Weekend Estimates — February 27

Gnomeo and Juliet|13.8|-28%|74.8 Hall Pass|13.6|NEW|13.6 Unknown|12.6|-42%|43 I Am Number 4|10.8|-44%|37.5 Just Go With It|10.7|-42%|79 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never|9.2 |-31%|62.8 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son|7.4|-54%|28.5 The King’s Speech|7.4|13%|114.3 Drive Angry|5.1|NEW|5.1 True Grit|1.9|-20%|167.1

The Weekend Report — February 27

It’s Gnomeo & Juliet taking on Dumb & Dumber: The Married Edition, with special guest appearances from Nic Cage in 33333DDDDD and The Grace Card.

Friday Estimates – February 25, 2011

The Farrelly Bros are back with Hall Pass… did America want to see two middle aged married guys try to get laid or is it 2D (too dumb)? And will NIc Cage and a long drink of blond sex appeal draw a crowd in Summit 3D?

Box Office Hell — February 24

Our Players|Coming Soon|Box Office Prophets|Box Office Guru|EW|Box Office . com Hall Pass |14.8|13.0|16.0|16.0|16.0 Drive Angry 3-D|13.2|9.4|11.0|12.0|11.0 Gnomeo and Juliet|12.6|13.3|13.0|14.0|15.0 Unknown |12.4|13.8|12.0|13.0|14.0 I Am Number Four|10.3|9.3|9.5|n/a|9.5 Just Go With It|10.0|10.4|n/a|10.0|10.5

Critics Roundup — February 27

Hall Pass||Green||| Driving Angry 3-D||||| Heartbeats||Green||| Of Gods and Men||Green|Green||

WILMINGTON ON MOVIES: Hall Pass, I Am Number Four, Certifiably Jonathan, Poetry

“Anyway, when I say forgettable, I mean forgettable. I’ve actually forgotten the whole movie, and I had to struggle to write this synopsis.”

“Aren’t they a little ashamed of filming scripts like this, where the very best line of dialogue — by a crush — is ‘I am Number Six!'”

“Critics have not been too kind to it. Well, that’s their opinion.”

“The sorrows, pains and occasional beauties of old age have rarely been more movingly portrayed than they are here.”

WILMINGTON ON DVD: Fish Tank, Sweet Smell of Success, Megamind, The Steig Larsson Trilogy, Due Date

Mike goes from the UK to New York to Sweden to Jeffrey Katzenberg & Will Ferrell’s brains to give you the 4-1-1 on this week’s DVD releases…

The DVD Geek: America Lost and Found: The BBS Story

The one real reason why anybody would pay attention to this collection at all is that only Easy Rider had previously been released on Blu-ray, through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment so that Criterion’s Blu-ray boxed set of the films is a fully loaded treasure trove of must-have movies delivered in the finest condition home video can supply.

The Weekend Report — February 20

The absence of an 11th hour Oscar surge didn’t help the situation, though two contenders — The King’s Speech and Black Swan — managed to pass the $100 million threshold. Still, the failure of most late calendar releases to find Academy favor and the wave of new releases pushing out front-runners trends toward a serious re-thinking in theatrical exploitation for award season movies.

Weekend Estimates — February 20

Newcomers Unknown and I Am Number Four split the top three with kiddie flick holdover Gnomeo and Juliet, while rom-com Just Go With It clings to fourth position. Meanwhile, with a week to go until Oscars, The King’s Speech is the only awards contender still making a showing in the top ten.

Critics Roundup: February 20

I Am Number Four||||| Vanishing on Seventh Street||||Yellow| The Eagle|||||Green Gnomeo and Juliet|||||Yellow The Way Back||Yellow|||Green The Company Men|||Yellow||Green Sanctum|||||Red The Mechanic|||||Red

Friday Estimates – February 18, 2011

There are three new films in the market this weekend. Has Liam Neeson fought off the Gleeks? Has Martin Lawrence successfully hand off his fat suit to a new generation? And who was taller on Friday night, Gnomeo or Bieber?

WILMINGTON ON DVD

This Week: Unstoppable, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Thelma and Louise, TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Errol Flynn

Weekend Estimates — February 13

Just Go With It|30.8|NEW|30.8 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never|30.4|NEW|30.4 Gnomeo and Juliet|25.3|NEW|25.3 The Roommate|8.3|-44%|26 The Eagle|8.3|NEW|8.3 The King’s Speech|7.3|-5%|93.8 No Strings Attached|5.6|-30%|59.8 Sanctum|5.1|-46%|17.5 True Grit|3.8-19%|160.3 The Green Hornet|3.6|-39%|92.3

The Weekend Report – February 13

It was Sandler by a nose over the teen sensation. The rom-com Just Go With It emerged with an estimated $30.8 million while the 3D concert film Justin Bieber: Never Say Never was right behind with $30.4 million. In a session energized by new releases the animated Gnomeo and Juliet charted third with $25.3 million and the Gladiator-lite The Eagle slotted in position five with a drab $8.3 million.

Friday Estimates – February 11, 2011

How bad a case of Bieber Fever has America caught? Did they Go With It or leave Adam Sandler looking like a supermodel without a Brazilian? Did the kids get the pun or did they think Gnomeo was Travelocity: the Movie? That and more in the Friday Estimates.

Analysis of the Friday numbers by David Poland can be read here.

Wilmington on Movies: The Eagle, Gnomeo and Juliet

“That’s what the best of The Eagle gives us. As a twelve year old, I know I would have liked it, maybe loved it. And that twelve-year-old is still somewhere inside me as I watch it now, applauding and yearning for a swift horse, the wild frontier and the beautiful, stormy territory ahead.”

Gnomeo & Juliet – “I never thought I’d say it, but Michael Caine and Maggie Smith make pretty good lawn ornaments.”

Box Office Hell — February 10

This pre-Valentine’s Day weekend, our box office pundits predict box office gold — or at least a box of chocolates — for the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston rom-com Just Go With It. Looking to grab second place is the Justin Bieber flick, Never Say Never, which is getting some surprisingly positive buzz, and would play well to the “I heart Justin Bieber” fan base even if it didn’t. Gnomeo and Juliet plays for the younger set, but may have a hard time challenging the power of The Bieber.

The DVD Wrap: Enter the Void, Life as We Know It, You Again, The Girl, Hideaway, Thelma and Louise …

Enter the Void Even after reading what critics had to say about Gasper Noe’s latest provocation, “Enter the Void,” it was difficult for me to foresee just how exhilarating an experience it might be. Reviewers compared the film’s audacious visual conceit to the mind-boggling head trip conjured by Stanley Kubrick for the “Stargate” and “Star…

The Weekend Report – February 6

The debut of The Roommate led an anemic field at the weekend box office with an estimated $15.5 million. Second ranked was another newcomer – the 3D adventure Sanctum – with a disappointing $9.2 million.