Gangster Whacks Box Office

Even Hollywood can make movies for the non-'lily-livered:' Nile Gardiner

(NEWSER) - "Hollywood may well be a bastion of liberalism, but it does continue to occasionally produce major films that advance conservative principles," Nile Gardiner writes in the Telegraph . His best of the aughts:

1. Master and Commander, 2003: The Peter Weir flick starring Russell Crowe is "an epic tale of heroism and love for country in the face of incredible odds, and a glowing tribute to the grit and determination that forged the British Empire."
2. Black Hawk Down, 2001: Critics may have called it an "anti-war film," but Gardiner doesn't buy it. Instead, it's "an extraordinarily powerful and deeply patriotic tribute to the heroism and bravery of the US military."

Actor indulges in wee-hours phone calls, prima donna behavior on set

(NEWSER) - With Russell Crowe's latest film on the horizon, a new book about DreamWorks is perfectly timed to take advantage of curiosity about the famously short-tempered actor. Some juicy details from Nicole LaPorte's The Men Who Would Be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and a Company called DreamWorks, courtesy of Gawker :

• Crow began a 3am phone call with a Gladiator producer by barking: "You motherfucker. I will kill you with my bare hands."

Iraq war flick Stop-Loss stumbles in at no. 8

(NEWSER) - Gambling flick 21 played to win this weekend and banked $23.7 million, scoring top spot at the box office, Variety reports. But it failed to revive overall ticket sales, which are down 17% from last year's frame and about a third for the year. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! kept winning with $17.4 million at no. 2 and Superhero Movie took home $9.5 million for a disappointing third. More»

Seinfeld vehicle passes American Gangster for number one spot

(NEWSER) - In a rare second-week coup, Bee Movie topped the weekend box office and passed fellow sophomore American Gangster, Variety reports. The Denzel Washington flick dropped 44% after leading last week, while Bee fell just 32%. Newcomer Fred Claus took third, with a less than stellar $19.2 million, while Lions for Lambs banked just $6.7 million. More»

In death, troubled sci-fi writer is darling of Hollywood

(NEWSER) - Sci fi writer Philip K. Dick died paranoid, impoverished, and obscure. But since his death in 1982, nine movies have been based on his novels—including Blade Runner, Minority Report, and Total Recall—-and interest in his work , eerily prescient of the digital age, has never been higher. More»