New on DVD: “Bedtime Stories”, “The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)”, “Donkey Punch”, “Doubt”, “Not Easily Broken”, “The Tale of Despereaux”, “Yes Man”

BEST BETs: This is one of those weeks where for many moviegoers, the options on DVD are better than the theater. 

So lets start with the DVDs led by ”Doubt” that received 5 Oscar nominations including Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress… there’s the well-reviewed Jim Carrey comedy “Yes Man”… and the fun family comedy “Bedtime Stories” and the animated adventure “The Tale of Despereaux”.  “The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)” should be at the bottom of your rental list this week, because its okay, but not that great.

“Observe and Report” is the second Mall Cop Comedy this year after “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”, but this one is rated “R” and not family friendly… “Hannah Montana The Movie” will be big for tweens and teens who are growing up as Miley Crus fans… “Dragonball Evolution” is a movie adaptation that may be a few years too late of the cartoons and card games that were popular several years ago.

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Next Week at Theaters: “17 Again”, “Crank: High Voltage”, “State of Play”

Next Week on DVD: “The Reader”, “The Spirit”, “Dark Matter”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

Playing at West Michigan movie theaters:
“Slumdog Millionaire” (9.5/ 10)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (9.5 / 10)
“The Wrestler” (8.9 / 10)
“Defiance” (8.0 / 10)
“I Love You, Man” (8.0/ 10)
“Revolutionary Road” (7.9 / 10)
“New in Town” (7.9 / 10)
“Taken” (7.5 / 10)
“Fanboys” (8.5 for me, adjusted to 7.5 for most)
“He’s Just Not That Into You” (7.5 / 10)
“Bride Wars” (7.5 / 10)
“Four Christmases”  (7.5 / 10)
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (7.0 / 10)
“Knowing” (7.0 / 10)
“Watchmen” (7.0 / 10)
“Hotel for Dogs” (7.0 / 10)
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (6.5 / 10)
“Monsters Vs. Aliens” (6.0 / 10)
“Confessions of A Shopaholic” (5.5 / 10)

- – -

Available to rent or buy:
“Slumdog Millionaire” (9.5/ 10)
“The Dark Knight” (9.5 / 10)
“Changeling”  (9.5 / 10)
“WALL-E” (9.0)
“Pride and Glory” (9.0 / 10)
“Righteous Kill” (8.9 / 10)
“Eagle Eye” (8.5 / 10)
“Burn After Reading” (8.5 / 10)
“Wanted” (8.0 / 10)
“The Visitor” (8.0 / 10)
“Australia”  (7.9 / 10)
“Frozen River” (7.9 / 10)
“Quantum of Solace”  (7.5 / 10)
“Traitor” (7.5 / 10)
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
“Marley & Me” (7.5 / 10)
“Get Smart” (7.0 / 10)
“Bedtime Stories” (7.0 / 10)
“Twilight”  (7.0 / 10)
“Appaloosa” (6.9 / 10)
“Lakeview Terrace” (6.5 / 10)
“Hellboy II: Golden Army” (6.5 / 10)
“Noise” (6.0 / 10)

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“Bride Wars” and “The Unborn” also pushed “Marley & Me” out of its two weeks at number one.

 TOP MOVIES AT WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (actual results):
1. “Gran Torino” – $29.48 million (1st week of wide release)

2. “Bride Wars” - $21.06 million (1st week)

3. “The Unborn” – $19.81 million (1st week)

4. “Marley & Me” – $11.39 million
(3rd week, was #1 last week, lost 53% of audience from last week)

5. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” – $9.21 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 49% of audience from last week)

6. “Bedtime Stories” – $8.80 million
(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 58% of audience from last week)

7. “Valkyrie” – $6.62 million
(3rd week, was #4 last week, lost 53% of audience from last week)

8. “Yes Man” – $6.03 million
(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 56% of audience from last week)

9. “Not Easily Broken” – $5.31 million (1st week)

10. “Seven Pounds” – $3.82 million
(4th week, was #6 last week, lost 61% of audience from last week)

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11. “Slumdog Millionaire” - $3.78 million (limited release: just 601 theaters)
(9th week, was #10 last week, lost 21% of audience from last week)

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

For some reason (lack of sleep?) I left The Unborn off the new in theaters list… and “Revolutionary Road” is still in limited release and not coming to the Grand Rapids market until January 23rd…. sorry !!!
I also received word that “The Reader” is moving from Celebration! Woodland to Celebration! Rivertown this weekend.

New this week in Theaters (Friday): “Bridewars”, “Not Easily Broken”, “Gran Torino” (Grand Rapids), “The Unborn”

New this week on DVD (Tuesday): “Pineapple Express”, “Righteous Kill”, “Babylon A.D.”, “Bangkok Dangerous”, “Disaster Movie”, “The Wackness”

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.

MY TAKE ON WHAT’S NEW ON DVD: Okay, I know I’m one of the few people who actually liked the Pacino/DeNiro movie “Righteous Kill”, but if you listened to most critics and waited to rent it, now’s the time to see it.

The other five movies I haven’t seen but have varying levels of concern: “Pineapple Express” is a stoner/action/comedy that was well received by some audiences and critics, “Disaster Movie” is another farce by the producers of all those other recent spoof movies, “The Wackness” got some good reviews by the limited audiences that saw it… it also has a *pot* plot.

