andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Even Hollywood’s newest potheads could not beat Batman.

“The Dark Knight” took in another $26 million this past weekend and finished in the No. 1 spot for the fourth straight weekend. Batman beat out the stoner comedy “Pineapple Express”—which opened in second place with $22.4 million, according to studio estimates, reports E! News.

The Christopher Nolan Batman sequel has made a total of $441.5 million domestically and is No. 3 on the all-time domestic box-office charts, behind only “Titanic” ($600.8 million) and the original “Star Wars” ($461
million).

By this upcoming weekend, “The Dark Knight” is expected to surpass “Star Wars” and become No. 2 on the revenue charts.

Rounding out the top five box office movies were the following: “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” in third place with $16.1 million, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” in fourth place with $10.8 million, and “Step Brothers,” came in fifth place with $8.9 million.

Mary-Kate Olsen is refusing to talk with federal investigators about the death of Heath Ledger—unless she’s given immunity—reports People magazine.

The 22-year-old starlet was the first person called when her masseuse discovered “The Dark Knight” star’s body.

According to a report in the New York Post, Olsen’s lawyer has rejected several attempts for the actress to be questioned— which may lead the former “Full House” star to be subjected to a grand-jury subpoena to discuss what she knew about Ledger’s life and death.

“Everyone has been very eager to help, saying what a great guy Heath Ledger was, everyone except Mary-Kate, who has refused to speak,” a source said.

Ledger died in January due to an accidental overdose of prescription medication. His latest and final acting role as The Joker in “The Dark Knight” has earned him Oscar buzz.

Batman Forever Indeed.

The fastest-grossing blockbuster in Hollywood history took in another $43.8 million at the weekend box office, per studio estimates, reports E! News.

The Christopher Nolan film has already made $394.9 million in its three weeks of release and the movie is expected to easily break the $400 million within a few days.

The third sequel to the Mummy movies, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon” debuted in second place with $42.5 million and is estimated to finish second behind “The Dark Knight.”

But is Warner Bros. executive Jeff Goldstein thinking that Batman has what it takes to beat the all-time record setter “Titanic”, which brought in $601 million domestically? “That’s so far out of the realm,” Goldstein said, “it’s not even on our radar.”

“The Dark Knight” has struck gold the second weekend in a row by bringing in an estimated $75.6 million this weekend, reports E! News.

Christopher Nolan’s sequel to 2005’s “Batman Begins” has surpassed the $300 million mark domestically in record time and a $400 million overall take is around the corner.

“Certainly, $400 million, boom, that’s going to happen,” said Media by Numbers box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

“The trajectory it’s on has never before been seen. This is absolutely unprecedented.”

The movie’s second-weekend gross was, per studio estimates, the biggest ever, despite the usual 50 percent or so drop in business.

Although “The Dark Knight” has yet to surpass the $400 million mark, Dergarabedian predicts the movie will bring in that amount in about a week from now, or 18 days after its release. In 2004, it took “Shrek 2” about 43 days to reach $400 million— a mark that continues to be the Hollywood benchmark.

Coming in second place was Will Ferrell’s “Step Brothers” which brought in an impressive 30 million while “X-Files: I Want to Believe” brought in a somewhat disappointing 10.2 million.

“The Dark Knight” smashed box office records with a $155.3 million opening weekend total—beating “Spider-Man 3” as the movie with the biggest weekend opening— per Exhibitor Relations Co. estimates, reports E! News.

On Friday alone, “The Dark Knight” made $66.4 million, setting the record for biggest-ever single day.

“Some people probably stayed away [to avoid] the crowds,” Exhibitor Relations’ Jeff Bock told E! News.

“The Dark Knight” was also the late Heath Ledger’s last big role before his death in January. Curiosity and buzz surrounding the actor’s performance as the legendary foe The Joker probably brought many audience members to the theatres.

“This is really unprecedented, an actor in a blockbuster film dying before the release,” Bock said.

The Christopher Nolan film and the “Batman Begins” sequel continues to receive positive reviews from critics nation wide.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN co-stars HEATH LEDGER and MICHELLE WILLIAMS have fuelled reports they’re husband and wife after being spotted sporting matching wedding bands.

The couple, who played spouses in the hit gay cowboy film, reportedly applied for a wedding license in New York late last year.

The couple’s publicists are refusing to confirm or deny wedding rumours.

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Something should be said about a romantic comedy that stars an actress who failed miserably at romance and a cast of actors who are not remotely comedians.

Yet while I was not motivated romantically after watching Casanova, I was genuinely laughing.

Casanova, now in limited release, stars Heath Ledger, fresh off his role in Brokeback Mountain, as the historic title character, and Sienna Miller as Francesca Bruni, his unsuspecting love interest.

Miller is best known as Jude Law’s wife/ex-wife/girlfriend or something like that.

Casanova tells the story of perhaps the first male whore, or at least the earliest celebrated. In this story, and there were many to choose from, we meet Casanova as he’s being chased through Venice by the Inquisition. The mighty Dodge saves him from being hanged, but makes Casanova promise to marry as soon as possible.

He falls for Francesca, the feminist who loathes such a womanizer, but learns that her heart is promised to another man, Papprizzio, played brilliantly and hilariously by Oliver Platt.

The humour in this film is unique because is it not subtle, yet it’s not in your face and not dominating the dialogue. Somehow, the producers found a way to create humour with no explanation. Some things are just funny for what they are. No explanation needed.

Of course, when Papprizzio is being lathered with pig fat in an effort to become better looking? the humour need not be explained.

So the fact that Ledger and Miller are not comedians, and are not that funny in the movie, does not subtract from the jesting. Platt deserves a lot of credit for his contributions to my laughter.

It would have been hard to tell the story of Casanova without adding in humour, especially with Ledger as Casanova. Good choice not to follow Troy, Gladiator and the countless other historic tales being remade so far this century.

However, it would have been interesting to see a blatant modern depiction of the classic risqu?-for-its-time story. But the choice to portray it with a dose of comedy is just fine.

3.5*/5*