Box Office Report Feb 25th 2008

Dude here again. The Oscars are tonight. (Or last night, if you read this on Monday). But it's not like they matter anyway, because the only movie of any merit and importance ever came out THIS year. I speak, of course, of Rambo. So when all those awards are handed out, and the envelopes are empty, know that next year a storm is coming. A storm named Rambo!

This weekend, four more movies opened, and only one did any well. There's also a lot of close calls that will prove these numbers inaccurate by tomorrow anyway. Like my little disclaimer always says. Let's go to the numbers, shall we? (All in millions, remember, and these are the studio estimates. The actuals will be available on Monday. Just to prove this column wrong).

1. Vantage Point (Sony)- $24.0, 3149 screens, week 1, $24.0 total
2. Jumper (Fox) - $12.65, 3430 screens, week 2, $56.2 total
3. The Spiderwick Chronicles (Par) - $12.60, 3847 screens, week 2, $43.5 total
4. Step Up 2 The Streets (BV)- $9.7, 2480 screens, week 2, $41.4 total
5. Fool's Gold (WB) - $6.2, 3075 screens, week 3, $52.4 total
6. Definitely, Maybe (Uni) - $5.1, 2220 screens, week 2, $21.7 total
7. Be Kind, Rewind (NL) - $4.1, 808 screens, week 1, $4.1 total
8. Juno (FoxS) - $4.1, 1727 screens, week 12, $130.3 total
9. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (Uni) - $3.9, 1873 screens, week 3, $35.4 total
10. There WIll Be Blood (Par Van) - $2.5, 1402 screens, week 9, $34.9 total

So those are the numbers, but what do they mean? It means pretty much exactly what it states. Vantage Point took in twice as much as the next place movie, which is Jumper, which, I don't know if you've seen it, but is just a giant, terrible mess of a motion picture. Vantage Point I am wholly indifferent to, and plan on forgetting the film's existence in about 4 weeks then never remember it again until it comes on cable some night.

Be Kind, Rewind performed poorly, which truly is a shame because it's a lot of fun and deserves to be seen by more people. Oh, the estimate given for both Be Kind and Juno was exactly the same, but I'd expect a bump for Juno. (Note: After I wrote this, that Diablo Cody girl who wrote Juno -and whom I'm told is single, so hopefully she'll cast her fetching eye my way- won an Academy Award. I'd expect the Juno numbers to be a little higher. Just sayin). Also in a heated dispute are Spiderwick, and terrible Jumper movie. And There Will Be Blood seemed to be fighting it out with The Bucket List.

Seriously. The Bucket List. While we all slept, that movie has made almost $85 million.

Not making anywhere $85 million was Witless Protection, a "comedy" starring that Larry the Cable Guy... guy. Somehow, this is his third starring role in a motion picture. Anyway, it made just over $2 million on 1333 screens. I don't know what else to say about this. Also, Charlie Bartlett, another movie of some kind that may or may not feature Robert Downey Jr. , opened up just below Witless Protection. I'm just confounded.

And in the "Because It's Rambo" series: Rambo, took in $590,000 on 727 screens, bringing it's grand total to $41,698,000 in 5 weeks.

There you have my break down. Next week, Will Ferrel does the arrogant sports jerk with funny hair routine, which is always good for a chuckle. Also, watch as No Country For Old Men pops on to the top ten, as it just won the Best Picture Oscar. Until next weekend....