New Movies and Box Office Predictions: Bruno, I Love You Beth Cooper

Blockbuster week eleven is here. It feels like we are nearing the end of the season as we only have one legitimate bockbuster contender in next week's Harry Potter release. This week features a vulgar expose on society as told through the eyes of a gay fashionista and a high school-centric comedy about a night that would never happen in reality. We will also get to continue tracking the success of the year's biggest blockbuster, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, it has crossed the triple century mark, how far will it go?

Bruno. (2009, 88 minutes, R, comedy) Like the trailer says, Sacha Baron Cohen created a memorable and controversial character back in 2006. He is now returning to the big screen with a new creation, gay fashionista Bruno. He is back with another pseudo-reality film that sets out to expose the underbelly of society. Borat was hilarious and fascinating in how people would willfully give up such details about themselves, thus exposing them as something less than ideal. Will this succeed as well? Perhaps. I hope so. I also suspect it will be about as rewatchable as Borat. In other words, I do not expect it to play well past the initial viewing. Still, I am looking forward to checking it out.



I Love You, Beth Cooper. (2009, 96 minutes, PG-13, comedy) This looks mildly amusing, sort of like a throwback high school comedy. It centers on the class nerd who professes his love for the most popular girl in school. Much to his surprise, she shows up at his door and proceeds to show him the night of his life. I cannot say I have anything resembling high hopes for this, but the trailer made me laugh and it could prove to be a fun time. The movie stars Paul Rust as the nerd and Hayden Panettiere as the popular girl, they star for director Chris Columbus who worked from a script by Larry Doyle, who adapted his own novel.



Also opening this week, but not near me:

• Blood, the Last Vampire
• Mississippi Mermaid
• Soul Power

Box Office Predictions
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has taken its first two weekends. Is it possible the effects extravaganza has enough gas left to hold onto it for a third straight weekend? I think not, but you never now these days, what with the fickle audience always looking to latch on to the next big thing. I suspect that Bruno will rise up and take the top spot, everyone seems to love this guy and are interested in what antics he will kick up next. Despite the R rating, I am sure the theaters will be full. The rest if the list will just be shifted down a bit.

Here is how I think it could play out.

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Bruno	$36 million
2	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	$26 million
3	Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	$24 million
4	Public Enemies	$16 million
5	I Love You, Beth Cooper	$14.5 million
6	The Proposal	$8 million
7	The Hangover	$6.5 million
8	Up	$4 million
9	My Sister's Keeper	$2.5 million
10	The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3	$1.25 million