Of the movies that opened in wide-release the past weekend, only Charlie Bartlett and Witless Protection didn’t make it into the top 10. Now I haven’t seen Charlie Bartlett but it seems like one of those that could be a sleeper hit. Except that Richard Roper (of Ebert & Roper) panned it, saying it’s like Ferris Bueller had a son “with all of his smarts but none of his charm.”

Vantage Point was my pick for #1, which it achieved. I saw it on Sunday and felt that it was almost worth the $10, if you don’t mind all the plot coincidences. It was thrilling though. (Review to come shortly over at PopSofa. Richard Roper and his guest both panned it though.) Last week’s top five simply shifted down one position, and Jack Black’s Be Kind, Rewind came in at #7.

1. [-] Vantage Point.
2. [1] Jumper.
3. [2] The Spiderwick Chronicles.
4. [3] Step Up 2 the Streets.
5. [4] Fool’s Gold.
6. [5] Definitely, Maybe.
7. [-] Be Kind, Rewind.
8. [7] Juno.
9. [6] Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins.
10. [+] There Will Be Blood.

There Will Be Blood nudged its way back into the top 10. I have a feeling this one will be in the theatres for a while – as will No Country For Old Men.

Of the movies that opened last weekend, it’s a bit of a surprise that Jumper topped the box office. I really thought Definitely, Maybe would be at the top (because of Valentines Day), followed by Jumper and The Spiderwick Chronicles. Instead Step Up 2 The Streets did better than Definitely, Maybe, which only took fifth place. [On Ebert & Roper, Jumper was described as "good-looking crap" and Definitely, Maybe had a much more positive review.]

1. [-] Jumper. Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell.
2. [-] The Spiderwick Chronicles. Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, David Straithairn.
3. [-] Step Up 2 The Streets. Robert Hoffman, Briana Evigan.
4. [1] Fool’s Gold.Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Donald Sutherland.
5. [-] Definitely, Maybe. Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Abigail Breslin..
6. [2] Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins. Martin Lawrence, Louis C.K.
7. [5] Juno. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman.
8. [7] The Bucket List. Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman.
9. [3] Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour. Miley Cyrus.
10. [6] 27 Dresses. Katherine Heigl.

The Hannah Montana concert film dropped six points, with 27 Dresses falling four points. Juno and The Bucket List are still holding on, but The Eye and Rambo have dropped out of the top ten.

Isla Fisher (Sacha Baron “Borat” Cohen’s wife and baby momma) was looking absolutely radiant on Regis + Kelly this morning. She looked like a manifestation of the painting “Venus on the Half Shell”. She stars with Ryan Reynolds, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Kline, and Rachel Weisz in Definitely, Maybe, which opens today.

Also opening today is Jumper with Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson. Christensen appeared on Regis + Kelly just before Isla Fisher and was looking pale and worn out. But the movie looks very exciting.

Another big box office possibility this weekend is The Spiderwick Chronicles, opening today and brought to you by the same people that made The Chronicles of Narnia. (The Narnia sequel, Prince Caspian, opens May 16).
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Not surprisingly, Fool’s Gold took top spot in this weekend’s box office – its opening weekend. As I mentioned, the two have great chemistry – left over from their previous project, How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days. And Martin Lawrence appears to still have pull, with Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins taking second spot.

The Hannah Montana 3-D concert movie, which many panicked parents thought was only running for seven days, is still around and hanging in third. The Eye with Jessica Alba slipped to fourth. Meet the Spartans and Rambo keep dropping, but There Will Be Blood is hanging in tenth.

1. [-] Fool’s Gold. Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Donald Sutherland.
2. [-] Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. Martin Lawrence, James Earl Jones.
3. [1] Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour. Miley Cyrus.
4. [2] The Eye. Jessica Alba.
5. [4] Juno. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman.
6. [3] 27 Dresses. Katherine Heigl.
7. [7] The Bucket List. Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman.
8. [6] Rambo. Sylvester Stallone.
9. [5] Meet the Spartans. Sean Maguire, Carmen Electra.
10. [10] There Will Be Blood. Daniel Day-Lewis.

Paris Hilton’s latest, The Hottie and the Nottie, essentially bombed at the box office. Big surprise. Though I doubt this will wipe that smugness off her face.

