A survival horror film survived the box office onslaught that consisted of the largest number of new wide releases that I can remember. 30 Days of Night took the top spot, grossing just under $16 million. I saw the film, adding my bit to its bottom line, and I have to say that for as good as some sequences are, the film is a terribly frustrating experience. However, it was probably the most exciting new release to grace the big screen. It is also pretty lucky that the David Slade-helmed flick opened this weekend, as it will probably get killed when Saw IV opens next weekend.
In addition to the vampire film, four others made their top ten debuts. Tops among them was the David Koechner comedy, The Comebacks. This is a movie that I figured would do better than it did, though I am glad to see it come in under my estimate. Here is where the movie snob comes out in me. I have no desire to ever see this movie (unless someone else was paying). It looks absolutely horrible, Epic Movie-level horrible. I hope that it disappears as quickly as it arrived.
Coming in slightly behind the sports spoof was the directorial debut of Ben Affleck, Gone Baby Gone. It appears, at least with this one sample, that Ben Affleck may have found his calling. He is receiving strong reviews for his work here, better than he ever got for his acting. Maybe this is where he is supposed to be? I have not yet had the opportunity to see it, but hopefully soon.
The next new entry is actually a re-issue. Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3-D made its return to the big screen, and the crowds responded. It was released in its reformatted version last year, and proved to be a hit. This could become an annual event, one that I would like to see. I saw it last year and loved it. If you haven't had the pleasure, try to make every effort to catch this. You won't regret it.
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