Lone Survivor is #1

The first true box-office hit of 2014 has emerged. Lone Survivor had the second-highest opening/expansion ever for January.  Mark Wahlberg is still a movie star, in case anyone was wondering.

Some of the award-hopefuls are expanding, and they could really use a boost from when the Academy Award nominations are announced later this week.  Her and Inside Llewyn Davis are sputtering before they've been able to get started. August: Osage County at least had some success, able to boast Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts as mother and daughter.

It still blows my mind that someone thought it was a good idea to sink $70 million into a Hercules movie starring Kellan Lutz. Yes, Lutz was in Twilight, but the last movie that had him top-billed was Arena, which co-starred Samuel L. Jackson and still went straight to DVD.  It was directed by Renny Harlin (Driven, Mindhunters, CutThroat Island).