Basketball spoof “Semi-Pro” starring Will Ferrell marks the final standalone New Line released from Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s. The comedy is a sure winning of this box office weekend even though it has an R rating.

The other big openers are targeted for the female crowd. “The Other Boleyn Girl,” period film starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson as sisters hostile toward each other for the love of King Henry VIII.

The modern-day fairy tale “Penelope,” starring Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon and James McAvoy, which has been promoted extensively at Screenhead is the other big opener. The film is about a young heiress who is born with a pig nose. I am voting for “Penelope” to have the number one spot this weekend.

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Huge cast political thriller “Vantage Point” is opening in 3, 149 theaters this weekend; it will take in the dough, most likely, be the top box office draw.

Other movies opening this weekend include Jack Black offbeat comedy “Be Kind Rewind” (It sounds so crazily funny), R-rated teen drama-comedy “Charlie Bartlett”  and Larry the Cable Guy comedy “Witless Protection.”

“Vantage Point” more than likely will draw the bulk of the audience because according to Variety it has picked up traction among women and younger men as well twenty-five year old males. Movie centers on an attempted presidential assassination told from several different perspectives, stars Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt.

“Charlie Bartlett” is about a rich teenager, who becomes the unofficial, drug-dispensing therapist at his new high school. With the R rating the movie will not bring in the teenagers. It stars Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr. and Hope Davis.

“Rewind,” also stars Mos Def, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow, follows a man who inadvertently erases every videotape in his friend’s store. The two friends decide to remake the movies, including “Back to the Future,” “The Lion King” and “Robocop.” Somehow that sounds really funny. I saw a production photo of Mia Farrow and Danny Glover in a remake of “Driving Miss Daisy.”  I laughed until tears were coming down my cheeks.  

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Ryan Reynolds stars as Will Hayes, a 30-something Manhattan dad in the midst of a divorce when his 10-year-old daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin), starts to question him about his life before marriage.  Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love.  Will’s story begins in 1992, as a young, starry-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from

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“Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour”” opens in 683 3-D digital theaters while “The Eye” opens in 2436 theaters. Both are different genres, but which movie will win the weekend box office score?

Sure there are a couple of other films opening this weekend: “Over Her Dead Body” and “Strange Wilderness.” “Hannah Montana” and “The Eye” are the films to watch this weekend.

Disney is hoping to make history with the 3-D release of the live concert, which sold out. Advance ticket sales indicate there is a good chance “Hannah Montana” will come out on top at around $20 million to $30 million.

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How did the box office do this week? “Atonement” moved up a notch to ninth place while “Juno” held its own and remained in third.

Just a note: my mother-in-law emailed me and told me she saw “P.S. I Love You,” which is eighth (below), and loved it; she cried throughout the move.

Two movies opened this weekend: “Cloverfield” and “27 Dresses.” One is scary while the other is funny and delightful.

WEEK BOX OFFICE FINAL
Jan 11 - Jan 17, 2008

1. Bucket List, The (Warner Bros.)$26,135,720
2. First Sunday (Sony)$20,665,602
3. Juno (Fox Searchlight)$17,876,737
4. National Treasure: Book Of Secrets (Disney)$14,069,900
5. Alvin And The Chipmunks (20th Century Fox)$10,739,702
6. I Am Legend (Warner Bros.)$10,473,583
7. One Missed Call (Warner Bros.)$7,088,7982240$3,165$21,600,762
8. P.S. I Love You (Warner Bros.)$6,487,549
9. Atonement (Focus Features)$6,216,016
10. Charlie Wilson’s War (Universal)$5,623,440

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A couple of films are opening this weekend. You should take a seat in the theaters and enjoy them. Rob Reiner, a fabulous filmmaker, brings us “Bucket List,” which goes into 2,911 theaters, a Jack Nicholson-Morgan Freeman starrer. Already it’s playing exclusively, 16-theater run since Dec. 25, grossing $1.4 million through Wednesday. Some “expert” tracking numbers think “Bucket List” could take the weekend crown.

But, I am counting on “Juno.”

The other film is a urban comedy “First Sunday,” stars Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan and Katt Williams, opens in 2,213 sites. Written and directed by David E. Talbert, movie focuses on two bumbling petty criminals. Sounds like a no-brainier to me.

I will post the box office results Monday. Enjoy the films this weekend.

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“One Missed Call” arrives in the theaters today. The plot tells a tale of a woman who hears herself being murdered on her voice mail. Yikes! It’s based upon the novel Chakushin Ari by Yasushi Akimoto.

Starring Shannyn Sossamon and Edward Burns (Boy, has he been busy,) “Call” is the only new wide release of the domestic office this weekend. So, if you’ve seen all the movies over the holidays and don’t mind scoping out a horror flick. Enjoy!

Here is it’s trailer at the official web site — that graphic gives me nightmares.

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A Spanish horror film, “The Orphanage” and a John Sayles film “Honeydripper” opened Friday.

“The Orphanage” opened only to 18 theaters. For some who have left notes at message boards regarding the film, claim it is more than a horror film. Its tone is similar to “The Others” and “Pan Pan’s Labyrinth,” very intelligent. The acting is incredible; especially Geraldine Chaplin as the medium.

“Honeydripper,” which opened only in New York and Los Angeles, is based on short stories that the filmmaker turns into a fable about the birth of rock n’ roll—a quintessentially American subject, but with a fidelity to time and temperament. The film enters on Tyrone “Pine Top” Purvis (Danny Glover) needs to save his struggling juke joint, The Honeydripper. He persuades a guitar-toting youngster (Gary Clark, Jr., in his film debut) to pose as a famous musician.

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“Charlie Wilson’s War” opens in 2,574 theaters today.

The picture penned by Aaron Sorkin stars Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman definitely carries political overtones. But with a director like Mike Nichols and its star power the picture could come out ahead.

We shall see after this long weekend of silver screenings.

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Nicolas Cage starrer “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” opens today! Looks like the box office winner!

When the original movie opened Thanksgiving Day 2004, the film won $35.1 million, grossing a $173 million domestically.

“Book of Secrets” opens in 3,832 theaters with the same director Jon Turteltaub and the original cast, adding Helen Mirren to the franchise.

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