DrillbitTaylor Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The ability to sustain a sense of Seuss in a CGI scenario (I can't rhyme like the good doctor, but I can alliterate with the best of them) worked in the favor of Horton Hears a Who, last week's number one flick by a country mile, giving it the biggest opening weekend of 2008 so far. Like many of the folks taking part in our weekly box office competition (see the bottom of this post for details) I underestimated the tale of teen angst and kickboxing that is Never Back Down while overestimating the drawing power of the apocalypse with Doomsday, which finished seventh for the week with a mere $4.9 million. 10,000 B.C. dropped only as far as second place for its second week, though its total so far of $61.5 million has a ways to go before exceeding the film's $105 million budget. Here are the numbers for last weekend:

1. Horton Hears a Who: $45 million
2. 10,000 B.C.: $16.7 million
3. Never Back Down: $8.6 million
4. College Road Trip: $7.8 million
5. Vantage Point: $5.5 million

If you're determined to see something new this week, you have your choice of laughs, screams, and family drama. Here are this week's newbies:

Drillbit Taylor
What's It All About: A comedy in which a group of high school nerds search the ads in Soldier of Fortune magazine for a body guard to protect them from the school bully. They hire a homeless guy named Drillbit Taylor (it never pays to go with the lowest bidder) played by Owen Wilson.
Why It Might Do Well: Wilson, of course, has many comedic credits to his name, including Wedding Crashers which pulled in $209 million domestically. Also, Seth Rogen seems to have the midas touch and he co-wrote the screenplay.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Based on the TV spots I keep seeing, people who aren't comfortable with nerd on nerd violence may stay away.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $12 million

For the most part, contests are pretty run of the mill. You can win that thing you've been yearning for and are too broke to buy, or too impatient to wait and see if you ever get it as a gift. It could be tickets, gadgets, and other sundry, but sometimes, it's something special... like your own bodyguard.

Yes, I'm serious. As part of the upcoming release of the upcoming film Drillbit Taylor, AOL is sponsoring a contest where you can win your own bodyguard for the day. The kicker -- there's no age cap! You have to be at least 13, have Internet access, and be a legal resident of the US to enter. Kiddies out there can become too-cool-for-school with their own bodyguard, or I guess you can turn your own heads at work with a day's worth of bodyguard detail. (Note: If some lucky kid gets their amazing bodyguard win halted by their jerky school, the winner will receive the cash equivalent of the prize.)

To enter, you just have to head over to http://www.drillbitsarmy.com/ and throw in your info. However, you can gain additional entries by participating in tasks outlined on the website. For each completed task, you'll get one extra entry. These tasks are fairly simple, and include things like watching the trailer or recording a rap. The contest ends March 21, the day Drillbit Taylor hits theaters.

Hollywood being the enclosed universe that it is, it's pretty easy to spot patterns developing as one film seems connected to the next . This week on Trailer Park: yet another five degrees of trailer separation

Drillbit Taylor
Seeking to avoid the daily humiliations that come with being a dork, three high school nerds hire a homeless man named Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson) to act as their bodyguard.. The idea has some merit and Wilson seems to carry the role well, but the kids in this movie just have no on-screen appeal. Knocked Up star Seth Rogen was one of the screenwriters, and the trailer pushes the fact that this is from "the guys who made Knocked Up and Superbad." I can't see rushing out to see this one, but I'll probably catch it on DVD. Martha Fischer first posted about this film here about a year ago. Check out the trailer yourself:



...and speaking of Owen Wilson.
The Darjeeling Limited
Wilson plays one of three brothers who are attempting to rekindle the family bond by taking a train trip across India. The other two brothers are played by Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman (who also co-wrote the screenplay), which gives this sibling trio a fascinating mix, and the film is directed by Wes Anderson of The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore. Favorite line: "I love you too, but I'm gonna mace you in the face." This looks awesome and I'll be checking it out when it hits theaters on September 29. Here's Erik's take on the trailer.