Awards 2010: BAFTA Nominations

\Amongst the last major nominations before the Academy Award nominees are announced, the BAFTA didn't really pull any surprises with their announcements, and if they did, they were mild. Javier Bardem made it into the Best Actor race, while Hailee Steinfeld was actually nominated for Best Actress, instead of being lumped in the supporting race. So we've proved that Steinfeld does have enough weight to be legitimately nominated amongst Portman and Bening. Pete Postlethwaite was given a farewell nomination for his work on The Town. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 had minimum presence in the technical categories compared to other films in the franchise. Black Swan got an insane amount of nominations, and it's slowly becoming more and more possible for it to take the big prize if all the dominoes align for it.

Best Film
“Black Swan”
“Inception”
“The King’s Speech”
“The Social Network”
“True Grit”

Best British Film
“Another Year”
“Four Lions”
“The King’s Speech”
“Made In Dagenham”
“127 Hours”

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”)
Christopher Nolan (“Inception”)
Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”)
Danny Boyle (“127 Hours”)
David Fincher (“The Social Network”)

Oscar 2010: As It Should Be

The Oscar season has really calmed down in terms of tension and excitement, and I at the moment it would be pretty easy to take a solid guess at who would win. As for the nominees, I think we've gotten pretty well settled on who will make the cut. The Social Network, The King's Speech, True Grit, Inception, and Toy Story 3 are all locks based on critical acceptance and their success with the precursors. As a matter of fact, in a field of five nominations, those would be the films most would predict. Inception and Toy Story 3 are closest to the edge of that range, and there would be some serious doubt on whether or not they'd make it in if we were still operating on a five nomination basis.

The Fighter is also a pretty safe bet on being nominated, but it would have a much tougher time being one of five nominees. If I have an enemy in this race, that would probably be it, as I find it too familiar, even if the performances are spectacular. Black Swan's chances are slightly better, and I would be surprised if the nominations were announced and Darren Aronofsky's film was not in the pot. 127 Hours and The Kids Are All Right are pretty unanimous nominations, though neither of them have gotten much awards buzz recently so that's slightly up in the air.

Another Year isn't really much of a contender anymore, so the two films in a dog fight for the final slot are The Town and Winter's Bone. My guess and favoritism lies with latter, but they both have shown strong presence in the precursors. However, by now we're far past the argument of who will be nominated, and we're in the heat of who should ultimately win. A lot of people are hoping for a backlash against The Social Network, and after seeing it a few more times, I think that would be horrible. The film is fully deserving of the honor, and I certainly wouldn't be in opposition. I'm not sure if I'd say that it's my horse in this race, but I definitely have a massive fondness for it. The King's Speech seemed like it was the main competitor in the Best Picture race, but it has only secured a few precursors and it'll take something huge to change the tides.

True Grit doesn't have much chance outside the Supporting Actress and Cinematography races, and it deserves to do well in those races. I wouldn't count it as a horrible thing if it went home with only two. It would be a tragedy if it went home with nothing at all, like Up in the Air did last year. It's not fitting of such an authentic and textured western to earn nothing in return. I can't say I'm one of the people who thinks that Toy Story 3 should be considered more of a frontrunner in the top race, because I just don't think we've reached that point of acceptance for it to have a chance. As for Inception, I don't think Christopher Nolan will get his major win with this piece. He'll probably do much better in 2012 with The Dark Knight Rises.

If I have a horse in this race, it would be the unlikely contender of Black Swan. I've warmed up to the film so immensely since I first saw it. I guess I cherished the opportunity to pay complete attention to the film more than I did when my brother was chattering off for the entire duration. It would be something beautiful if this film ended up winning the main race, and I think that's the film I will be most promoting in the coming weeks. The odds are placed against it, but it was an uphill battle from the moment it premiered at Venice Film Festival. It's practically secured a nomination at this point, and I don't believe it's about to deflate, so there's nowhere else to go but up. So, while I adjust my Oscar predictions page to include winner predictions, please let me know what you think. Who is your horse in this race, and who is your chosen enemy?

Awards 2010: Writer's Guild of America Nominations

Well, the annual list of films snubbed from the WGA didn't seem to stop a consistent stream of quality coming in, although there are two rather interesting horses in this race. Please Give and I Love You Phillip Morris were nominated for their Original and Adapted Screenplays respectively. The winners ought to be rather obvious, with Inception and The Social Network coming out on top in their respective categories. It's not a great glimpse at what to expect from the Oscar nominations, but it's something different to say the least.

