"Next week is all counterprogramming, with the only wide debuts being the R-rated Sex and the City and The Strangers. Expect Indy to hold on to the crown." - me, last Monday

Yeah, good work, Nostradamus. "Counterprogramming" -- can you believe this idiot? Who let him on here, anyway? Far from headlining mere counterprogramming, Carrie Bradshaw delivered a swift kick to Indiana Jones' man-crotch, winning the weekend with $55.7 million to Indy's $46. Sex and the City's bow is the 5th all-time best opening weekend for an R-rated film. I -- and, in my defense, many others -- obviously underestimated the size of the "niche" audience eager to watch the big-screen finale of the far-too-popular HBO show. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, meanwhile, fell a hefty but hardly uncommon 55% from its first weekend, and it looks likely to eventually overtake Iron Man. That film, in turn, continues to have remarkable legs, dropping only 32% and bringing its cume to $276.6 million. And, since I caught flak for not mentioning it last week, I'll say that What Happens in Vegas is also holding very well, despite sucking.

Rogue Pictures will be very pleased with the debut of The Strangers, a low-budget, R-rated horror film. $20.7 million is a very good number, matching that of the PG-13 Prom Night 8 weeks back. And a #3 turn in last weekend's marketplace is nothing to be ashamed of. Horror films tend to plummet pretty quickly after the first weekend, but word-of-mouth on this one might actually be okay; we'll see. A bit further down the chart, Tarsem's cult-ready The Fall performed unspectacularly in its first weekend of semi-wide release, taking in $361,000 on 108 screens.

Click through for the weekend's top 10, and a couple of very sheepish thoughts about next weekend.

Ever since the numbers were released yesterday, anyone and everyone (as well as anyone who is everyone) has been talking Speed Racer -- specifically, how a $120 million Hollywood blockbuster could open with only $20 million at the box office. You can blame Iron Man, you can blame the marketing, you can blame the blogs for trashing the film all year long, you can blame Christina Ricci's weird haircut, or you can blame that judge on Project Runway for saying, "You can never have too much color!" Fact is, it missed the mark.

But what could've helped Speed Racer make more money in its opening weekend? The running time has been mentioned a lot in the past 24 hours, but a running time doesn't exactly woo audiences into the theater. Is the film's marketing 100% to blame? Should the trailers have been cut differently? Should they have stressed that this was a film for kids? Should they have added a little viral action into the mix? Or what about overall? From the beginning, were the Wachowski Brothers the right folks for the job? Should they have gone the animated route instead -- or maybe the animated 3-D route? Should they have made this a film for older kids; slap on a PG-13 rating?

In your opinion, what could've helped Speed Racer -- both in its opening weekend and in its development as a feature film?

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According to early estimates from Box Office Mojo, this summer's second big-budgeted extravaganza failed to pick up more than $20 million at the box office this weekend, with the poorly-reviewed comedy What Happens in Vegas finishing right behind in third. Of course, Iron Man took the top spot for a second week in a row with roughly $50 million, while Speed Racer -- which some projected to take home at least $30-40 million -- came in second with $20.2 million, as What Happens in Vegas slid into third with $20 million. Rounding out the top five were Made of Honor ($7.6 million) and Baby Mama ($5.7 million).

So what happened to Speed Racer? Part of the reason had to do with its targeted audience, which, supposedly, was kids, though kids weren't very familiar with the cartoon the film was based on. That, and the flick clocked in at over two hours -- a running time that's been mentioned a lot this weekend, as well as one that's way too long for a PG-rated kiddie adventure. That said, its PG-rating scared away those adults who grew up with the cartoon; people who, most likely, were looking for something a bit more skewed toward adults (especially when Iron Man came out the weekend before and kicked a whole lot of ass). Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure we can rule out that Speed Racer franchise at this point.

Coupla questions for ya: Why do you think Speed Racer failed to power across the finish line in spectacular fashion? Also, what happens to the Wachowski Brothers now? Will folks think twice before giving them $150 million and free reign?