If you’re a TV watcher, you’ve sorely been missing your fave shows like I have. (Especially since broadcasters have their brains shut off and run crap instead of good classic shows.) But finally, the WGA strike is just about over (not completely over like Michael Eisner declared, but almost). The full deal is still being drafted and will be reviewed this weekend by WGA members. The irony is that, according to Michael Eisner, many writers will not get the same juicy contracts due to studio “write-downs” because of losses during the strike.

Let’s hope that things work out and that WGA members are satisfied. It’ll still be up to a month before shows go back into production, and longer before new episodes air. So let’s also hope that broadcasters flip the “intelligence” switch back on and air quality reruns instead of the crud reality shows that keep on coming.

For top box office this weekend, my money is on Fool’s Gold (PG-13) with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. I saw the trailer for this when watching The Bucket List last weekend, and the chemistry between cute Kate and handsome Matt is unmistakable. Aside from that, it seems a bit formulaic.

At the bottom of the box office: Paris Hilton and The Hottie and the Nottie. The trailers make this look like a wretched, shallow movie – an ideal vehicle for a shallow ex-heiress.
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Apparently, Will Arnett of the Arrested Development TV series is no longer the voice of KITT in the upcoming Knight Rider TV movie (airs Feb 17th). While his voice is listed as finished, some contractual conflict of interest means his work cannot be used. Val Kilmer is taking over and has about a week to do the work.

Arnett’s conflict comes from the fact that he does voice for GMC truck commercials. No big deal. Arnett is in four other movies this year (Semi-Pro, Horton Hears a Who! (voice), Most Likely to Succeed, Spring Breakdown) and four in 2009 (G-Force, Space Invader, Get ‘Em Wet, We’re the Millers). He’s also possibly to appear in a theatrical movie version of Arrested Development.

Eva Mendes, who entered rehab at Cirque Lodge in Utah on her own in January, is taking a bit of a break for personal reasons and will re-enter in a few days. Cirque is the same place that Lindsay Lohan and Mary-Kate Olsen have stayed, and where Kirsten Dunst has just entered.

Jennifer Lopez has admitted that she’s having a boy and a girl, and that the due date is about Feb 23rd. [PageSix.com]

The success of The Simpsons theatrical movie (2007) means that there’ll likely be a sequel. Except that the current WGA writers’ strike is delaying planning. In the meantime, watch for a special Valentines episode airing Feb 17th. [Buddy TV]

Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld and creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm TV series, will be in an as yet unnamed Woody Allen movie with Evan Rachel Wood. [Hollywood Insider]

Microsoft has dropped the price of the Xbox 360 HD DVD player down to US$129.99 in the US and Canada. [Engadget, Joystiq]

Here’s an interesting development. Amy Winehouse, who has an exceptional voice and has been looking healthy during a break from rehab, has been offered the chance to pen and perform the theme song for Bond movie #22, Quantum of Solace, which is currently shooting in London.

I know little about the film other than than current James Bond actor Daniel Craig says that the title is actually important to the plot. Oh that and that there might actually be two Bond girls: Olga Kurylenko (official) and Gemma Arterton (presumed), and that the new movie takes off from where Casino Royale left off.

Anyway, I think Winehouse will be perfect. (In fact, I can almost hear in my head a version of A View to a Kill by her.) But there’s one serious condition: she has to stay sober. Would that more celebs had this requirement. The only question I have, though, is that now that she’s moving in with the Osbournes, is she going to get any songs written with Ozzy around? I fear that either Winehouse might have to listen to Ozzy’s crazy stories about when he was still human. Or maybe end up doing a remake of Paranoid.

Could it be? There are rumors floating around about a possible Arrested Development movie. This is my vote for one of the most underrated TV series. Unfortunately it ended, but many of the cast members, including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera and Jeffrey Tambor have gone on to other things. (Tambor’s new “The Captain” TV show aired last night.)

As for the rumors, IMDB already lists “Arrested Development” for 2009, but the only other info is that the writer is Johnny Rosenthal and that it’s a comedy. TV Squad says that the cast members have been asked by the show’s producers about starring in the movie. So I guess an AD movie is more than a rumor.

Check out the spoof, below, of a VW commercial on Arrested Development. Tony Hale is in both.