Awards 2010: Producer's Guild of America Nominations

We're finally getting somewhat past the repetitive critics awards, and into the guild award part of the season. The PGA is one of the more important awards, because it gives us a reliable idea of what to expect when the Oscar nominations for Best Picture are released. On the other hand, we already had a clear idea of what was probably going to make the list. Another Year's chances have dwindled by far. The Town is seeming like a more likely candidate, but I'm still pulling for Winter's Bone to make the cut. Ultimately, there isn't much diversion from what we already suspected. The major surprise for me is that Exit Through the Gift Shop didn't make the cut for the documentary category.

Quentin Tarantino's Top 20 of 2010

The man certainly has his own opinion, I'll give him that. Yesterday, I made it known what my top 10 favorite films of last year were, and of five of those films made Quentin Tarantino's top 20 list of films in 2010. Topping the list was the universally adored Toy Story 3, an honest choice given the events of the past year. After all, Tarantino did have to say good friend of his in the loss of Sally Menke. Second on the list is The Social Network, also universally agreed upon, but he does throw in a few interesting cogs. Tangled makes its way into the top five, just above True Grit. Knight and Day, a critically mixed thriller starring Tom Cruise, ended up coming in at #12, far ahead of The Kids Are All Right. Then again, who are we to judge a man on his opinions?

1. Toy Story 3
2. The Social Network
3. Animal Kingdom
4. I Am Love
5. Tangled

Pete Postlethwaite (1946-2011)

We've reached the first surprise exit of 2011 a lot sooner than anticipated. Pete Postlethwaite was a unique actor with a unique look, and you'd know him when you see him. To say that I came just in time to be emotionally affected by his death would be an eloquent way of putting it. As a matter of fact, a good six months ago, I hadn't a clue who the guy was. The first film I saw with the man in it was Inception, in which he played the short, but pivotal cameo as Robert Fischer's estranged father, Maurice. He didn't have that much to work off of, but I was definitely interested in knowing more about him, and more than a little curious as to the exact way to properly say his name.

I didn't look into the man as I'd hoped, but my intrigue would be rekindled a few months later when he appeared as an insidious villain in the Ben Affleck crime thriller, The Town. It may have been a little cartoonish, but the scenes he appeared were amongst the best standalone scenes in the film. The last film I saw him in, and I regret not seeing more than just three of his films before his death, was The Usual Suspects, but even though he did a great job, I still have a bit of a problem understanding parts of that film. I'm sure I'll catch up sometime soon. He also appeared in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Amistad, and William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet.

A Case of Mistaken Identity: Best Male Performances of 2010

To tell you the truth, of all the best of the year segments that I've written, the next two were probably the most difficult. It's much harder to sit down and compare specific performances than it is to compare films, or even aspects of films. Each actor has their own style, and I completely appreciate that. There were some actors who did fantastic jobs this year, but they weren't the best. Geoffrey Rush gave a fantastic and hilarious performance as Lionel Logue in The King's Speech, and his chemistry with Colin Firth gave such a great dynamic for the duo to work off of. Also just barely edged off the list is Jeremy Renner, who chose to follow up his performance in The Hurt Locker with an unnerving turn as the loose cannon of the group in The Town, Jem.

There's also the fact that some films aren't really acting showcases, so you have to do a bit of digging in order to find the best of the group. Inception was one of those films, and even though I really liked the work Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt did, Tom Hardy was the guy who won over me. His character of Eames is practically the man most important to making the act of Inception work, and that sarcastic charm of his doesn't hurt either. Even though it was a team effort, giving Watanabe, Gordon-Levitt, and Murphy all a chance to shine, it's worth noting that Tom Hardy is the man Christopher Nolan's carrying on into The Dark Knight Rises, where I hope he will do even better work.

Awards 2010: Las Vegas Film Critics Society

At this point, it's hard for me to say I'm still having fun with these critics awards. They're becoming a little repetitive, and I kind of wish they would all just agree on something other than The Social Network. The Best Actor race is caught between Jesse Eisenberg, James Franco, and Colin Firth. The Best Actress race is caught between Natalie Portman, Annette Bening, and Jennifer Lawrence. There are a few sure things, but this race is becoming a little more unpredictable, which is frankly kind of predictable. It's frustrating to tell you the truth. The Vegas critics have a very tired opinion, and we're just waiting for some wild new blood. I also kind of wish that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World would become an actual part of the Oscar race, but it's not going to happen.

