Samuel L. 22:15

I knew this would happen. I should of seen it coming. But then again, American audiences are being a little more receptive to the auteurs at the box office lately. The ship is slowly turning: with The Departed at #1 two years ago and making over 100 million dollars, Scorsese's finally a hit. Now the Coens, and of course Spike Lee's WWII pic hoping to clean up both at the Oscars and at the box office. In the meantime, the fourteenth incarnation of David Mamet, Neil LaBute, kicks la-butt at the box office yet again, just like he did with The Wicker Man two years ago... didn't he? Oh dear, I lapsed in my accounting. I think it was, though. But he's so successful now, he doesn't even need to do his own screenwriting anymore! What a relief. As for Samuel L., well, he already remade Tin Men, so this must be his remake of ... Unlawful Entry? There Goes The Neighborhood? What gives, SLJ?

Sliding to #2, or I guess I should say, simmering down to #2 it's Burn After Reading. Time to run the ads that say it's the #1 comedy in America. Of course, the way comedy in film's going these days, Lakeview Terrace might claim that one, too.

And just like last week, we got four newbies on the list! Kewl! LT at #1, of course. At #3, it's My Best Friend's Girl with everyone's favorite frat-boy white boy funny man, Dane Cook as Tank. Really? Tank? It's not a nickname anymore? Ethan Suplee five years ago. Maybe he'd be a Tank. You still got it, Deutch!

Another newbie at #4, it's Igor. Oh dear, these Pixar-esque fests just aren't surefire hits anymore. What does everyone else do so wrong, but Pixar do so right? I'm thinkin' the merchandising. Where's the Igor lunchboxes and plush toys, cheapskates?

At #5, Righteous Kill, yeah yeah yeah. #6, Tyler Perry, yeah yeah yeah. #7, The Women, yeah yeah yeah. But DEBUTING at #8, it's Ghost Town! The fourth newbie this week. What gives? I thought America was in love with Ricky Gervais! Guess it's back to HBO for you, buddy! You're so big (in the industry), they'll just build another show around you. Maybe you could play a wacky janitor somewhere, your version of Good Will Hunting, something like that. Work on it. Or maybe you could play a mob informant who says a little too much, doesn't know when to stop talking, many scenes of awkwardness, that kind of thing.

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And at 9 and 10, as we usually do, we've got the tragic end of a life well lived. The Dark Knight didn't quite make it to 600 million in the U.S., but there's always the overseas market. They're a little more solvent over there these days, anyway. At #10, The House Bunny. Put 'em both together, you got Donnie Darko! I gotta go...