New Movies and Box Office Predictions: The Hangover, Land of the Lost, My Life in Ruins

The first week of June is also the sixth week of blockbuster season, and it looks like the first weekend where the reigning champion has a legitimate shot at retaining the top spot. The battle for box office supremacy could be an outright dog fight. Aside from that, it also looks like the weekend to bring the first really funny comedy of the season. On the whole, even with a weak potential blockbuster, there are plenty of worthy movies in theaters (give Drag Me to Hell a shot, you won't be disappointed).

The Hangover. (2009, 100 minutes, R, comedy) I am really hoping I like this movie. All of the footage I have seen screams of hilarity. Of course, this is from the director of Old School, and that is a movie I did not particularly care for. The story has a group of friends heading to Vegas for a bachelor party. A night of drunken debauchery finds them loosing the groom and no memory of what happened over the course of a single wild night. The movie brings to mind Jon Favreau's Very Bad Things, which I want to watch again. The cast for this film includes Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifinakas, Justin Bartha, and Heather Graham.



Land of the Lost. (2009, 96 minutes, PG-13, adventure/comedy) The latest old school television show to get the big screen movie maker has not been tracking all that well as preview screenings have been met with less than enthusiastic response. I cannot say I am all that hyped up to see it, but I do like Anna Friel (RIP Pushing Daisies) and Danny McBride, so hopefully their presence will help it out a bit. Will Ferrell stars as Rick Marshall, a scientist intent on finding time warps. He ends up taking his team on an adventure that sees them meeting dinosaurs, giant crabs, lizard people, monkey people, and bloodthirsty mosquitoes. Please let it be at least mildly entertaining.



My Life in Ruins. (2009, 98 minutes, PG-13, romantic comedy) Nia Vardalos returns to the big screen for the first time since 2004's Connie and Carla (a movie I skipped in favor of watching Some Like it Hot). She plays a travel guide who travels to Greece and rediscovers her romantic side with her Greek driver. This is a film that may be good, but I cannot say I feel any overriding desire to see it. Co-starring with Vardalos are Richard Dreyfuss, Harland Williams, and Rachel Dratch.



Also opening this week, but not near me:

• Away We Go
• Downloading Nancy
• Seraphine
• Tennessee
• Unmistaken Child

Box Office Predictions
With Land of the Lost not getting the good early word, will it take the top spot as previously expected? Makes one wonder, no? Combine that with the great response that Up had last week, could it retain the top spot? It will be interesting as these two films duke it out for box office supremacy. Now, don't even think The Hangover will climb to the top, an R-rated bachelor party comedy will certainly have a more limited audience. I expect it to do well, but will likely be at the lower half of the top half of the top ten. The rest will just settle down a little lower than last week, just waiting for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen to arrive and destroy everything.

Here is how I think it could play out.

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Up	$41 million
2	Land of the Lost	$32 million
3	The Hangover	$22 million
4	Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian	$15 million
5	Drag Me to Hell	$8.5 million
6	Terminator: Salvation	$8 million
7	Star Trek	$7 million
8	Angels & Demons	$6 million
9	My Life in Ruins	$4 million
10	Dance Flick	$2 million