The critics might not like it, and also can't agree on whether it's better or worse than its two predecessors, but Variety reports that Resident Evil: Extinction topped the box office this weekend, pulling in an estimated gross of $24 million (from 2,828 runs). While we won't know if the success will continue into next week, this sci-fi horror flick is a perfect example of the sequel syndrome. The first, and often cited as the best, Resident Evil raked in $17 million in 2002 (on its way to $40.1 million), and the second, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, collected $23 million (heading to $50.7 million) in its first weekend. The increase has slowed, but it's still there.

Number two, of course, was another zombie flick, Good Luck Chuck. Okay, so it isn't about the undead, but it might make you one, if a 3% fresh rating is to be believed. A rating at 60, 50, or even 40% can be open for discussion, but it's usually the Justin and Kelly variety of schlock if it drops below 10%. So, we've got already-made zombies in a post-apocalypse Vegas battling an abysmal comedy that might make people into zombies. Oh, and we should mention that moviegoers packed the theaters for Rob Zombie's Halloween. Yup, it's zombie's all around! The question is: can they last? Will viewers not only disagree with the critics again, but continue to visit the flicks in droves, or will this batch bow their heads and agree, leaving next week to be open for new fare as the zombies meet their maker, once again?

Apparently the first trick they teach the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is how to conjure up enough money to choke a hippogriff. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix set a new record for a Wednesday opening with $44 million, and taking in $139.7 million as of Sunday. Last week's other newcomer Captivity finished in 12th place, taking in a mere $1.4 million dollars. With Hostel Part 2 also experiencing lackluster box office numbers, might this indicate that the torture horror fad has ended? I suppose the real test of that will come when the fourth installment of the reliably successful Saw franchise hacks its way into theaters this October.

Once the smoke cleared, here's how the weekend looked:
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix $77.1 million
2. Transformers $37 million
3. Ratatouille $18 million
4. Live Free or Die Hard $11.2 million
5. License to Wed $7.3 million

This weekend's premieres look to be more reserved than previous weeks, with not a robot, super hero or wizard in sight.

Hairspray
What's It All About: An adaptation of the Broadway musical that was itself based on John Waters' 1988 film, Hairspray is about an overweight girl's obsession with a TV dance show. The impressive cast includes John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken and Amanda Bynes.
Why It Might Do Well: Rotten Tomatoes is giving this a 100% Fresh rating and I, like many Americans, have a morbid fascination with the idea of John Travolta playing an obese woman.
Why It Might Not Do Well: A musical is a tough sell these days.
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction: $20 million

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
What's It All About: Adam Sandler and Kevin James star as a pair of straight firefighters who pretend to be gay so they can register as domestic partners which will allow James' character to name his children as beneficiaries on his life insurance. One can only assume there will be merry mix-ups.
Why It Might Do Well: Knocked Up has done amazingly well this summer, pulling in $138.2 million so far, so the time may be right for another quirky relationship comedy, and both stars have proven they know how to make people laugh. And lest we forget, we get to see Jessica Biel in her underwear.
Why It Might Not Do Well: A plot that sounds like a sitcom episode.
Number of Theaters: 3,200
Prediction: $28 million

My method of prediction this week involves casting bones. Unfortunately, the only bones I had available were some KFC leftovers and it's gotten a bit messy in here. Needless to say, the wife is not pleased, but I suspect the coming weekend will go something like this:
1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
3 Transformers
4 Hairspray
5 Ratatouille

Last Week's Prediction Ranking
1. Matt: 16
1. Anna07: 16
1. Bubba8193: 16
1. Ray: 16
2. The 13th: 13
2. Bradley Thom: 13
2. Chris: 13
2. Gregory Rubinstein: 13
3. NPC:12
4. Edgeoforever: 10

If you want to join in on our friendly box office prediction competition (and I hope you do), don't forget to post your prediction for the top five films in the comments section below. One point for every top five movie correctly named, two points for every correct placement, and one extra point for the top movie.

When debates arise about just how good the current sea of movies and blockbusters are, money matters always come into play. "Such-and-such film made a bajillion dollars at the box office, and fifteen trillion people went to see it, so it has to be good!" The other aspect that sometimes steps up to the plate -- how do each of these movies pan out if pitted against each other, taking inflation into account? Box Office Mojo has a list of Domestic Grosses, adjusted for the inflation of ticket prices over the years, and it includes a few of this years big movies -- Spider-Man 3 and Shrek the Third (highlighted in yellow). You know what? They're nowhere near the top.

The site adjusted ticket prices for all movies to be the estimated 2007 average of $6.58, and then whipped up a list of the top 100 grossing films, listing titles, studio, adjusted gross, unadjusted gross and the year of release. From this year's two that I mentioned above -- Spidey is ranked number 87, and Shrek is 94. What's up at the top? Gone with the Wind, of course. The film's unadjusted gross was $198,676,459, but with the inflation adjustment it's a whopping $1,329,453,600. Yes, that's over a billion bucks. The rest of the top five -- Star Wars, The Sound of Music, E.T. and The Ten Commandments. Sure, there's more to consider in this argument, but it's pretty interesting to see how gross numbers play out when ticket prices are the same. Thoughts?

Steve Carell's Evan Almighty outdid the opening weekend of his last starring vehicle The 40 Year Old Virgin by about $11 million, placing Evan in last weekend's number one spot. As many have pointed out to me, I was overly optimistic about 1408, but the Stephen King adaptation starring John Cusack still managed a respectable second place. Both of last week's big gun's pushed The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer down to number three, with box office dollars dropping 65% from its opening weekend for the super hero epic. Sleeper hit Knocked Up continues to add theaters, with the film showing on 68 additional screens this week, with the comedy dropping two positions.

Last weekend's box office top five:
1. Evan Almighty: $32.1 million
2. 1408: $20.17 million
3. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: $20.15 million
4. Ocean's Thirteen: $11.3 million
5. Knocked Up: $10.6 million

This week has a couple of big hitters, one of which is a much anticipated action sequel and the other a new animated feature from the director of The Incredibles. Here's what we've got:

Live Free or Die Hard
What's It All About: Action film poster child John McLane (Bruce Willis) continues dying hard 12 years after the franchise's last installment. McLane is taking on a high-tech terrorist who is threatening to collapse the U.S. economy via some devilish computer shenanigans.
Why It Might Do Well: Since McLane's new sidekick is played by that guy from the Apple Computer ads (Justin Long), the film will, at the very least, get the Mac user vote. McLane and his insane stunts have been absent from theaters long enough that the flick will certainly inspire nostalgia, and this kind of all out action movie is tailor-made for the summer market. And, of course, there's Bruce.
Why It Might Not Do Well: 12 years is a long time between sequels.
Number of Theaters: 3,350
Prediction: $40 million

Ratatouille
What's It All About: A computer animated family comedy about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef, and who seeks to fulfill his destiny at one of Paris's finest restaurants.
Why It Might Do Well: Rat will tap much of the same market as Shrek the Third which has made over $308 million, and the Disney/Pixar duo has an impressive history. Based on the trailer I'd say they've got another winner.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Without the recognizability of a previously successful character like Shrek, audiences may be slow to warm up to our rat-faced hero.
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $36 million

Evening
What's It All About: Based on a novel by Susan Minot, a dying woman tells her two adult daughters about the defining moments of her life and of her greatest love.
Why It Might Do Well: Like A Mighty Heart last week, Evening provides a meat and potatoes alternative to all the summer movie eye candy, and an impressive cast including Meryl Streep, Claire Danes, Vanessa Redgrave, and Glenn Close may attract some attention.
Why It Might Not Do Well: This one may be too heavy for summer crowds looking for more lightweight fare.
Number of Theaters: 900
Prediction: $4 million

My prediction from last week was less than stellar, so this time around I've cast aside my crystal ball and am pursuing a more scientific approach that involves the positions of the stars, barometric pressure, and a Magic 8-Ball. Here's how I see the weekend going:

1. Live Free or Die Hard
2. Ratatouille
3. Evan Almighty
4. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
5. 1408

Last Week's Prediction Rankings:
1. Bubba8193: 16
2. NPC: 12
2. Opp-Neg: 12
2. Anna07: 12
2. Ray: 12
2. Chris: 12
2. Gregory Rubinstein: 12
8. Mario: 11
9. Ethan Stanislawski: 10
10. Bradley Thom: 9
11. DW: 7
12. Matt: 4

To have your prediction counted in our weekly competition, don't forget to give us your top five list before 5:00 PM on Saturday. One point for every top five movie correctly named, two points for every correct placement, and one extra point for the top movie.

For the first time in weeks the box office top five was free of arachnids, with Spider-man 3 crawling its way off the list entirely, and Danny Ocean and his charming cadre of thieves from Ocean's 13 stole the top spot from that other set of bandits in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Hostel II surprised some people by pulling in a mere $8 million, showing that folks seem to be more in the mood for laughs and some swashbuckling rather than a bolt-cutter to the toes. Here are the numbers for last weekend:

1. Ocean's Thirteen: $37.1 million
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: $21.3 million
3. Knocked Up: $20 million
4. Surf's Up: $18 million
5. Shrek the Third: $15.8 million

Comics fans lamenting the wallcrawler's departure from the top five should take solace in knowing that this weekend will see the premiere of another comic book sequel. Let's take a look.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
What It's About: The super powered quartet from 2005's Fantastic Four return to protect the world from a silver clad surfer dude from the stars, and the team's arch nemesis Dr. Doom returns to stir up his own brand of evil as well.
Why It Might Do Well: This flick easily had the coolest trailer of all the summer blockbusters, featuring a scene of The Human Torch (Chris Evans) chasing the Silver Surfer (Doug Jones) across the New York City skyline. although that may be my inner comic book geek talking. The first film in the franchise had a $56 million opening weekend before going on to gross $155 million domestic, so it's reasonable to assume a lot of those ticket buyers will be back for more. Also, Spider-man 3's record breaking numbers demonstrate that comic book adaptations are still hot. Finally, a film's box office figures will NEVER be negatively effected by the presence of Jessica Alba in a form-fitting costume composed of unstable molecules.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Elektra proved that a film adaptation of a Marvel Comics character isn't necessarily a license to print money.
Prediction: $60 million

Nancy Drew
What It's About: Based on a series of young adult mystery novels, Nancy Drew tells the tale of a small town girl detective (Emma Roberts) accompanying her father on a business trip to Los Angeles. While there, Nancy uncovers evidence in a long unsolved case involving a murdered movie star.
Why It Might Do Well: While I've never read the books, a character that has been in print since 1930 must have something going for her.
Why It Might Not Do Well: With Pirates, Shrek and Surf's Up still out there, there's some stiff competition for the family film dollar. The trailer makes this one look like a de-fanged version of Mean Girls, and braving the summer movie season without star power is the tough way to go.
Prediction: $4 million

I've dusted off my crystal ball, spritzed it with Windex, and glanced at this coming weekend's box office top five (PLEASE NOTE: Crystal ball is no longer under warranty, has been dropped several times, and usually the best I can get out of it are Bonanza reruns, so judge these results accordingly.):

1. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
2. Ocean's 13
3. Knocked Up
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
5. Surf's Up


Last Week's Prediction Rankings
1. Rob: 16
2. Brody: 12
2. Bubba8193: 12
2. Gilbert Davis: 12
2. Tangoeco: 12
6. Patricia: 10
7. Chris: 9
7. Lyz: 9
9. Mario: 7
9. Opp-Neg: 7
9. Dylsan: 7
9. Goulet: 7

Don't forget, predictions for this week's box office top five need to be in by 5:00PM on Saturday. Good luck to all.

