21 movie

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

21
The box office winner 21 is the kind of movie I'd be happy to come across on basic cable whilst channel surfing. It has a likable cast and a not-mind-numbing-but-not-confusing plot that is perfect for a day on the couch. The movie stars newly anointed heartthrob Jim Sturgess as a geeky genius MIT senior who's having trouble drumming up enough tuition money. He's soon recruited by the no-good professor Rosa (Kevin Spacey) into a secret little card-counting operation (which includes five other MIT students, one of whom is played by Kate Bosworth) to scheme Vegas out of a lot of cash.

It's based (loosely) on the true story documented in the memoir Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, and overall I had a good time seeing it in theaters. Special features on the two-disc edition include featurettes titled "The advantage player: The cast explains the game of blackjack and card counting," and "Money Plays: A tour of the good life."

One more for TV fans so read more

Forbidden Kingdom gave kung fu fans the match up of their dreams, pairing up martial arts screen giants Jackie Chan and Jet Li for the first time. Together the two stars proved to be a formidable force at the box office, earning the top spot over the weekend with an estimated $20.9 million. Forgetting Sarah Marshall came in second place, earning $17 million.

Variety reports that while this opening represents a vast improvement over recent Apatow films like Drillbit Taylor and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, it still wasn't a return to the box office glory of his mega-hits like Superbad, Knocked-Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Prom Night continued to do well, coming in at No. 3 followed by the weekend opener starring Al Pacino, 88 Minutes which only took in $6.8 million. Nim's Island rounded out the top five followed by 21, Street Kings, and Horton Hears a Who. In the ninth spot was the Ben Stein documentary about intelligent design, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

• Dr. Phil is in hot water again after a production assistant on his show posted bail for one of the teenage girls accused of filming an assault on a classmate. Apparently Phil hoped that by loaning her bond money, he could secure an exclusive interview. — TMZ
• Prom Night took the top spot at the weekend box office, followed by Street Kings and 21. — BuzzSugar
• Project Runway's Nina Garcia has left her position as fashion director at Elle magazine. — FabSugar
• Full House's Jodie Sweetin welcomed her first child, a baby girl name Zoie, with her husband Cody Herpin on Saturday. — People
• Pete Doherty, who entered a London jail last week, is apparently receiving special treatment — like his own cell, two mattresses, a radio, and a TV — and other inmates are angry because those rewards are usually earned for good behavior. — The Sun
• Despite filing for divorce in 2007, Shaquille O'Neal and his wife Shaunie have been spotted together multiple times during the past month. — Page Six
• Donald Trump's ex-wife Ivana married Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi on Saturday in Palm Beach, FL. —ET Online
• ICYMI, Cate Blanchett and her husband welcomed their third son, Ignatius Martin Upton!

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Maybe it's that time of the year, or perhaps there was a strong nationwide desire to see a scary movie, but whatever the reason, horror flick Prom Night was crowned queen at the box office this weekend. Variety reports that the movie's $22.7 million marks the best opening for a horror picture so far this year, possibly due to the teen-friendly PG-13 rating.

Though Street Kings is loaded with bloodshed and big names like Forest Whitaker and Keanu Reeves, it was still no match for the teen screamfest, earning second place with an estimated $12 million. 21, on the other hand, is still performing well, taking the third spot with $11 million. It was followed by Nim's Island, Leatherheads, and Horton Hears a Who.

Little family comedy Smart People starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, and Dennis Quaid came in No. 7 earning about $4.2 million. The overall box office is still experiencing a slump compared to last year. I wonder if Forgetting Sarah Marshall will get more folks to the theaters next weekend?

And if you're curious about Prom Night, head over to movies.ivillage.com for the trailer and video clips.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

• After being knocked from her pedestal by Agyness Deyn, Kate Moss has regained her style crown by being named the year's best dressed woman by Glamour UK. — UK PopSugar
• 21 took the top spot at the weekend box office for the second week in a row, followed by Leatherheads and Nim's Island. — BuzzSugar
• Now that her adoption of David Banda is nearly complete, Madonna is said to be contemplating adopting a daughter from India. — The Sun
• Dane Cook's neighbors in LA apparently hate living next to him because he doesn't clean up after his dog. — Page Six
• ICYMI, legendary actor Charlton Heston passed away on Saturday.

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For the second weekend in a row, Jim Sturgess and gang were No. 1 at the box office — though the overall March slump continued. 21 was down a bit from the weekend before but held on to the top spot with a weekend take of $15 million.

As for the No. 2 spot, Variety is calling it a "virtual tie" between George Clooney's Leatherheads (with an estimated $13.5 million) and the Jodie Foster-Abigail Breslin family flick Nim's Island, which brought in $13.3 million.

Horton Hears a Who came in fourth place followed by the big horror film opening of the weekend, The Ruins, which took in $7.8 million. The Rolling Stones documentary by Martin Scorsese, Shine a Light, opened in limited release and brought in $1.5 million.

What did you see at the theaters this weekend? Did you give George and Renee a chance despite so-so reviews?

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

• Tennis star Andy Roddick is engaged to swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker, whom he started dating last year. — People
• Food Network chef Giada de Laurentiis and her husband Todd Thompson welcomed their first child, a girl named Jade, on Saturday. — lilsugar
• 21 took the top spot at the weekend box office, followed by Horton Hears a Who and Superhero Movie. — BuzzSugar
• An Australian newspaper is reporting that Heath Ledger may have fathered a child at 17 during an affair with a 25-year-old woman, who has raised the child with another man. — The Daily Telegraph
• The unions representing television and film actors, which have a long history of working together, have split and will now negotiate with producers separately in their contract talks. — AP
• U2 has signed a 12-year agreement with Live Nation, which will handle the group's merchandising, branding, and touring. Live Nation recently inked a similar deal with Madonna for around $100 million, and U2's package is said to be in a similar range. — Reuters
• Kathy Lee Gifford will cohost the fourth hour of The Today Show with Hoda Kotb. — MSNBC

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Well, it looks like 21, the film about MIT students who take Vegas by storm, was a safe bet as it easily won the top spot at the box office. However, the overall weekend box office total was down 17 percent compared to last year, Variety reports. 21 earned an estimated $23 million, beating Horton Hears a Who and firmly establishing Jim Sturgess as a viable leading man.

Compare these results to another new release this weekend: Stop-Loss, starring Ryan Phillippe, who is a household name. Another box office casualty in a long line of Iraq War-related film flops, Stop-Loss only earned $4.5 million, coming in at No. 8.

Which brings me to the other box office disappointment this weekend, Superhero Movie. Could it be that Round One of Harvey Weinstein vs. Fanboys' fanboys goes to the geeks (more on the feud here)? Protesters gathered on both coasts where Superhero was playing, though in LA it appears Weinstein was prepared with guards. One protester told the Hollywood Reporter:

Guards were everywhere. At one point, I counted nine, no joke. They hired a whole force and whenever someone showed up looking around for the protest, they were surrounded by guards and told to leave instantly or be arrested. I guess you can't really hold a protest on private property.

Ultimately the film came in the third spot with a measly $9.5 million. Is this a little bit hilarious to anyone else?

Finally, Run Fat Boy Run starring Simon Pegg came in 13th and only earned an estimated $2.3 million here in the US. The movie grossed $22.6 million in the UK last Fall.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures