The Screening Room

The box office results are in! Here are the top ten highest grossing films of 2010:

1. Toy Story 3 -- $415,004,880
2. Alice in Wonderland -- $334,191,110
3. Iron Man 2 -- $312,128,345
4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse -- $300,531,751
5. Inception -- $292,517,082
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 -- $274,392,000 (and counting)
7. Despicable Me -- $250,588,005
8. Shrek Forever After -- $238,395,990
9. How to Train Your Dragon -- $217,581,231
10. The Karate Kid -- $176,591,618

Any surprises? I, for one, had no idea Alice in Wonderland overtook Inception. Sound off in the comments!

This week's Wednesday release of True Grit has Chris Vognar comparing Jeff Bridges and John Wayne, Coen brothers film against Coen brothers film, and the differences between old English and the older King James English.

For more on True Grit, read the full review.

Do you think Jeff Bridges deserves an Academy Award for this performance?

We reported that the Highland Park Village Theatre would open Friday. Their bad. We were contacted after the post went up that the opening date is being pushed back to Saturday.

The phone numbers are: Recorder Movie Line (214) 443-0222; Theater Direct (214) 443-6035.

Opening movies are Tron: Legacy, Megamind and Morning Glory, with Little Fockers opening at the theater Wednesday.

Everyone say "Hi Lawson!"

DMN theater critic Lawson Taitte joins Chris Vognar in this week's video about Disney's Shakespeare adaptation The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren and a whole bunch of other people.

For more on The Tempest, read the full review.

Bard lovers, is this a film you must see?

This just in from Hillary Artzt, director of marketing for Highland Park Village. The theater is considering this a "soft opening." (I'd write more, but really, why should I even try to put words in her mouth?):

After much anticipation, the Village Theatre in Highland Park Village will open this Friday .... Opening movie is Tron: Legacy 3D and will show at 4:25, 7:15 and 10:05pm. Morning Glory and Megamind will also be showing this weekend, leading up to Dec. 22nd when the theater will be showing Little Fockers.

Website and phone number are still to come ... Tickets for this weekend can be purchased beginning Friday afternoon at the theater. Online ticket sales will be up and running in the next couple of weeks. A grand opening celebration is currently planned for mid-January.

Marquee, the new restaurant next door to the theater, is planned to open mid-March and will be led by Chef Tre Wilcox.

It's ridiculous to use the Golden Globes as a surefire predictor of Oscar chances, unless you think Avatar won best picture last year. But if you're a fan of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and/or awards in general, here are three tidbits from nomination morning.

Two of the biggest harvests were reaped by movies opening in Dallas this Friday. The King's Speech, the drama about a stuttering monarch (best actor nominee and serious Oscar contender Colin Firth), leads the pack with seven nominations, including best drama. The Fighter, David O. Russell's boxing melodrama starring supporting actor nominee Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg, scored six nods (including best drama), tying it with The Social Network for second-most.

The division of categories into drama and musical/comedy (because so many musicals are coming out these days) created some odd scenarios, as usual. Don't expect to see Oscar nods for musical/comedy picks Alice in Wonderland, Red, Burlesque or The Tourist (which was apparently a musical or comedy). On the other hand, both Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, musical/comedy actress nominees for The Kids are Alright, could be tabbed come Oscar time, and the film is a contender as well.

My favorite nomination: Jacki Weaver, best supporting actress for Animal Kingdom. Her crafty villainess was a marvel in the fine Australian crime yarn.

That is all.

In this week's video, Chris discusses how this comedy with "some mainstream appeal, in which the characters are gay" represents progress in Hollywood.

For more on I Love You Phillip Morris, read the full review.

What do you think about Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor playing lovers?

Tomorrow the movie theater opens up a renovated wing where people can get "restaurant cuisine and cocktails with AMC's noted immersive movie theatre experience and hit movies." Kinda like what Studio Movie Grill locations offer, AMC Grapevine will offer two meal-and-a-movie options inside 13 newly renovated auditoriums, a bar and a lounge.

If you want to keep away from the diners while watching your movie, there's still room for you in the 17 traditional auditoriums featuring stadium seating.

Does this sound like an experience you'd try? Keep reading to see the AMC Dine-In Theatre options and pricing.

In this week's video review, Chris gives his take on the dark thriller Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.

For more on Black Swan, read the full review here

And get show times and leave your own review on GuideLive.com

They had me at "hardened felon who has broken out of hell." That's Drive Angry 3-D, to be released February 25, 2011, by Summit Entertainment.

Nicolas Cage stars as Milton, who is joined by a young mother fast on the heels of a cult leader who has stolen her baby. Of course, the cult leader is going to sacrifice the itty bitty, "beneath a full moon," natch.

But Milton's got problems of his own. The Devil has sent one of his own, called "The Accountant," to catch Milton and take him back to hell -- Spawn, anyone? -- and oh yeah, the cult they're trying to stop? They murdered Milton's daughter, too. You'd be driving angry, too. (Remember, though, no texting while driving.)

Just so you know, I'm there. And not just because it has my dream team rating of "strong brutal violence throughout, grizzly images, some graphic sexual content, nudity and pervasive language." Yeah, that's an R.

Today through Dec. 24 the Angelika Film Center in Plano and Dallas are offering traditional classic holiday favorites and some "not quite Christmas" holiday fair. Which are you most excited to see on the big screen?

All shows start at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $6. There will be prize giveaways at each screening and concession and cafe specials will be available for purchase.

Angelika - Plano
Holiday Inn (1942) - (Not Rated; 100 min.) - Wed., Dec. 1
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - (G; 85 minutes) - Wed. Dec. 8
White Christmas (1954) - (Not Rated; 120 min.) - Wed., Dec. 15
A Christmas Story (1983) - (PG; 94 min.) - Wed., Dec. 22
It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - (Not Rated; 130 minutes) - Fri., Dec. 24

Angelika - Dallas
Edward Scissorhands (1990) - (PG-13; 105 min.) - Tues., Dec. 7
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - (PG; 76 min.) - Thurs., Dec. 9
Gremlins (1984) - (PG; 106 min.) - Tues., Dec. 14
Die Hard (1988) - (R; 131 min.) - Thurs., Dec. 16
Home Alone (1990) - (PG; 103 min.) - Tues., Dec 21
It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - (Not Rated; 130 min.) - Thurs., Dec. 23