Sony has accused the Walt Disney Company of bending the rules in announcing the box office totals for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. The main issue in question is whether Pirates 3 or Spider-Man 3 brought in the most gold doubloons over its first six days of worldwide release. Sony spokesman Steve Eltzer is claiming that At World's End opened in at least two areas on the previous Tuesday, which would add a seventh day of grosses to what Disney announced as a six-day record. Disney is claiming "we had previews that generated $1.4 million. And in keeping with industry practice, we rolled it into the opening day." I, Patrick Walsh, am claiming that if these people would put as much work into their movies as they do into arguing about insanely trivial financial records, moviegoers would be a hell of a lot happier.

Sony opened Spider-Man 3 on a Tuesday in some territories overseas and announced a "six-day opening record" of $232 million. Disney announced its "six-day opening record" of $251 for Pirates. And both have been grumbling and bickering back and forth ever since. "While there may or may not be other territories that opened prior to Wednesday, we believe that as more day-and-date releases enter the market, there should be a consistent standard in international box office reporting," says Eltzer. "This issue is larger than an opening-week box office statistic." Hear hear! Way to focus on the truly important issues, boys! This is a sad day indeed. I thought Hollywood was supposed to be a world of magical entertainments and childlike wonder, and now we come to find out that these people seem to be most interested in ... money? Who knew?

Last week was pretty easy to call; anyone who didn't think Shrek the Third would reign triumphant must have something against ogres of color. Our winners, each with perfect predictions, were bubba8193 (again!) and Mario. Congrats, guys. Your auras of superiority are in the mail.

1. Shrek the Third - $122 million
2. Spider-Man 3 - $28.5 million
3. 28 Weeks Later - $5.1 million
4. Disturbia - $3.6 million
5. Georgia Rule - $3.4 million

This week? Hmm, tough call. Will Lindsay Lohan's fans mobilize and launch Georgia Rule to the top of the charts?

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
What It's About: Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is trapped in Davy Jones' locker at the World's End, dead (or "dead") and insane; Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), feeling guilty for abandoning him, leads the rescue brigade; Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) wants to free his father from his debt to Davy Jones; and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) (who was dead, but is feeling much better) is antsy about the East India Company, which -- using Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) as its pawn -- is threatening to end the pirates' way of life forever. The motley crew heads to Singapore, where Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) possesses not just the maps to the World's End but also the power to convene the Brethren Court of Pirate Lords.
Why It Might Break the Record: Last summer's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest set a box office record with an opening take of $135 million; this summer the title shifted to Spider-Man 3 ($151 million). Seeing as how the blockbusters seem to be setting new records practically every week, why shouldn't At World's End be any different? On top of that, this installment, which has all the members of the franchise returning, is something of a finale to the series ... even if it isn't (based on Depp's recent comments) actually the end.
Why It Might Not Break the Record: At 168 minutes, and with so many plotlines (some would say too many), it's not for the casual viewer. The length also limits the number of times per day that a theater can show the film; Spider-Man 3, if you're keeping score, was 139 minutes long. (Cranky old lady rant: Whatever happened to the days when two hours was considered long? Anyone? Anyone?)
Prediction: $168 million

Lesson for the day: Never listen to my friend Kevin. Last week, he insisted to me that Delta Farce had no shot of making the top five, and that The Ex, for all its flaws, was a shoo-in for the fifth spot. "But, Larry the Cable Guy!" I said. "He's got ... fans! Or something." Nah, he said, go with The Ex. So I did, and as it turned out, I was wrong. Wrong, the opposite of right. (If you got that movie quote, you're my new best friend.) Here's how it shook out:

1. Spider-Man 3 - $60 million
2. 28 Weeks Later - $10 million
3. Georgia Rule - $5.9 million
4. Disturbia - $4.8 million
5. Delta Farce - $3.5 million

Two of our posters, being undistracted by The Kevin, achieved perfect scores last week: three-peater bubba8193 (ho-hum, dominance is just SO boring, isn't it?) and chris (welcome to the top, dawg!). But enough about piddling $3 million movies. (The Ex, for the record, earned $1.4 million and didn't even make the top ten.) Move over, Spidey, there's a new green goblin -- umm, ogre -- in town ...

