OPENING THIS WEEK: January 29th, 2010

OPENING THIS WEEK: January 29th, 2010

AVATAR is a runaway train that isn’t going to stop till TITANIC gets ground up under it. That’s the facts, people. A month ago, I would’ve scoffed at the idea of the big blue aliens taking the throne, but it’s happening. It’s safe to say that a week from now, AVATAR will the new highest grossing film of all-time. A couple of days after that, it’ll easily take the highest grossing domestic film slot too. Not too shabby for a flick that’s only been in release for six weeks.

For those of you keeping count, here’s the specifics. AVATAR took the #1 spot again this week, grossing somewhere around 35mil bringing the domestic total to 551mil (that’s 48 off of TITANIC). Worldwide, AVATAR has made 1.8 billion dollars and has less than ten mil more to go before swiping the all-time record. Incidentally, the last film to stay at #1 for six weeks running was…you guessed it…TITANIC. Basically, every record that TITANIC set, AVATAR has broken. I wonder if BATTLE ANGEL is going to dethrone AVATAR when it hits theaters in two years? Doubtful, but it’d be funny if it did.

As for the rest of the BO, does anybody care? LEGION, which was made for about 26mil, took #2 with a estimated 18mil haul. It should do well being that it was done on the cheap and has enough curiosity value to keep the masses coming. THE TOOTH FAIRY, on the other hand, crashed and burned at #4 with 14mil. Guess the allure of Dwayne Johnson as the Tooth Fairy wasn’t enough to bring the people in. You want a Tooth Fairy movie? Rent DARKNESS FALLS.

As for the other big movie that hit this weekend, EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES, I think that it is safe to say that Harrison Ford’s career is in the dumps. MEASURES grossed a paltry 7mil and was largely dismissed by the critical community. My question is, what happened to Harrison Ford? Dude was on the comeback trail after the last INDIANA JONES movie (say what you will about the flick, but Ford was spot-on) and then he followed that up with back-to-back duds (CROSSING OVER and MEASURES). Somebody get him something worthwhile, STAT! He needs a MOSQUITO COAST or a BLADE RUNNER, maybe even a PATRIOT GAMES. Hell, I’m not suggesting he go back to Han Solo or Jones, just something that is actually worth watching.

BTW, did anybody notice how quick DAYBREAKERS plummeted from the top ten? Opening weekend it was at #2 and by the second week it was out of the ten altogether. Damn shame for a damn fine movie.

Moving along…

WHEN IN ROME looks a bit like a movie I’d completely ignore if it weren’t for the fact that Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel were starring in it. Based on their involvement alone, I’d say ROME is worth seeing, as both are damn fine actors, amiable and sweet, and appear to have really good chemistry. As for the rest of the flick, I have no idea. There’s something about magic coins and being in Rome, there’s NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE and Gob from ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, Dax Shepard is ridiculously ripped and oh yeah, Danny DeVito is somewhere in there. Oh, and did I mention that all of this is from the director of DAREDEVIL? Go for the leads and be a little leery of the rest.

Mel Gibson. Let me get this right out of the way, I understand that the man has issues. That having been said, all actors have issues. You’ve read the tabloids, you’ve seen the arrests, Hollywood is a freakshow loaded with deviants and psychos, who you fund on a nearly weekly basis. Drugs, violence, abuse, murder, it’s all there and yet, somehow, Mel got the big end of the punishment stick for his drunken racist outburst a few years back. I’m not condoning what the man did, but did he really deserve an eight year blacklisting from Hollywood for THAT? Give me a fucking break. I mean, if Chris Brown can still release records and appear in movies (TAKERS hits screens soon) after beating Rihanna to a bloody pulp, surely we can all forgive Mel for getting drunk and dropping a Fruedian timebomb. After all, this the guy who brought MAD MAX to life. Need I say LETHAL WEAPON 1, 2, 3, and 4? Do I have to mention BRAVEHEART, PAYBACK, THE PATRIOT, SIGNS, MAVERICK and RANSOM?? Outburst aside, the man is a talent and should be forgiven. Why don’t you do so this weekend by checking out EDGE OF DARKNESS which is his first starring role in nearly a decade. Just watch the trailer below and I’m sure you’ll agree, DARKNESS looks badass and is definitely prime Mel.