Funny People Funny Enough for Box Office Win

Box office performance for latest flick a mystery

(NEWSER) - Though it’s called Funny People, Adam Sandler’s latest film is a bit more serious than his fans are used to—and its opening-weekend performance is a mystery, Variety reports. Forecasts range from just over $20 million to more like $35 million, Audiences loved director Judd Apatow’s prior efforts—which were more upbeat than the R-rated, 2½-hour Funny People. More»

(NEWSER) - The digital guinea pigs of G-Force took a bite out of Harry Potter this weekend, with an unexpected $32.2 million take, the Los Angeles Times reports. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince fell harder than most other films in the franchise, landing second with $30 million. Critically-loathed rom-com The Ugly Truth took $27 million, while the low-budget horror flick Orphan scared up $12.8 million for fourth. More»

(NEWSER) - Alien-apartheid flick District 9 abducted $37 million at the box office this weekend for a first-place landing, Bloomberg reports. “This really was an under-the-radar film” before the Comic-Con convention last month, one analyst says. “Sony did a masterful job of marketing.” GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra ($22.5 million), The Time Traveler’s Wife ($19.2 million), Julie & Julia ($12.4 million), and G-Force ($6.9 million) rounded out the top five. More»

(NEWSER) - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince conjured up a weekend box-office win with $79.5 million, bringing its 5-day total to $159.7 million, Bloomberg reports. The Hogwarts sequel trailed only Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen for the year's best bow. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($17.7 million), Transformers ($13.8 million), Bruno ($8.4 million) and The Hangover filled out the top five. More»

Big names of comedy can't save it

(NEWSER) - Critics are decidedly unimpressed with the Adam Sandler coming-of-age flick Grown Ups, despite (or maybe because of) help from Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James, and Rob Schneider.

• Kyle Smith, New York Post : When Sandler "repeatedly slapped Rob Schneider in the face with a dehydrated banana, I was jealous of Schneider, who suffered less than I did getting slapped upside the head by this rotting fruit of a comedy."
• Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer : The flick "drifts along on a stream of humiliation jokes—physical, emotional, sexual, hairpiece-ial."