A look at what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about…
Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Where the Wild Things Are (PG)
2. Law Abiding Citizen (R)
3. Paranormal Activity (R)
4. Couples Retreat (PG-13)
5. The Stepfather (PG-13)
Notables: The only thing worth looking into is Where the Wild Things Are. Director Spike Jonze—along with Gen X hero/author Dave Eggers—are behind this adaptation of a beloved children’s book that runs just a little over 300 words. How do you get an hour-and-half movie out of that? Well, you interpret its big ideas and add, add, add anything that can exist within those big ideas. Jonze and Eggers felt the big ideas bravely explore the darker, harder side of childhood and their movie boldly does the same. The reaction? Well, it made over $30 million dollars, but folks are passionately for or against it, with seemingly no middle ground. Interestingly, people love and hate it for the same reason: it’s willingness to explore the darker side of childhood. Check out the review from CT Movies for more thoughts on this one.
As for the other flicks? Well, Halloween holds quite a bit of sway, doesn’t it? Next week, there is no doubt in my mind that the 500th sequel to Saw is going to take the number one slot.
Top Five Television Shows (according to Nielsen TV ratings, week of October 12)
1. NCIS , CBS
2. NBC Sunday Night Football, NBC
3. Dancing with the Stars, ABC
4. CSI, CBS
5. The Mentalist, CBS
Notables: I’ll say it again: our obsession with crime shows continues.
Top Five Books (according to USA Today research)
1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, by Jeff Kinney
2. The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown1.
3. Pursuit of Honor, by Vince Flynn
4. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
5. Nine Dragons, by Michael Connelly
Notables: I always think it’s hilarious when the Wimpy Kid takes out the big kid on the block. He did it a year ago to Stephenie Meyer. He does it once again to Dan Brown.
Top Five Web Searches (based on the Google Trends report for Wednesday)
*Exercise caution when searching; some topics may be inappropriate.
1. cookie johnson jeans
2. cj jeans
3. gardein
4. soupy sales
5. paul jr designs
Notables: Cookie Johnson, wife of former NBA great Magic Johnson, recently started a new line of jeans. Her biggest fan? Oprah. Which means everyone is a fan now.
Gardein is a Canadian food company.
Soupy Sales, a huge cultural icon in the 1960s, died at age 83.
Paul Teutul Jr., frequent guest on the show Amercian Chopper is starting his own business designing cars and the like.
I know—pretty boring links this week.
Posted by Brian Lowery at 10:02 AM on October 23, 2009
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