And then there are the box office stinkers “Babylon A.D.” and “Bangkok Dangerous”, yes the second was #1 the week it opened, but there was nothing else in wide release that week, audiences for both movies dropped signigicantly the 2nd week at the theater and by the way scored very low on most reviews.

Looking for other rentals?   Check out these movies:
“The Dark Knight” (9.5 / 10)
“Eagle Eye” (8.5 / 10)
“Wanted” (8.0 / 10)
“Burn After Reading” (8.5 / 10)
“Traitor” (7.5 / 10)
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”

- – -

.

.

MY TAKE ON WHAT’S NEW IN THEATERS: 1 Oscar contender, a romantic comedy aimed at the ladies, a romantic drama, and a horror movie.  “Gran Torino” was filmed in Detroit and Clint Eastwood has said its his last acting appearance, although he plans to keep directing, Eastwood has received several nominations for his acting in “Gran Torino”.   “Bridewars” is the light-hearted “date” movie of the bunch about two friends Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway who dream of having their weddings at the same hard-to-book location.     “Not Easily Broken” is a movie I haven’t heard much about, but its about a couple and how a life-changing event tests their relationship.   “The Unborn” is another seemingly formulaic, yet unique horror flick about a girl who discovers her unborn twin is haunting her.

MY REVIEWS OF MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS:

“Slumdog Millionaire” (9.5)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (9.5)
“Changeling” (9.5)
“Australia” (7.9)
“Four Christmases” (7.5)
“Marley & Me” (7.5)
“Quantum of Solace” (7.5)
“Role Models” (7.5)
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” (7.5)
“Twilight” (7.0)
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (6.5)
“What Just Happened” (6.5)

- – -

Next Week at Theaters: “Defiance” (wide release), “Hotel for Dogs”, “Last Chance Harvey” (wide release), “My Bloody Valentine 3-D”, “Notorious”, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”

Next Week on DVD: “Appaloosa”, “Brideshead Revisted”, “Mirrors”, ”My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Swing Vote”,  ”Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys”

For some reason (lack of sleep?) I left “The Unborn” off the new in theaters list… and “Revolutionary Road” is still in limited release and not coming to the Grand Rapids market January 23rd…. sorry !!! 
I also received word that “The Reader” is moving from Celebration! Woodland to Celebration! Rivertown this weekend.

New this week in Theaters (Friday): “Bridewars”, “Not Easily Broken”, “Gran Torino” (Grand Rapids), “The Unborn”

New this week on DVD (Tuesday): “Pineapple Express”, “Righteous Kill”, “Babylon A.D.”, “Bangkok Dangerous”, “Disaster Movie”, “The Wackness”

.

.

MY TAKE ON WHAT’S NEW ON DVD: Okay, I know I’m one of the few people who actually liked the Pacino/DeNiro movie “Righteous Kill”, but if you listened to most critics and waited to rent it, now’s the time to see it.  

The other five movies I haven’t seen but have varying levels of concern: “Pineapple Express” is a stoner/action/comedy that was well received by some audiences and critics, “Disaster Movie” is another farce by the producers of all those other recent spoof movies, “The Wackness” got some good reviews by the limited audiences that saw it… it also has a *pot* plot.

And then there are the box office stinkers “Babylon A.D.” and “Bangkok Dangerous”, yes the second was #1 the week it opened, but there was nothing else in wide release that week, audiences for both movies dropped signigicantly the 2nd week at the theater and by the way scored very low on most reviews.

Looking for other rentals?   Check out these movies:
“The Dark Knight” (9.5 / 10)
“Eagle Eye” (8.5 / 10)
“Wanted” (8.0 / 10)
“Burn After Reading” (8.5 / 10)
“Traitor” (7.5 / 10)
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”

- – -

.

.

MY TAKE ON WHAT’S NEW IN THEATERS: 1 Oscar contender, a romantic comedy aimed at the ladies, a romantic drama, and a horror movie.  “Gran Torino” was filmed in Detroit and Clint Eastwood has said its his last acting appearance, although he plans to keep directing, Eastwood has received several nominations for his acting in “Gran Torino”.   “Bridewars” is the light-hearted “date” movie of the bunch about two friends Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway who dream of having their weddings at the same hard-to-book location.     “Not Easily Broken” is a movie I haven’t heard much about, but its about a couple and how a life-changing event tests their relationship.   “The Unborn” is another seemingly formulaic, yet unique horror flick about a girl who discovers her unborn twin is haunting her.

MY REVIEWS OF MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS: 

“Slumdog Millionaire”  (9.5)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (9.5)
“Changeling”  (9.5)
“Australia”  (7.9)
“Four Christmases”  (7.5)
“Marley & Me” (7.5)
“Quantum of Solace”  (7.5)
“Role Models”  (7.5)
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”  (7.5)
“Twilight”  (7.0)
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (6.5)
“What Just Happened”  (6.5)

- – -

Next Week at Theaters: “Defiance” (wide release), “Hotel for Dogs”, “Last Chance Harvey” (wide release), “My Bloody Valentine 3-D”, “Notorious”, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”

Next Week on DVD: “Appaloosa”, “Brideshead Revisted”, “Mirrors”, ”My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Swing Vote”,  ”Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys”