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Published on Monday, Aug 18, 2008
Thunder at the Box Office. R-rated comedy Tropic Thunder ended The Dark Knight's reign at the top of the weekend box office, although Dark Knight passed Star Wars for the No. 2 spot on the all-time box office list. More about that later.
For now, Tropic Thunder — with Ben Stiller (who also directed), Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise — took in an estimated $26 million over the weekend. With the money it collected from Wednesday and Thursday screenings, Box Office Mojo says, Tropic Thunder has taken in $37 million so far.
That's not as high as some analysts had hoped. Deadline Hollywood Daily said the movie's distributor lowered its weekend expectations after seeing the Wednesday and Thursday numbers. Reviews were mostly positive, but Thunder was hit with protests from intellectual-disability groups unhappy with the use of the word ''retard'' and a movie-within-the-movie about an intellectually challenged man.
Following Tropic Thunder in the top five were The Dark Knight ($16.8 million), the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars ($15.5 million), horror film Mirrors ($11.1 million) and Pineapple Express ($10 million).
Now, about Dark Knight. . . . •
Knight Rides High. As I said, The Dark Knight is now the second highest-grossing film of all time, when figures are not adjusted for inflation. Its $471 million has passed Star Wars' revenues, but all-time champ Titanic took in more than $600 million.
Star Wars is still second — behind Gone With the Wind — when inflation is factored in. In the inflation-modified listings on Box Office Mojo, Dark Knight has moved up to 39th place.
Still, Dark Knight has been in theaters for only a month.
•
Cruise the Carryall. While he is enjoying good reviews for his Tropic Thunder performance (and dancing) as a maniacal studio executive, the New York Daily News said that Cruise's daughter, Suri, finds him ''an excellent purse.'' ''From bottles to baby dolls, the Hollywood dad juggled a medley of daughter Suri's accessories during outings with his family this weekend in New York, allowing the tot to keep her hands free,'' the News said.
''Cruise started off easy,'' the paper said, ''toting a bottle for Suri as the duo left their Manhattan residence on Friday. The 46-year-old soon upgraded to a toy lamb while walking his daughter and wife, Katie Holmes, to a rehearsal of [stage play] All My Sons. By that evening, Cruise was gripping a Cabbage Patch Kid, teddy bear and coloring book in one hand as the family headed to Nobu for dinner with pal Ben Stiller. Cruise was at it again the next morning — impressively clutching a baby doll and stuffed animal in his right hand and his daughter, who delicately sucked on a bottle, in the other as they made their way to Chelsea Piers.''
And he didn't palm all the stuff off on an assistant. But, at 2 years old, isn't it time Suri stopped using a bottle?
•
Wedding Bells. Ellen DeGeneres and actress fiancee Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development) tied the knot Saturday night in their Los Angeles home, People.com reports.
'The intimate ceremony was attended by 19 guests, including DeGeneres' mom, Betty, and de Rossi's mother, Margaret Rogers (who flew in from Australia for the occasion),'' the Web site said. The couple exchanged handwritten vows.
Both wore outfits by designer Zac Posen. They exchanged rings by Neil Lane. DeGeneres announced their wedding plans in May, after the California Supreme Court overturned a state ban on gay marriage.
•
Book Birthday. Raise your copy of The Cat Ate My Gymsuit. Author Paula Danziger would have been 64 today.
While Gymsuit was her best-known book (and her first), the former teacher wrote 30 other books, including her Amber Brown tales, and was memorable off the page. As the New York Times once noted, Danziger might have become a stand-up comic. And for public appearances, the Times said, ''she decked herself out with rhinestone-trimmed glasses, feather hats and beaded outfits, talked fast and was funny.''
That last point held true even after she died in July 2004 from complications following a heart attack. Her paid death notice in the Times said, '''Paula Danziger, beloved children's book writer, would like to inform you that she isn't avoiding your calls, she passed away.
•
Speaking of Birthdays. . . Today is the 56th for actor Patrick Swayze, and it's good to know that he made it to this one. You may think of him for the movies Dirty Dancing, Point Break and Ghost, or for TV's North and South. I keep a fond memory for him because of Road House. When you think of the way he has kept working while fighting pancreatic cancer, remember one line from that movie: ''Pain don't hurt.''
•
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal and in the HeldenFiles Online blog at http://www.ohio.com. He can be reached at 330-996-3582 or rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com.
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