Juno might win the weekend crown, but it had to settle for a still healthy $14M ($71.2M). It now seems certain to reach $100M while holiday stalwarts National Treasure: Book of Secrets......

National Treasure: Book of Secrets ($20.2M/$171M) and I Am Legend ($16.3M/$228.6M) continued to rule the box office, but the weekend's big news belonged to Juno. In its first weekend of wide release, the sly comedy raked in $16.2M ($52M) and has now eclipsed the gross of last year's indie-ish* hit Little Miss Sunshine (*both films were produced by major studios). Alvin and the Chipmunks was a hair behind at $16M ($176.7M). Crappy newcomer One......

LAist has polled a number of our favorite LA locals to find out their New Year's Resolutions! In the spirit of fairness, here is mine: I'm cutting up the credit cards! Let's see what everyone else has to say: Pamela Des Barres: To live right smack dab in the NOW! Neil Hamburger: I want to try and put all the years behind me. Keith Morris: 2 try & not B a DICK!!!! Not 2......

In a crowded weekend of new movies, it was National Treasure: Book of Secrets that topped the box office with a haul of 45.5 million dollars. I Am Legend showed good strength in it second weekend ($34.2M/$137.4M) as did Alvin and the Chipmunks ($29M/$84.8M). Charlie Wilson's War managed fourth place in its debut ($9.6M), just ahead of fellow opener Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ($9.3M). P.S. I Love You had a......

OOOwww! Good evening Los Angeles! Wooo! How you all fee-ull? People. You know! I don't believe the LA Forum has a chimney... so if y'all want Santa Claus to come pay us a visit you're gonna need to raise the roof off this mother!! And I think if all twenty thousand of you flick your lighters in time with the beat we can turn this place into the biggest Christmas tree in the world!......

Monday Portia Iversen & Jane Kaczmerek present Strange Son 7pm @ Vroman's Christopher Hitchens discusses God is Not Great 7pm @ Central Library Diane Lefer signs California Transit: Stories and a Novella 7pm @ Dutton's Larry Doyle presents I Love You Beth Cooper 7pm @ Borders, Westwood Tuesday Ron Carlson signs Five Skies: A Novel 7pm @ Dutton's Larry Doyle presents I Love You Beth Cooper 7pm @ Book Soup Aurelia Scott presents Otherwise......

LAist gets and listens to a Lot of music. You can see the bands we like in the concerts that we review, the Tonight in Rock listings that we compile, and in the cds that we review. But we realize that we listen to way more music than we review so we figured we make a list once a week letting you know what we're into. week ending 4/06/07 Charlie Louvin - "When I......

The Oscars go down in just a few hours, so this is the last call for Oscar Picks! Just go to this post and choose who you think will win in ten big categories. Here are the AMAZING prizes we have for the winners The Grand Prize Winner (person with the most correct picks) will get a copy of the just-released Luscious Jackson's "Greatest Hits", tickets to the Hotel Cafe on March 29th to see......

The Oscars are right around the corner, everyone's an expert, so let's see what ya got. After the jump we have ten big categories for Sunday's award show. To enter out your picks in the comments and leave your real email address so we can contact you. Please follow this format: 1. Penelope Cruz 2. Jennifer Hudson 3. Forest Whitaker etc... Here are the AMAZING prizes we have for the winners The Grand Prize Winner......

Soul sisters reigned supreme during last night’s American Idol. It was time for the 12 girl finalists to step up to the mike – and five women blew the rest of the girls – and all the guys –out of the water. Judging from last night’s performances, here are our front runners for the competition. If they keep it up, one of these five women could be your next American Idol: Jordin Sparks has......

With a tough, glossy finish, and a hearty dose of quirk, DFA dignitary, James Murphy, delivers fat danceability and wry cynicism to the latest LCD Soundsystem project, “Sound of Silver.” Detached, electronic soundscapes come peppered with vocal flourishes, throwback rhythms and mod-futuristic notions. Catchy, robotic hooks are held in place by glittery beats, atop atonal clanging. Also, as it turns out, the sound of silver is a cowbell. I had no idea. The record......

There are really only two major music festivals that truly matter, like really matter: Coachella and South by Southwest. The former happens over two three days in the desert near Palm Springs, the latter rages for about a week on the dusty streets of Austin, Texas. SXSW features over 1,000 bands. You buy a wristband and you wander from bar to bar, club to club, alleyway to patio and you get to see some......

Blogwar at Martini o'clock starring two guys who don't back down for nobody -- Martini Republic & blogging.la. It started here in the comment section, continued here and went over here. Even the word "pussy" has been used. Downtown Los Angeles Central City East Blogger takes note. A few days earlier: Martini Republic vs. LA Times regarding KTLA's Stephanie Edwards not doing the Rose Parade. LA Times' Joel Stein vs. his readers: "DON'T E-MAIL......

Ciara - The Evolution (comes with limited-edition DVD; LaFace) Billy Cobham's Glassmenagerie - Stratus (MVD Audio) Danny Elfman - "Charlotte's Web" soundtrack (Sony Classical) Dreamgirls soundtrack (two-CD deluxe edition also available; Columbia/ Sony Music Soundtrax) "Fast Food Nation" soundtrack (Park the Van) James Horner - "Mel Gibson's Apocalypto" soundtrack (Hollywood) Lil Scrappy - Bred 2 Die, Born 2 Live (Reprise) Brian McKnight - 10 (Warner Bros.) Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape (Interscope) Eminem......

Wednesday - Tonight "NHL Hockey" (KDOC, 6:00 p.m.) Ducks @ Avalanche "NHL Hockey" (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.) Kings @ Sharks "NBA Basketball" (PRIME, 7:30 p.m.) Sonics @ Clippers "Everyone Says I Love You" (IFC, 6:00 p.m.) An evening of Woody Allen movies on IFC "Jericho/Criminal Minds/CSI: NY" (CBS, 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.) New episodes. "Madonna: The Confessions Tour - Live From London" (NBC, 8 p.m.) Except, it's not really live I don't think, and......

Two productions of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change happening at once and the world goes insane. For those in almost high desert-land, the Repertory East Playhouse in Santa Clarita opened the show on March 10 and the Hudson Mainstage Theatre in Hollywood opened it last Thursday. My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy. Need we say more? Is this common in Brentwood? Brian Copland’s Not A Genuine Black Man......

John Stewart recently called John Hodgman "very funny." That would be enough to keep us home playing the Daily Show video over and over, but it's not enough for Hodgman. He was center stage at the McSweeney's thing at REDCAT on Saturday and will be at Book Soup tonight. Because it's all about his book, The Areas of My Expertise, which includes the heretofore unknown Hobo Rebellion. Stewart says the book should not be......

We are thrilled to hear that there's a second chance for Kepler's, the famous independent bookstore in Menlo Park. After an outpouring of support from bloggers, former employees, and friends around the country, and even NY Times coverage, things are taking a turn for the better. Councilmember Kelly Ferguson is organizing a rally this Tuesday, September 6th at 5 pm, outside the store, to be followed by a community organizing session at the Menlo......