Shrek the Third
What It's About: The big green guy (Mike Myers) finds himself heir to the throne when his father-in-law, King Harold, kicks the bucket. Trouble is, Shrek wants no part of this king business, so he sets off to find Fiona's cousin Artie (Justin Timberlake), who might be up for it instead -- or he would, if he weren't already reigning as King of the High School Losers (Never Made It With the Ladies). Meanwhile, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) mobilizes a team of villains so that he can take the throne for himself.
Why It Might Do Well: It's the only blockbuster opening this weekend -- in fact, the only movie opening wide, period -- so that's kind of a no-brainer. Plus, as the summer's first true family film (it's rated PG, whereas Spider-Man 3 is rated PG-13), it will certainly overtake Spidey for the No. 1 spot.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Shrek earned $42 million its opening weekend; Shrek 2 an astonishing $108 million, setting a record for biggest opening for an animated film. Will this third installment shatter its own record? It could ... or it's possible audiences might be suffering from a little bit of Shrek fatigue.
Prediction: $110 million

Unless you've been cooped up David Blaine-like in a box somewhere, you know that last week Spider-Man 3 finished first, shattering the box-office record with a $151 million opening. Given the inevitability of No. 1, you'd think all our predictors would knock this one out of the park -- but no one ended up with a perfect prediction. Here's how the box office top five shook down:

1. Spider-Man 3 - $151 million
2. Disturbia - $5.7 million
3. Fracture - $3.4 million
4. The Invisible - $3.1 million
5. Next - $2.8 million

bubba8193 finished first -- again! -- with evilone1414 nipping at his heels. Aaaand I finished last ... again. (Full list of results after the jump.) Of course, I threw the whole thing to make you guys look good; as a wise man once said, everything I do, I do it for you. But seriously, since there's nothing I can say about Spidey that hasn't already been said, I'll put this out there instead: What ... is the deal ... with Disturbia? Have that many people never heard of Rear Window? Does Shia LaBeouf really have that many fans? Or is everything else out there just that unappealing? OK. Letting it go now. I promise.

28 Weeks Later
What It's About: In this follow-up to Danny Boyle's zombie thriller 28 Days Later, survivors return to London only to face the aftermath of the rage virus: paranoia, betrayal, cowardice, people eating each other. Good times.
Why It Might Do Well: 28 Days Later was a sleeper hit, earning $45 million domestically, and reviews for this one have generally been positive. C'mon, who doesn't love zombies?
Why It Might Not Do Well: Most of its target audience will be seeing Spider-Man 3 this weekend, and this feels like the umpteenth horror movie to come out in 2007.
Prediction: $15 million

I'm sure you've heard the news by now: The biggest opening of all time now belongs to Spider-Man 3, and by "opening" I also mean A) first day, B) first weekend, and C) a ton of international opening days / weekends. Oh, and D) number of North America theaters. The thing's a mammoth smash, basically, and it was only released three freakin' days ago! Here's a breakdown of the stats, courtesy of the number-crunching geniuses over at BoxOfficeMojo.com:

Biggest opening Friday: $59.8 million from 4,252 theaters, which is also a record
Biggest Saturday: $51.3 million
Biggest Sunday: $39.9 million
Biggest IMAX weekend: $4.8 million from 84 theaters
Biggest total weekend: $151.1 million, which is about $10 million higher than the weekend estimates predicted!

The movie also broke a record for biggest gap between first and second place, a record I didn't even know people kept track of. (This past weekend's #2 movie was Disturbia, which pulled in about $5.9 million.) The previous record holder for biggest opening day ($55.1 million) and biggest opening weekend ($135 million) was last summer's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest -- which means that Jack Sparrow will have a shot at reclaiming the prize in only a few weeks. The third chapter, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, opens on May 25.

And for some opening weekend comparisons: The original Spider-Man, which opened on May 3, 2002, snatched just over $114 million from 3,876 theaters in its opening weekend, whereas Spider-Man 2 (which opened on June 30, 2004) pulled in $88.1 million from 4,166 theaters. Final domestic tallies for those flicks were $403 million and $373 million, respectively. Worldwide? Spider-Man made about $821 million while the sequel did about $783 million. Looks like the best flick in the series was also the least profitable. Weird.

