There was never any doubt that Ironman 2 would dominate the box office this weekend. The only question was whether it would top The Dark Knight for the largest opening ever. Nope! Despite the largest theater booking in history, Ironman 2 only (only?) managed to bring in $133.6M. That tally squashed the awful A Nightmare on Elm Street ($9.1M | $48.5M) and the resilient How To Train Your Dragon ($6.7M | $201M). The sturdy Date Night continued to print money ($5.3M | $80.8M) as did the nauseating The Back-up Plan ($4.3M | $29.4M). more ›

I was a big fan of Gran Torino when it originally dropped in theaters last year. The one complaint I constantly heard from those who didn't like it was that the young Asian actors weren't very good. My reply to them was that within the universe of the film, these kids had a less than perfect grasp of English so naturally they would struggle to speak. At any rate, Gran Torino was a great flick that you should definitely catch now if you missed it last year. The International and Crossing Over belong on the endangered species list of "Expensive adult dramas that don't make much money." The future of these movies is on DVD, I think. Too bad. more ›

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Considering the downward-trending turbulence of our current economic environment, now might not be the best time to release a movie that so glories in conspicuous consumption like Confessions of a Shopaholic. Then again, it has the winsome Isla Fisher so it might be worth a look. Clive Owen rules. Naomi Watts sort of rules. Considering that, why can't I get excited about The International. It just feels so...generic. Oh, great. Another classic horror film is getting raped, er, re-packaged, er, re-made for today's audiences. The new Friday the 13th "film" better have copious amounts of gore and pointless nudity. And when are they re-doing Leprechaun? more ›

To no one's surprise, , underperformed with only $4.7M in its debut. more ›

David Gordon Green is in the very first rank of American filmmakers. As far as I'm concerned, every movie he makes is an automatic must-see on opening weekend. Snow Angels debuted last week in New York and opens today in Los Angeles. What sets Green's films apart from so many others is the lyrical melancholy that hovers over every scene and the carefully observed and rich humanity that inhabits every frame. tells two stories about love--one in ascension and one in decline. See it and be rewarded. more ›

Reports are surfacing this morning of a secret memorial service held last night in Westwood for Heath Ledger, who was found dead earlier this week in a New York apartment. more ›

You'd think working on a film with pros like Lily Tomlin, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, and Naomi Watts would make for a totally chill and fun environment. But according to these outtakes that were uploaded onto YouTube this weekend, director David O. Russel seemed to be having a very difficult time. And even though we realize that many things can go on during the years that it takes to put together a... more ›

A Word Or 62: I hope to get a hold of at least a couple pints of this new Ben & Jerry's flavor. I am perennially pissed that I can never make it to the local B&J store to get the Pumpkin flavor so I know that this is all a conspiracy. Hopefully this will make red staters boycott B&J which just means - more for me!!! [Note that a lot of late night... more ›

Tonight - Thursday Kings @ Sharks (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.) "Survivor: Cook Islands" (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) The scheming gets more intense, it's all in your head. "The Office" (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) Christmas party double episode! "The OC" (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) For those that can stomach its Chrismukkah episode. "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central, 11:00 p.m.) Rajiv "Say it 10x Fast" Chandrasekaran of the Washington Post "The Colber(t) Repor(t)" (Comedy Central, 11:30... more ›

What should we tell you about Kong? That the hour and fifteen minutes after Jack, Ann, Denham and the rest arrive at Skull Island are not for the weak hearted? That the film is shot beautifully? That there are moments when the lighting is so stark, the simple movie effects so classic, that you wish it was in black and white? That the strongest performances are by Kyle Chandler as the incredibly cartoonish Bruce Baxter and Andy Serkis as the completely animated Kong? All true. more ›