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Wow!

I had predicted that the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" would achieve the second or third-highest opening in movie history. Whaddaya know, it did even better by grossing an estimated $155.3 million over the weekend to surpass the record set last year by "Spider-Man 3" ($151.1 million) to achieve the biggest three-day opeing ever.

The movie, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Batman, has been getting race reviews and none have been stronger than those for the late Heath Ledger's Joker. It is being hailed as the best performance of Heath's too-short career and is already surrounded by Oscar buzz. I'm seeing the movie this week. Until then, "Brokeback Mountain" remains his career high point.

The terrific musical "Mammia Mia" starring Meryl Streep was a distant but very-respectable second with estimated ticket sales of $27.6 million.

The other day, one of my straight male co-workers came into the newsroom complaining about the "Sex and the City" movie his wife took him to. I wanted to just pummel him and realized there are now three things you should never discuss in order to preserve harmony: politics, religion and "Sex and the City."

Anyway, some people don't like the flick apparently, even fans of the series. I loved it and can't wait for the DVD to come out with all the deleted scenes and other extras. As the movie heads into its third weekend, it has earned a solid $107 million (as of Wednesday) at the box office and should add at least $10 million in the next three days. I think a domestic total of around $140 million is in store when all is said and done. I hope this is a big enough gross to mean there will be a sequel. Maybe Carrie has a baby, Miranda turns into a lesbian, Samantha flies out to the coast for a tryst with naked guy.

the ppssibilities are endless!

Well, so much for those prognosticators who thought "Sex and the City" had limited box office appeal. The movie exceeded expectations with an estimated $55.7 million in ticket sales which almost matches its $65 million production budget.

Here in Palm Springs where I've been on a little holiday, the flick starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis has been a smash. A couple here at La Dolce Vita Resort went Friday night and said they sat between groups of straight women and gay men (the men brought Cosmos in a thermos). They were still so swept up in the spirit of the movie that they made Cosmos for some of us yesterday afternoon at the pool.

Anyway, "Sex" relegated "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" to second place in its second weekend. It grossed an estimated $46 million. But don't cry for Harrison Ford and company, the adventure flick has grossed $216.9 million so far, and that's just domestically.

The poster for "Sex and the City: The Movie" has surfaced and it features Sarah Jessica Parker, solo. Oh sure, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis' NAMES or on the poster but not their picture.

Hmmmmm.

Seems kinda odd since the show really is an ensemble even though Jessica's Carrie Bradshaw is obviously the core. SJP is the biggest star of the four I guess, as far as box office, but just barely. Last year's "Failure to Launch" with Matthew McConaughey was a huge hit but "Smart People," released just a few weeks ago, barely sold a ticket.

It must be a kick to be Patrick Dempsey right now. The star of one of TV's biggest hits ("Grey's Anatomy"), a recent father of twins, and one of the sexiest men alive, also has the number one movie in the country with a $50 million five-day opening for his new movie "Enchanted."

The Disney flick would not be the magical treat that it is without a perfectly cast Amy Adams in the main role of an animated princess who ends up in NYC, lost and alone. Dempsey is so good as the man who helps her find her way. While "Freedom Writers" opposite Hillary Swank was a commercial dude earliert this year, Dempsey had had a big hit for Disney before: he played Reese Witherspoon's fiancee in the 2001 smash "Sweet Home Alabama."

He's good in everything he does...

I need a free day to just sit through three or four movies. But who has the time?
Was glad to get "Lions for Lambs" in this week but still want to see "American Gangster," "We Own the Night," My to-see list includes Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in "American Gangster,""Gone Baby Gone," and "Man From Plains." But if I do manage to make it to the multiplex this weekend, I have a feeling it will be with my niece and nephew to see "The Bee Movie" which they have been buzzing about for weeks.
I look at the prospects of that movie and other new wide releases in my weekly column BOX OFFICE BUZZ which appears on Fridays in the LA Daily News, the Long Beach Press Telegram and the Torrance Daily Breeze.
Check it out!

Well, here's the thing, I haven't had a chance to see any of the new releases with all the Emmy parties etc. But, I still try and handicap this weekend's box office sweepstakes in my weekly LA Daily News column BOX OFFICE BUZZ. The movie I'm most excited about seeing is Brad Pitt's "The Assassination of Jesse James by that Coward John Ford." Try saying the name of that movie five times fast! The flick is playing in just 15 theaters but goes wider next weekend.

I haven't seen Jodie Foster with big hair in ages. I think she looks absolutely smashing here at the premiere in Germany of her new film "The Brave One." The title is lame but in my Box Office Buzz column in today's LA Daily News, I predict it will kick butt this weekend. I'm gonna try and see it Saturday between all the Emmy hoopla. Not many Jodie Foster movies I haven't enjoyed in recent years especially "Flightplan" and "Panic Room."

I just love me a good western.
Today, "3:10 to Yuma" starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe opens then later this month Brad Pitt will be playing Jesse James in a flick with an impossibly long title. Now that summer is over, I preview these and the other fall flicks that I think will do well. Read all about it in my Daily News column BOX OFFICE BUZZ!

ANOTHER picture of Ryan Reynolds? Yes. And I have a very legit reason: this is a scene from Ryan's new movie "The Nines" which is out today. This weekend officially marks the end of the summer box office season where grosses surpassed $4 million for the first time. Read all about it in my Daily News column BOX OFFICE BUZZ.