Top Ten Films:
1. The Social Network
2. Inception
3. Black Swan
4. 127 Hours
5. The King's Speech
6. The Fighter
7. True Grit
8. Winter's Bone
9. The Town
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Best Director: David Fincher (The Social Network)
Best Actor: James Franco (127 Hours)
Best Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Best Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Cinematography: Inception
Best Film Editing: Inception
Best Score: The Social Network
Best Song: "I See The Light" from Tangled
Best Family Film: Toy Story 3
Best Documentary: Waiting for "Superman"
Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Best Foreign Language Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Costumes: Alice in Wonderland
Best Art Direction: Black Swan
Best Visual Effects: Inception

Awards 2010: Screen Actors Guild Nominations

The Screen Actors Guild announced their nominations yesterday, and that The Town was probably the biggest thing that I missed. There were quite a few notable occurrences, such as being left out of Best Ensemble Cast, though it has been playing well in that category during critics awards. John Hawkes deservedly made it into the Supporting Actor race for Winter's Bone, though it was at the loss of Andrew Garfield who was snubbed. I'm surprised Prince of Persia didn't make the stunt ensemble, because that was one of the only outstanding qualities that film had. Also worth noting, Mila Kunis is getting some heat going for her turn in Black Swan. This could lead to a bigger nomination this January. As for my guesses at who will win, they are, in order of the categories below, The Kids Are All Right, Colin Firth, Annette Bening, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, and Inception.

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Black Swan
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
Robert Duvall (Get Low)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Hilary Swank (Conviction)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale (The Fighter)
John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)
Jeremy Renner (The Town)
Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)
Mila Kunis (Black Swan)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE
Green Zone
Inception
Robin Hood

Awards 2010: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Nominations

For the love of God! These critics just won't shut up today! I'm always quick to criticize the decisions of the critical elite, but they're just being plain stupid now. The Broadcast Film Critics Association has released their nominations, and they are, as per usual, full of crap. There are a few things that I wholly admire, including Chloe Moretz getting two Young Actor/Actress nominations for Let Me In and Kick-Ass. However, for the most part, I'm just flaming with rage that they omitted The Kids Are All Right from the Best Picture race. It's completely unreasonable to cut it out and instead give it's spot to The Town. I'm also surprised that Black Swan got as many nominations as it did. I haven't seen the film, and I'm still looking forward to it, but when a film I haven't seen is put ahead of films that I already love, I get an unfriendly bias against said film. Comment below on your own enraged thoughts!

BEST PICTURE
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
Robert Duvall (Get Low)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)
Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine)

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Noomi Rapace (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo)
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Andrew Garfield (The Social Network)
Jeremy Renner (The Town)
Sam Rockwell (Conviction)
Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)
Mila Kunis (Black Swan)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Elle Fanning (Somewhere)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Chloe Grace Moretz (Let Me In)
Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
The Town

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
Danny Boyle (127 Hours)
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (True Grit)
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)
Christopher Nolan (Inception)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Another Year
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
127 Hours
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

BEST ART DIRECTION
Alice in Wonderland
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

BEST EDITING
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The Social Network

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Alice in Wonderland
Black Swan
The King's Speech
True Grit

BEST MAKEUP
Alice in Wonderland
Black Swan
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
True Grit

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
Tron: Legacy

BEST SOUND
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The Social Network
Toy Story 3

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3

BEST ACTION MOVIE
Inception
Kick-Ass
Red
The Town
Unstoppable

BEST COMEDY
Cyrus
Date Night
Easy A
Get Him to the Greek
I Love You Phillip Morris
The Other Guys

BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Pacific
Temple Grandin
You Don't Know Jack

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful
I Am Love
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Restrepo
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
The Tillman Story
Waiting for Superman

BEST SONG
"I See the Light" (Tangled)
"If I Rise" (127 Hours)
"Shine" (Waiting for "Superman")
"We Belong Together" (Toy Story 3)
"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me Yet" (Burlesque)

BEST SCORE
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Awards 2010: AFI Top 10 List

Well, that was almost entirely predictable of them. The American Film Institute's Top 10 List almost exactly resembles my list of predictions for the Oscar for Best Picture, except that they have Black Swan in the place where I have Another Year. Nothing shocking, but still entirely agreeable. Now, what I don't agree with at all, is the television picks. I am heartbroken to see that three of my favorite shows did not make it onto this list: Fringe, Lost, and Cougar Town. I guess it makes sense to honor some show that's been on the air for only six weeks. Sure it's fantastic, but Fringe has done so much more. This is me being angry.

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
127 Hours
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
The Big C
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Glee
Mad Men
Modern Family
The Pacific
Temple Grandin
30 Rock
The Walking Dead

AFI SPECIAL AWARDS
The King's Speech
Waiting for "Superman"

Oscar 2010: Sight Unseen

It's been a slow news day, so consider this me trying to make up for the lack of activity. We have a good three weeks or so until the end of the year, so expect me to be flailing around to get to seeing all the films that are likely to be nominated for Best Picture. In terms of what I have predicted, I've seen about six out of ten. There are films that are still in competition for a slot in the top ten, and nothing's set in stone. Winter's Bone has been making it's way on and off my list for some time now. Its success at the Gotham Awards proved that the film still has a fighting chance, but how much so? I'll be renting the film again this weekend just so I can recollect my thoughts on it.

The Way Back is an outside presence at the moment, and I doubt it will be making much of a dent in the nominations this year. It's really hard to say seeing as we've seen so little of it. There hasn't been much talk about it, and the campaign for the film hasn't been too warm lately. I don't think it'll be one of the films making the cut this year, and I definitely won't be able to see it by the time the year is out. The final film that lies just outside the race is Black Swan, and I should be able to see it around Christmastime this year. It's been getting a few nominations here and there, most notably with the D.C. Area Critics Awards. However, it's going to have to fight genre conventions to make it in with the Academy.

As far as what I have seen that I believe will make it into the Oscar race this year, The Social Network is right at the top as of present. The King's Speech did seem like a rather solid bet, and it still does in some ways. Unfortunately, the solid ground it was standing on has unexpectedly given way, and critics haven't really been siding with British Drama too much. That's not to say that I have much trouble with David Fincher's film taking the top prize. On the contrary, I'd recommend it. The film has been growing more on me for the past week, and all the reasons why the film was so successful keep representing themselves in my mind. I think that the tides have changes in Fincher's favor.

Remember long ago when Inception was thought to be lingering on the tenth slot in terms of Oscar predictions? Well that time is irrelevant now, as many are placing Christopher Nolan's film as the #3 film in terms of this race. If the nominations were down to five this year, I think this one would have a better chance than The Dark Knight did two years ago. I'm not saying Inception is better than the famous Batman feature, but the Academy has grown a little friendlier in the past two years, and probably for the better. I'm still not quite sure if the ten nomination thing will last, but it's clear that Nolan is a constant presence in this race.

Toy Story 3 has been making the rounds and solidifying its status as a sure fire nomination. However, Bill Ross of Disney seems to think that it has the potential to win the race altogether, saying that if Pixar doesn't win the race this year, it never will. Perhaps that's a truth, and I'm surprisingly fine with it. The animated film genre has worked long and hard to get to the point where it is respected, sometimes more than live-action films. So I'm content with Toy Story 3 landing a nomination, and winning the Best Animated Feature race. The Town is a film that will be lucky if it gets a nomination, and that's an honor upon itself. I think Ben Affleck's film will make it in the end, so long as they keep the buzz and anticipation alive until January.

Another Year is also drifting on the verge of being snubbed, which is to be expected of a film that hasn't been released yet. It's surprising that True Grit was never on that verge, because everyone always had faith in the Coen brothers, except for me. I wasn't sure their latest would actually work, but according to critics it has, so expect it to have a presence in the awards race. I still don't have much faith in The Fighter, but let's face facts. That will probably change when I've actually seen the film. I'm still firmly against the film, but I want to be proven wrong, so that may be the key to my undoing.

I still have yet to see 127 Hours, but it's only a matter of time before it's playing in my area, and when it is, it should only take about 90 minutes to see it. I don't think Danny Boyle has ever made a shorter film. It will probably be the shortest film in the race this year. Finishing things off is the often overlooked The Kids Are All Right, which is on an unfortunate course to be ignored by the awards race. It will be nominated for plenty, but the only chance this film has at a win is Best Actress for Annette Bening, and if she doesn't win, it will be a huge disservice. So there are a few films I still need to witness, and when I do, you can trust me to have a review down quickly as possible.

Awards 2010: National Board of Review Honors "The Social Network"

The awards season is now off to an official start with the announcement of the winners in the eyes of the National Board of Review. We'll be getting plenty of surprising developments and changes as the weeks go by, so it's fine if we only have a few this time around. It's not that surprising that The Social Network took the top prize, given universal critical and commercial acclaim. It's going to be interesting looking at it and The King's Speech duke it out for attention over the next season. The biggest surprises came from the acting races, which decided to neglect the players for The King's Speech altogether, and went on to grant recognition to Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network and Lesley Manville for Another Year. This all reminds us that the awards season is something of a wake-up call for all of us, and so a few things are going to be tossed out the window in favor of unlikely contenders. We won't really know the full meaning of any of these winners until we have more. For now though, we have a rather nice beginning. In the meantime, please let me know what you think of the winners and losers. I haven't heard from any of you for a while now, and I'm feeling a little neglected.

Best Film: The Social Network
Best Foreign Language Film: Of Gods and Men
Best Documentary: Waiting for "Superman"
Best Actor: Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Best Actress: Lesley Manville (Another Year)
Best Supp. Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Best Supp. Actress: Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
Best Ensemble Cast: The Town
Best Breakthrough Performance: Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Best Director: David Fincher (The Social Network)
Debut Directors: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington (Restrepo)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network)
Best Original Screenplay: Chris Sparling (Buried)
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Special Filmmaking Award: Sofia Coppola (Somewhere)
Production Design Award: Dante Ferretti (Shutter Island)

Ten Best Films:

Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King's Speech
Shutter Island
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Five Best Foreign Films:

I Am Love
Incendies
Above All
Soul Kitchen
White Material

Five Best Documentaries:

A Film Unfinished
Inside Job
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Restrepo
The Tillman Story

Ten Best Independent Films:

Animal Kingdom
Buried
Fish Tank
The Ghost Writer
Greenberg
Let Me In
Monsters
Please Give
Somewhere
Youth in Revolt

Box Office Update: Oh, The Horror

I really do look forward to next weekend when I can get back to a more natural setting at the theaters. We've had quite a few weeks in which there's been only one notable release, and this weekend should've been a complete failure. It's what I expected, and it's what I actually hoped for. Instead, Saw 3D managed to rake in an dishonest living, grabbing the fifth highest opening weekend of the series. Of course, we should still expect it to take a huge dive next weekend, not only from competition in the 3D market with Megamind, but because of negative word of mouth.

Speaking of such word of mouth, it certainly took its toll on Paranormal Activity 2, which suffered a near 60% drop from last weekend. Jackass 3D took a similar drop of the same amount, but that can mostly be attributed to the fact that the film is really a one-and-done sort of affair. In any case, the film still passed the $100 million mark this weekend, so that's a plus. Oddly enough, Red overtook it this weekend, taking a steady 28% drop and remaining in third. In summation, this weekend was a good 8.1% rise from the same weekend last year.

1. Saw 3D (First Weekend; $24.2 million)
2. Paranormal Activity 2 (Second Weekend; $16.5 million)
3. Red (Third Weekend; $10.8 million)
4. Jackass 3D (Third Weekend; $8.4 million)
5. Hereafter (Third Weekend; $6.3 million)
6. Secretariat (Fourth Weekend; $5 million)
7. The Social Network (Fifth Weekend; $4.7 million)
8. Life as We Know It (Fourth Weekend; $4 million)
9. The Town (Fifth Weekend; $1.9 million)
10. Conviction (Third Weekend; $1.8 million)

Box Office Update: High Activity

Marking another splendid weekend of October this year, Paranormal Activity 2 came out on top and set a horror film opening weekend record for the month of August. Given these strong numbers, one can easily expect to see another sequel in the works for release next year. Jackass 3D took a great 57% fall from last week, but that was expected for an opening of such magnitude as well as such hardcore competition opening. Red held on even better with a 31% fall, boding well for the coming weeks. Finally, a fair few film-goers went out to see Hereafter out of curiosity, leading a decent opening weekend, but not Eastwood's best.

1. Paranormal Activity 2 (First Weekend; $41.5 million)
2. Jackass 3D (Second Weekend; $21.6 million)
3. Red (Second Weekend; $15 million)
4. Hereafter (First Weekend; $12 million)
5. The Social Network (Fourth Weekend; $7.3 million)
6. Secretariat (Third Weekend; $6.9 million)
7. Life as We Know It (Third Weekend; $6.1 million)
8. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of GaHoole (Fifth Weekend; $3.1 million)
9. The Town (Sixth Weekend; $2.7 million)
10. Easy A (Sixth Weekend; $1.7 million)