Gran Torino
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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday
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. In addition to my selections below you can also add Nobel Son, The Shield: Season Seven, and Crossing Over.
Box Office: Audiences Taken With Taken
Liam Neeson's thriller Taken scored the top spot at the box office this weekend, which according to Variety, proves that "male-driven pics can open successfully on Super Bowl weekend." Last year Miley Cyrus brought her magic to the big screen over Super Bowl weekend and broke records.
Meanwhile, Paul Blart: Mall Cop continues to do well and dropped to the No.
Box Office: The Mall Cop Wins Again!
I think it's pretty awesome that while Hollywood is busy congratulating itself on fantastic performances these past two weekends with the Golden Globes and SAG awards, America is meanwhile off to the theaters to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I love this country! You can't put us in a box.
Box Office: Audiences Find Paul Blart Arresting
Over a weekend that produced way higher box office returns than expected, the Kevin James comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop was the big winner, debuting to the tune of $33.8 million. This is just counting the Friday-Sunday box office, and studios will rake in even more on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Across the board, the box office for this holiday weekend is up 31% over last year (and again, this is just Friday-Sunday).
Box Office: Gran Torino Drives Off With the Money
Recently, Clint Eastwood's movies (whether he's behind the camera or in front of it) are often critical hits but that doesn't necessarily translate into immediate box office success — until now!
Eastwood's latest movie, Gran Torino, debuted this weekend in the top spot, earning a whopping $29 million! It seems fitting that a movie that is rumored to be Eastwood's swan song is also his "best nationwide opening of all time, both as an actor and director."
Box Office: The Day the Earth Earned a Lot of Money
The Day the Earth Stood Still may not have been a critical hit but it is now officially a box office success, earning $31 million over the weekend and topping Four Christmases, which slid into second place. Twilight, Bolt, and Australia followed in third, fourth, and fifth places respectively.
Meanwhile, Variety is reporting that smaller, independent films "delivered one of the best weekends ever for the specialty box office."
Movie Preview: Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood directs himself in his next movie on deck after Changeling, and he has hinted that it will likely be his last performance. The first thing I noticed was how grizzly his voice stays through the entire preview. And my first reaction was that it is dangerously close to him parodying himself.
Other Search Results
Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon Lead Golden Globe Nominations
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Frost/Nixon came up big when the nominations for the Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning in Hollywood. Each of those films received five nominations, including one for the best dramatic film of the year. Doubt also received five nominations, although it was not nominated in the best dramatic film category.
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