Stephen King picks his favorite films of 2009

Stephen King obviously loves movies, and that means he obviously has some favorites...

Stephen King picked his 10 best films of the year 2009, and I bet you will be surprised by some of the the flicks he put on that list. EW posted his picks with some thoughts from King himself, and here's what he liked the most in 2009:

No. 10 on his list is "2012," which despite awesome effects and some hilarious sequences would never make my best of list. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is his No. 9, and I admit that's one of the films I agree with him about. It is truly a fantastic animated adventure.

Moving on, he picked "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" as No. 8, "Law Abiding Citizen" as seventh, and "District 9" as No. 6. Okay for "District 9," but the other two? "Citizen" was pretty entertaining, sure, but I admit I was really disappointed by "Pelham."

"The Reader" made it to No. 5 on King's list, and "Disgrace" is his No. 4. "The Road" is No. 3 (couldn't agree more), and the big shocker comes in at No. 2: "The Last House on the Left." Come again? Well, I'm glad he's among those who loved that flick.

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Box Office: 'Knowing' reigns supreme at No. 1

Weekend of March 20 – 22, 2009

“Knowing” emerged as the champion at the North American box office this weekend with $24.8 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Alex Proyas’ apocalyptic thriller celebrated the widest release this week at 3,332 locations, taking the No. 1 spot as early as Friday. In the film, Nicholas Cage tries to prevent a series of global disasters.

Debuting in second place was John Hamburg’s latest comedy “ I Love You, Man,” which picked up $18 million. Starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, the movie centers on a man who doesn’t have male buddies and heads out to find the perfect best man for his wedding.

“Duplicity,” the weekend’s third new release, finished third with $14.4 million. The Tony Gilroy-directed comedy stars Clive Owen and Julia Roberts as two spies teaming up to pull off the perfect corporate con.

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Movie Review: “The Last House on the Left”

Seen on: March 17, 2009

The players: Director: Dennis Iliadis, Writers: Carl Ellsworth, Adam Alleca, Cast: Garret Dillahunt, Martha MacIsaac, Riki Lindhome, Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Sara Paxton

Facts of interest: Remake of Wes Craven's 1972 version of the same title.

The plot: After a teenage girl is brutally murdered, her parents seek revenge when the attackers show up at their door seeking shelter.

Our thoughts: “The Last House on the Left” is not exactly an intriguing horror thriller, but then again, it’s also not as bad as I expected, and that’s definitely a good thing. Dennis Iliadis’ remake of Wes Craven’s 1972 flick doesn’t really bring anything new to the genre, but it’s efficient enough to serve as a decent afternoon diversion if you’re into a bunch of brutal, big-screen killings.

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Box Office: 'Witch Mountain' wins weekend race

Weekend of March 13 - 15, 2009

"Race to Witch Mountain" defeated its competition at the North American box office this weekend with $24.4 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Directed by Andy Fickman, Walt Disney's latest family adventure stars Dwayne Johnson as a Las Vegas taxi driver helping two alien kids return to their spaceship. The film is based on the book by Alexander Key.

Last week's winner "Watchmen" dropped to No. 2, earning $17.8 million for a domestic total of $85.7 million. Based on the celebrated graphic novel by Alan Moore, the film tells the story of a group of superheroes investigating one of their colleagues' murder.

Debuting in third place this weekend with $14.1 million was "The Last House on the Left," a remake of Wes Craven's 1972 horror flick of the same title. The plot follows two parents seeking revenge against a group of sociopaths who raped their daughter.

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'Race to Witch Mountain' tops Friday box office

"Race to Witch Mountain" outran its competition at the North American box office Friday with an estimated $6.7 million in ticket sales.

Walt Disney's family adventure had the widest release this weekend, opening at 3,187 locations. Starring Dwayne Johnson, the movie follows a Las Vegas cab driver who picks up two alien kids trying to get back to their spaceship.

Debuting at No. 2 with $5.5 million was "The Last House on the Left," a horror remake about two parents who seek bloody revenge on a bunch of sociopaths who raped their daughter.

Slipping to third place Friday was last week's winner "Watchmen," bringing in $5.4 million and reaching a total of $73.3 million.

Meanwhile, Pierre Morel's "Taken" collected $2 million at No. 4, reaching a cumulative gross of $122.2 million. Following in fifth place was Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail" with a daily gross of $1.4 million and a total of $79.5 million.

This week's third wide release, "Miss March," only made it to No. 8 with an estimated $890,000.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)

This week's new movie releases - March 13, 2009

We're in for another Friday the 13th this week, and things are a little busier at the movies. The following films open this Friday: "Race to Witch Mountain" with Dwayne Johnson; "Miss March" with Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore; and "The Last House on the Left," a horror flick with Sara Paxton and Monica Potter. Let's take a closer look:

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN

Synopsis: A taxi driver gets more than get bargained for when he picks up two teen runaways. Not only does the pair possess supernatural powers, but they're also trying desperately to escape people who have made them their targets.

First thoughts: Andy Fickman ("The Game Plan") reteams with Dwayne Johnson for this Disney remake, which, judging by its trailer and TV spots, doesn't look that awesome. Sure, it looks like a fast-paced enough action flick the kiddies may enjoy, but I'm not at all sure whether I should walk into this one with high expectations.

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Posters for 'Pelham 123,' 'H2' and 'Crank 2'

My poster radar picked up four brand-new one-sheets on the Web today, and here they are:

The first one is for Tony Scott's remake "The Taking of Pelham 123," starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro and Luis Guzman.

In the film, a cop tries to catch a gang of criminals hijacking a New York subway train. Brian Helgeland wrote the screenplay for the film, which opens June 12, 2009. (via Joblo)

Next up is a new poster for Rob Zombie's "H2: Halloween 2." It's very similar to the poster released previously. The film will pick up immediately where the first one ended.

Scroll down and you will also come across a new poster for "Crank 2: High Voltage," in which Jason Statham faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.

Finally, STYD has posted the new poster for "The Last House on the Left," a horror flick about a family who tries everything to kill the people who kidnapped their daughter. Film opens March 13.

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