There are a whole lotta new movies coming out today but the only one I'm even remotely interested in except for "The Nanny Diaries" which I'm gonna catch in Palm Springs (gotta get out of the sun at some point!). Chris Evans happens to have a supporting role... Anywho, click HERE to read my latest Box Office Buzz column in today's L.A. Daily News.

Look, I know that "Invasion" starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig doesn't have a chance in heck of competing with the raunchy teen comedy "Superbad" (which I saw last week, and loved!). But I'd much rather post a picture of the classy Kidman and the delicious Craig than the leads in the other flick. They are funny dudes...and funny lookin too! Nothing wrong withy funny looking, but I prefer eye candy this early in the morning.
Anyway, here is a link to my latest BOX OFFICE BUZZ column which runs Fridays in the L.A. Daily News.

I'm not even going to pretend that "Rush Hour 3" is great filmmaking but if I told you I didn't laugh a lot during it, that would be a lie. It cracked me up even though it was preposterous! And I think it will make gobs of money on opening weekend which I discuss in today's Box Office Buzz column in the Daily News.
Give it a read!
Also out today, in limited release, is the gay-themed "Cut Sleeve Boys" about a pair of gay Chinese guys in London and all that happens to them as they navigate life. I found the movie OK, some of the scenes are quite sexy, and it's probably more worth your time than "Rush Hour 3" which has zippo gay content.

Caught a screening of "The Bourne Ultimatum" earlier this week and loved, loved, loved it! So much action! The chase scenes are terrific, the fight scenes even better and best of all are the cat-and-mouse games Bourne (Matt Damon) plays with the CIA villian (David Straitharn) he is evading. Joan Allen is stellar, as always (remind me, please, why she doesn't have an Oscar but Marisa Tomei does? Oh, nevermind). I discuss the box office prospects of "Bourne" as well as the weekend's other new releases and holdovers in my Daily News column Box Office Buzz.Enjoy!

It's a gay ol' time at the movies this weekend with the musical "Hairspray" hitting the megaplex [go see it....it's terrific fun!). It will be vying for ticket buyers against the new Adam Sandler comedy "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" which has Adam Sandler and Kevin James pretending to be gay and married in order to obtain domestic partner benefits. I haven't seen it yet due to Outfest commitments but plan to next week and will post a review...most other reviews have not been kind.
To read more about what is coming out and the latest in movie business news, check out my LA Daily News Box Office Buzz column published today.

I wanted to post this picture of the "Harry Potter" kids at Grauman's earlier this week because before heading over to Outfest opening night downtown, I hung out for a few hours in Hollywood with my sister's family who are on a little vacation. The kids were so excited to see the fresh footprints of Daniel Radclff and company but didn't know who the heck people like Shirley Temple and Bette Davis were. My sister and I kept doing "I Love Lucy" lines from the episode when she and Ethel stole John Wayne's footprints. Anyway, this little anecdote is a long-winded way of me giving you a link to my Daily News Box Office Buzz column where I talk numbers and about some of the records "Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix" has already set.
Enjoy!

Sorry for the delay in getting some posts up today. Got stuck in LA trattic for an hour and made the mistake of having NPR on. They covered so many horrifying stories and almost all had to do with the president. By the time I reached the newsroom, I was ready to tear someone's head off. It's no wonder people are seeking escape by going to the movies. Warner's "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" earned an estimated $44.755 million on Wednesday making it the biggest Wednesday single-day gross in box-office history (this figure appropriately includes $12 million from midnight showings that started within Wednesday).

Hi all...sorry for the delay in getting started with posting this morning but there is lots to come so keep checking in! To start things off, I offer you a link to my LA Daily News Box Office Buzz column which spotlights the incredible box office performance of "Transformers" in its first four days and looks back on the summer's hits and misses, so far.
Check it out!

It's a busy time at the multiplex and I write about what I think will hit and miss in my Box Office Buzz column in today's Daily News. Saw "Transformers" last night and it's going to be a mega-hit even if it left me with a headache. But that big, loud action pic from Michael Bay doesn't open until Monday night. This weekend though, the top movie will be "Ratatouille" which is a terrific movie from Pixar and released by Disney. I love the ultimate moral of the story (about a rat who wants to be a chef in Paris) because it celebrates individuality and a need to be your authentic self even if it means that others do not understand.
The rat ain't gay (that I know of) but his desire to become a chef in the human world has his family and rat buddies thinking he's seriously bonkers.
I highly recommend it!

There are a trio of very diverse movies out this weekend led by the comedy "Evan Almighty" starring Steve Carell. It's a hoot! While the movie is based around Carell's U.S. Congressman character who God instructs to build an ark, you will really enjoy Wanda Sykes as his assistant. She steals every scene she is in and, thankfully, her scenes are peppered throughout the movie. I haven't seen "A Mighty Heart" yet but plan to today. The previews look terrific and the buzz is that Angelina Jolie will be an Oscar contender for her performance. To read my complete Daily News Box Office Buzz column, click HERE and have fun at the movies!

Hey, I'm really enjoying writing the BOX OFFICE BUZZ column for the Daily News each Friday. It's fun to try and predict how much the new movies are going to make opening weekend. Check out the column and you will see how wrong I was last week. Hopefully I will do better this week with my guesstimates for "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" starring the beautiful Jessica Alba and the beautiful Chris Evans who plays Torch.

Chris sure is HOT! HOT! HOT!