Cinematical

Giant robots kicked some shiny metal butt last weekend as the new Transformers movie earned the second highest gross of any film in its first five days (The Dark Knight still has the lead). In the wake of all this cybernetic mayhem, My Sister's Keeper did respectably well enough to take fifth on its opening weekend. Here's the top five:

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: $108.9 million ($200 million since Wednesday)
2. The Proposal: $18.6 million
3. The Hangover: $17 million
4. Up: $13 million
5. My Sister's Keeper: $12.4 million

Two new releases this week, each with a historical flair.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
What's It All About: This is the third installment in the popular animated series. This time around our gang of prehistoric pals discover an underground world in which dinosaurs still exist.
Why It Might Do Well: 2006's Ice Age: The Meltdown had a $68 million dollar opening weekend.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Rottentomatoes.com is giving it a disappointing 37%.
Number of Theaters: 3,993
Prediction: $66 million

Public Enemies
What's It All About: Michael Mann directs this film about depression-era bank robber John Dillinger.
Why It Might Do Well: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard make for a compelling cast, and based on the trailer they pull off the period setting quite believably.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Only 57% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 3,200
Prediction: $28 million

The Box
Richard Kelly didn't exactly set the world on fire with Southland Tales, but his previous film Donnie Darko is one of my favorite movies of all time and I'm hoping this new film is more along those lines. Based on a short story by Richard Matheson, The Box stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple whose financial problems can be cleared up quite simply. If they press the button on a mysterious box then they will be given a million dollars but someone they don't know will die. Sounds like a classic Twilight Zone moral dilemma, and Matheson did pen a few episodes of the series. We can find out what's in the box on October 30.

Ponyo
I really like the look of this animated feature since it doesn't look like Disney's typical work (they're releasing it here in the States) and it looks kind of atypical for Japanese anime as well. Hayao Miyazaki, the man behind Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro directs. I'd be more interested if the trailer gave a better idea of what the movie is about -- but Miyazaki's resume speaks for itself. This one gets a limited release on August 14.

Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy:

• For those who are counting the days until the return of their favorite shows, NBC has announced the dates of their Fall premieres.
• Brad Trechak has a review of the pilot episode of Virtuality, the new series from Battlestar Galactica's Ron Moore.
• Fans of Ice Road Truckers can now brave the same dangerous conditions from the safety of their iPhone.
• Here's a look back at one of the strangest superhero shows of all time. Legends of the Super Heroes is of particular interest this week because it starred the late Ed McMahon alongside some of DC Comics greatest characters.
• Rumor has it that a TV movie called Metropolis may serve as a coda to the Smallville series.
• ...and finally, if you think a 21 Jump Street movie without Johnny Depp just doesn't make sense, then we've got some good news for you.

I have to imagine Sandra Bullock is in a pretty good mood since The Proposal gave her the strongest opening weekend of her career. Year One got off to a so-so start, with holdovers The Hangover and Up forcing the prehistoric comedy into fourth place. Here's the top five:

1. The Proposal: $33.6 million
2. The Hangover: $26.7 million
3. Up: $23.4 million
4. Year One: $19.6 million
5. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3: $12 million

Two wildly different movie coming out this week:

My Sister's Keeper
What's It All About: When a young girl (Abigail Breslin) learns she was conceived to create a compatible bone marrow donor for her ailing sister she sues her parents for emancipation.
Why It Might Do Well: This is a smart bit of counter programming since the audience for this movie will probably not intersect with the Transformers crowd. Right now there's a 100% rating at Rottentomatoes.com, though only five reviews are in.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The plot seems pretty heavy for a Summer release.
Number of Theaters: 2,600
Prediction: $9 million

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Opens Wednesday)
What's It All About: Michael Bay directs this big budget special effects sequel about giant alien robots using Earth as their battlefield. Much of the original cast returns including Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox.
Why It Might Do Well: In addition to having all the effects, action and explosions a Summer blockbuster requires, the first film in the franchise had a $70 million opening weekend and went on to gross $319 million domestically.
Why It Might Not Do Well: A lowly 22% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 4,000
Prediction: $98 million

2012
You know that poem about the world ending not with a bang but a whimper? I don't think Roland Emmerich has read it as this end of the world flick has many bangs each followed by an Earth-shattering ka-boom. Apparently the Mayan calendar's prediction of the apocalypse comes true in the titular year and John Cusack plays a man whose family is in the midst of the cataclysm. The part about a government plan to build a sort of ark reminds me of George Pal's When Worlds Collide. The end begins on November 13.

Zombieland
I'm always leery of horror comedies. For every Shaun of the Dead or Return of the Living Dead there's a dozen straight to DVD movies that try to frighten and amuse at the same time yet end up doing neither. This humorous look at the zombie apocalypse not only looks pretty damn funny but also has some star power with Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin and Bill Murray. This one hits theaters on Ocotober 9, just in time for Halloween.

Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy:

• New episodes of Lost may be months and months away but Lost buffs can console themselves with these videos that use footage from the show to recreate classic sitcoms.
• The writers of the recently canceled Reaper have kept unemployment at bay by joining the staff of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse.
• The marital problems plaguing the stars of the reality series Jon & Kate Plus Eight have been well publicized, but the couple has a special announcement for the show's fans on this Monday's special episode.
• Scottish songstress Susan Boyle may have had to settle for runner up on Britain's Got Talent but her time in the lime light isn't quite over. Boyle may make an appearance on the U.S. version of the show America's Got Talent.
• Brian Austin Green is going to be making an appearance on Smallville as the Kryptonite powered cyborg Metallo.
• ...and finally, Ellen Degeneres is ramping things up with Ellen's Bigger, Longer & Wider Show which will air on TBS.

The Hangover held on to the top spot once again last week, edging out newcomers The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 and Eddie Murphy's Imagine That (which placed sixth). Star Trek finally fell out of the top five landing in seventh place for its sixth week. Here's the top five:

1. The Hangover: $32.7 million
2. Up: $30.8 million
3. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3: $23.4 million
4. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian: $9.6 million
5. Land of the Lost: $9 million

Two new comedies out this week:

The Proposal
What's It All About: Romantic comedy about a high power executive (Sandra Bullock) who faces deportation back to Canada. In order to stay in the States she plans to marry her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) who she has treated like dirt for years.
Why It Might Do Well: The two leads are appealing as is the supporting cast which includes Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, and Betty White.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The basic plot has been done to death in film and episodic TV and there's no shortage of comedies this week.
Number of Theaters: 2,950
Prediction: $28 million

Year One
What's It All About: A stone age comedy directed by Harold Ramis and starring Jack Black and Michael Cera as two guys who embark upon adventures after being booted out of their village.
Why It Might Do Well: This kind of has a Life of Brian feel without the religious overtones.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Jack Black can be a real love him or hate him kind of guy.
Number of Theaters: 2,900
Prediction: $24 million

Shutter Island
Martin Scorsese's latest thriller looks downright spectacular. The film is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane and Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a U.S. Marshall searching for an escaped mental patient on an island off the coast of Massachusetts. DiCaprio's character comes up against a dark conspiracy and he is haunted by the memory of his late wife who is played by Michelle Williams. And yes that's Jackie Earl Haley as one of the inmates (he plays crazy REALLY well). Watch for this one on October 2.

Old Dogs
OK, the bit where Seth Green is singing "I'm All Out of Love" to the gorilla is pretty funny, and the penguin attack got me to laugh but the plot seems ridiculously simplistic. Robin Williams plays a man whose former girlfriend returns after seven years to tell him that he has twin children. With the help of his buddy played by John Travolta, Williams's character must adapt to the idea of instant fatherhood at a relatively advanced age. Wackiness enuses. This is being billed as a family movie so much of the humor is aimed at kids. This one hits theaters on November 25.

Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy:

• OK, Mad Men fans, the first photo of the new season is online and you can link to it from here.
• To fill in the void between seasons of Dancing With the Stars, ABC is launching Let's Dance which will take a more humorous look at celebs cutting a rug.
• Variety is running an article about how more and more TV shows are choosing to shoot in locations other than Hollywood.
• Kathy Griffin recently had dinner with Lily Tomlin for Griffin's show My Life on the D-List where they discussed, among other things, that they had both been banned from Late Night With Conan O'Brien.
• Is there room for two mind readers on NBC? Heroes star Greg Grunberg doesn't seem to think so as he recently dissed The Listener on Twitter.
• ...and finally, since Conan O'Brien recently took over The Tonight Show ratings have been declining and interestingly enough ratings for The Late Show With David Letterman have risen.

Nausea, cotton mouth, and a splitting headache took everyone by surprise last weekend as The Hangover took the number one spot, just barely outdoing Up in its second week. Land of the Lost had a lackluster opening weekend, scoring a distant third place. My Life in Ruins took ninth place with a $3.2 million take. Here's the top five:

1. The Hangover: $44.9 million
2. Up: $44.1 million
3. Land of the Lost: $18.8 million
4. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian: $14.6 million
5. Star Trek: $8.3 million

Two new flicks this week:

Imagine That
What's It All About: A comedy starring Eddie Murphy as a financial executive who salvages his career with advice from his daughter's imaginary friends.
Why It Might Do Well: I just can't imagine that.
Why It Might Not Do Well: It's no secret that, unless he's voicing an irritating yet amusing donkey, Murphy is not the box office draw he once was. His last feature Meet Dave opened with a mere $5.2 million. It doesn't help that the plot about a father who will no doubt discover the value of family over work has become a kids' movie cliche.
Number of Theaters: 2,800
Prediction: $9 million

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
What's It All About: Denzel Washington plays a New York City subway dispatcher and John Travolta plays the leader of a ruthless group of criminals who are holding a subway car full of passengers for a hefty ransom.
Why It Might Do Well: The two leads are the big draw here.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Based on twelve reviews Rottentomatoes.com is giving this only 42% and for the most part remakes leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction: $26 million