Gran Torino Blows Away Box Office

(NEWSER) - Foreign audiences are totally into Marley and Me, the Owen Wilson/Jennifer Aniston vehicle, which topped the international box office last weekend with $14.2 million, Variety reports. Marley’s success—it’s beating Watchmen, among others—runs counter to traditional wisdom about foreign taste for US yuks leaning more to boorish guy movies. Strong showings for Confessions of a Shopaholic and Bride Wars seem to confirm the trend. More»

Kevin James comedy beats Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino

(NEWSER) - A mall security guard on a Segway wrested control of the box office this weekend. Paul Blart: Mall Cop, a PG-rated comedy starring Kevin James, raked in $33.8 million to knock Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino from the top spot, Variety reports. Torino earned $22.2 million, a mere 25% drop from last weekend. Rounding out the top five: My Bloody Valentine 3-D ($21.9 million), Notorious ($21.5 million), and Hotel for Dogs ($17.7 million). More»

Bedtime Stories, Button close behind

(NEWSER) - Marley & Me continued its reign atop the box office dog pile this weekend, digging up $24 million, Variety reports. Bedtime Stories took in $20.3 million, while Benjamin Button aged gracefully to third place with $18.4 million. Valkyrie ($14.3 million) and Yes Man ($13.9 million) rounded out the top five, but The Spirit scared up just $3.3 million for a 13th-place finish. More»

(NEWSER) - After breaking the box office record for best Christmas Day opener, Marley & Me stayed top dog with $51.7 million this weekend, Variety reports. Brad Pitt vehicle The Curious Case of Benjamin Button finished behind ex-wife Jennifer Aniston’s puppy flick, but still earned a surprising $39 million. Bedtime Stories was a close third with $38.6 million, while Valkyrie and Yes Man rounded out the top five. More»

(NEWSER) - Is the so-called "Oscar bump" fading? Academy favorites like Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon are stalled at the box office this year; only The Reader has filled more seats since being nominated. Yes, a stream of bona fide Hollywood hits has held them back, but it's more than that, Patrick Goldstein writes in the Los Angeles Times. No one cares about the gold statuettes anymore. "The Oscars have become a hollow brass ring." More»