Last week, our old pal bubba8193 triumphed against evilone1414 and rose to the top of the leaderboard, perfectly predicting the following box office top five:

Spider-Man 3
What It's About: Just when everything's going gangbusters for Peter Parker -- the city loves Spider-Man, he's got a hot girlfriend -- an alien black goo gloms onto him, turns his suit black and makes him think he's a badass. Meanwhile, three villains mobilize against him: Flint Marko, Uncle Ben's actual murderer, who escapes from prison and is molecularized into Sandman; Eddie Brock, a rival photographer who also gets infected with the goo and turns into the toothy, maniacal Venom; and Peter's old friend Harry Osborn, aka New Goblin, who's still intent on avenging his father's death.
Why It Might Do Well: Might do well? Really the question here is: Will it break the domestic record for biggest box-office opening ever? The figure to aim for is $135.6 million, the amount earned by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest last July. Spider-Man 3 faces much less competition than Pirates did, and it's opening on a record 4,252 screens; on the other hand, some of the earliest buzz from the blogosphere has been mixed. But Spidey is review-proof -- and at any rate, most agree that the action in this film is better than ever.
Why It Might Not Do Well: There could be a nationwide blackout. Aliens could land on Earth and insist that all theaters be dedicated to showing their home movies. The possibilities are endless, really.
Prediction: $138 million

Lucky You
What It's About: Eric Bana plays Huck, a professional gambler who can't seem to hold onto anything -- love, money or his relationship with his father (Robert Duvall), a legendary poker player. Huck's attempts to get a seat at the World Series of Poker coincide with his meeting a cute, poker-ignorant singer Billie (Drew Barrymore) and warily reuniting with his estranged dad.
Why It Might Do Well: People who have no interest in seeing Spider-Man may head for this film, which was directed by Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential). And those who love Eric Bana, poker and Vegas (I'm guilty and I'm proud) will find plenty to enjoy here.
Why It Might Not Do Well: There's a lot of poker in it. A looooot of poker, which the generally weak reviews have noted. And while Barrymore can headline a hit movie, she's just a sidenote to this story; Bana isn't a big enough star yet to drive crowds to the theaters. Oh, and also, um ... Spider-Man 3.
Prediction: $8 million

What up, movie peeps? First, let's see what happened with last week's predict 'em game. When the dust cleared Sunday, the final top five looked like this:

1. Disturbia - $13.5 million
2. Fracture - $11.2 million
3. Blades of Glory - $7.8 million
4. Vacancy - $7.6 million
5. Meet the Robinsons - $7.1 million

Our winner? Evilone1414, who, just like a certain movie about a teenaged peeping tom, was king of the hill for the second week in a row -- getting every pick right except for reversing the order of Vacancy and Meet the Robinsons. Evil rules! As for myself, I finished dead last ... again. Looks like this week -- the notorious Last Weekend of April, not known for its high-quality fare (last year's No. 1: RV) -- I may need the services of someone who can actually see the future. Now, who would that be?

Next
What It's About: Nicolas Cage stars as a small-time clairvoyant magician and card shark who, after having a vision of L.A. being annihilated, must decide whether or not to use his power for good.
Why It Might Do Well: It's an incredibly weak field of movies this weekend, with everyone getting out of the way of the advancing Spider-Man juggernaut. Next is the only standout in terms of marketing and expectations, and Nicolas Cage is certainly a draw (just look at Ghost Rider).
Why It Might Not Do Well: Reason number one would have to be Cage's hair, which is giving Tom Hanks' unfortunate 'do in The Da Vinci Code a run for its money. Help me think of a name for this hairstyle: the Emo Phillips? Reason number two: The film's pretty generic as far as action movies go, and probably wouldn't be a blip on anyone's radar were it opening in any month other than April.
Prediction: $14 million