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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 - Are movies growing bigger as theater audiences are becoming smaller? That's one conclusion to draw from the box-office results of 2004, as Hollywood pursued its penchant for big-budget event films - from Warner Brothers' "Troy" to 20th Century Fox's "I, Robot," to Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man 2" - but the number of moviegoers in the United States dropped for the second year in a row. With nearly two weeks to go before the end of 2004, domestic box-office receipts appeared likely to top last year's total of $9.27 billion, nearing $9.4 billion, according to Exhibitor Relations,...

Just saw Spidey 2. The film as I expected was laced with American flags through out as the first was, and some conservative little details unless I am imagining things, which is quite possible. Flags all over this movie. On Aunt Mays house, on MJs folks house. At the cemetary. At the end Spidy triumpantly swings over big ones hanging off the skyscrapers, a flag reflected in the window next to MJ in the final shot if your looking for it. Of course all the hero discriptives by Aunt May could be talking about our troops too. Ok, thats obvious,...

This weekend I went out with my wife to watch Spider-Man 2, a movie I was looking forward to since the original Spider-Man. I'm glad to say the movie did not disappoint.Not only was it entertaining, it also brought forth much thought on what the phrase "With great power comes great responsibility" means. This was something told to Peter Parker by his uncle Ben, and is echoed throughout the comic books, and both films, especially the second movie. It is no secret to anyone who has seen the previews that in this film Peter Parker is frustrated and wishes to...

"Doc Ock and Spiderman Rob Bank" screams the headline at the Daily Bugle in the new Spiderman 2 movie now playing. He's a menace! Of course Jonah Jameson knew full well that Spiderman was actually attempting to stop the good Doctor from robbing the bank but that headline failed to fit his personal vendetta. Something sounds very familiar here. "Bush runs Gulag" screams Al Gore. "Bush Lies," rants Ted Kennedy. "Bush Incompetent," sneers Nancy Pelosi. "Bush plays golf," carps Michael Moore. "Bush is like Hitler," defames George Soros and MoveOn.org. It is apparent that the enemies of the US want...

The web-slinger is back, and the verdict is in. Two years have served Peter Parker well. Spider-Man 2 snared a whopping $40.5 million on Wednesday, according to estimates from distributor Sony Pictures. If the number holds, it will be the largest opening day ever, eclipsing the original Spider-Man's record of $39.4 million in 2002. And the superhero is doing it with story over special effects. Opening to a chorus of glowing reviews and sold-out theaters, Spider-Man 2 is accomplishing what few comic book films manage: winning over audiences not typically drawn to superheroes. "I saw the first movie on video...

CNN Headline News just said on bottom ticker that F/911 has broken the 40 million mark and experts are saying the movie will break 50 by Monday....YUCK...what the hell is wrong with people paying to see this crap? I thought times were so bad that nobody can afford to do anything? Huh? The Bush tax breaks hurt everyone...but yet Americans find a way to blow their cash on this pile of crap...amazing. We are so doomed to be dumb. Thursday, July 1, 2004 Rank. Movie Title (Distributor) / Theater Count Daily Gross | % Change (Last Week) | Total Gross...

Spider-Man 2, the second Sony Pictures film of the adventures of the mild-mannered Marvel comic character, was expected to sweep to new US box office records over the weekend. Ticket sales of more than $40m (£24m) on Wednesday, its first day of showings, established a new peak for a mid-week opening, and set the pace for gross takings during the July 4 holiday celebrations predicted to exceed $155m. With glowing reviews to help, and national weather forecasts predicting rain in many parts of the country, crowds were expected to flock to the production showing on more than 4,000 screens nationwide....

<< PREVIOUS Stay tuned for daily updates... NEXT >> Rank* Title(Click to view chart) Monday6/28 Tuesday6/29 Wednesday6/30(Estimates) Thursday7/1 1 SPIDER-MAN 2 4,152 N/A N/A $38,600,000 -- / $9,297$38,600,000 / 1 N/A 2 FAHRENHEIT 9/11 1,184 $4,450,000(estimate)-38.3% / $5,127$28,529,000 / 6 $3,785,000(estimate)-14.9% / $4,361$32,314,000 / 7 $3,400,000 -10.2% / $2,872$35,714,000 / 8 N/A -

Spider-Man 2 is part of "a web of deception, a conspiracy to silence" Oscar-winning documentarist Michael Moore, according to the filmmaker whose Fahrenheit 9/11 is America's current number one box office smash. "It's not just the cynical timing of the release of Spider-Man 2," said Mr. Moore, "but the movie endorses the unilateral and so-called righteous use of power to overcome so-called evil. This is a thinly-veiled rebuttal of Fahrenheit 9/11 and the entire security plank of the Democrat National Committee platform." Mr. Moore added that buying a ticket to Spider-Man 2 is "tantamount to voting for George Bush."

Ebert: "Now this is what a superhero movie should be." Click on link for full review.

With special effects so convincing you don't even think about them, a head-case hero and a three-dimensional villain who is his equal, socko "Spider-Man 2" (* * * * out of four) has something for everyone. Like 2002's original, this is an uncommonly entertaining movie for one whose principals' near-morbid hang-ups are as messy as Spidey's projectile goo. And when a web-spinning spinoff ends up being even better than its predecessor, its potential box office has - to steal a claim from the film's villain - the power of the sun in the palm of its hand. Dr. Otto Octavius...