Horror thriller The Possession earned $17.7 million this Labor Day weekend, beating out fellow new release Lawless, which took in only $9.7 million, despite garnering more favorable reviews. Coming in third place was The Expendables 2, with $8.8 million. The Bourne Legacy and ParaNorman placed fourth and fifth, taking in $7.2 million and $6.5 million, respectively.
Holiday weekends mean extra time to cozy up around a fireplace, and what better way to spice up downtime than with some new DVDs? This week brings a bunch of new crowd-pleasers, so you're sure to find something for everyone.
Eat Pray Love
Julia Roberts stars in the big screen adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling travel memoir of the same name. Determined to find herself after two breakups, Liz sets out on a journey to Italy, India, and Indonesia, where she engages in the activities outlined in the film's title. The film has its slower moments, but it's worth it for the gorgeous landscapes and supporting performances from James Franco and Javier Bardem. DVD extras include a director's cut and some featurettes.
The Expendables
Sylvester Stallone directed and stars in this high-octane action flick about a band of mercenaries who head to South Africa to try to stage a coup d'etat of the country's leader. The beefed-up cast includes Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Mickey Rourke. This isn't the thought-provoking film of the year, but the sheer novelty of seeing all these action stars in one place is where the entertainment value lies. DVD bonus features featurettes, a behind-the-scenes look, and the stars' panel at Comic-Con.
One more release after the jump.
After two weeks at the top of the box office, Stallone and the boys of The Expendables proved to be no match for the new movie releases. The Last Exorcism took over the No. 1 spot with $21.3 million, narrowly beating Takers, which came in second with $21 million.
With those two films earning the majority of ticket sales, The Expendables fell to third with $9.5 million, followed by Eat Pray Love which slipped to No. 4 with $7 million. The Other Guys finished out the top five with $6.6 million.
Despite a whole crop of new movies opening in theaters last Friday, The Expendables managed to hang onto the box office crown, taking in another $16.5 million. Hot on its trail was Twilight spoof Vampires Suck, which raked in $12.2 million despite abysmal reviews.
Eat Pray Love was knocked down to third with $12 million, followed by Bow Wow's comedy, Lottery Ticket, which opened with $11.1 million. The Other Guys hung on to a top five slot with $10.1 million, just barely knocking out Piranha 3D which made $10 million.
As for the other box office newbies? Nanny McPhee Returns only made $8.3 million, but it still did better than The Switch, which settled for a disappointing $8.1 million.
Looks like Summer audiences are craving action! The Sylvester Stallone-directed The Expendables brought its heavy artillery to the box office and came away with first place in its opening weekend with $35 million. It faced off against fellow new release Eat Pray Love, which used the power of Julia Roberts's smile to get to second place with a $23.7 million intake.
Last week's champ The Other Guys came in at third place with $17 million, trailed by Inception at $11.4 million. The other newbie at theaters, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, barely made the top 5, earning just $10.5 million.
Julia Roberts and Michael Cera aren't the only ones storming the box office this weekend — in fact, they're joined by a whole slew of big-name action stars in The Expendables. Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger team up with tons of other beefy guys about a team of mercenaries that heads to South Africa.
In a year that's already brought us The Losers and The A-Team, will you spend your money on yet another film about a band of dudes blowing stuff up? The novelty of seeing these guys (many of whom are past their prime) bro-ing it out again on the big screen will probably be a big draw for many, but what's your take?
It's the start of a new month, which means more movies are on the way. We have some big-name actors to watch for in the weeks ahead — including the top of the A-list, Jennifer and Julia — but which film earns your favor? Between a few rom-coms, two 3D choices, and a scary movie that's sure to scare the bejesus out of audiences (OK, or perhaps just me), there's plenty to choose from. Vote for the one that tops your list!
What do you get when you take all of Hollywood's action stars and put them in one movie? It's the explosion-heavy, ass-kicking trailer for The Expendables, starring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Mickey Rourke — obligatory hard rock music, included. Take a peek when you read more
Photo courtesy of Fox
