Okay, so I was wrong. The Vince Vaughn-starrer Couples Retreat blew away every industry expectation, including my own, with a strong weekend gross of $35.3 million. The over-performing comedy comes as a welcome success to the folks at Universal, who have been battling a tough year at the box office and saw their two top movie executives leave their posts last week because of the hard times. The other industry surprise was the ridiculously impressive gross for the viral marketed phenomenon Paranormal Activity. Screening in just 159 theaters, Paramount’s uber-scary horror flick grossed an estimated $7.1 million, putting its per-screen average at an astronomical $44,163 and giving it the 5th spot in the weekend’s rankings. This film has garnered so much attention that the studio will take it nationwide next weekend.

The rest of the top five was dominated by strongly performing holdovers. Sony Pictures is attached to two of those films: Zombieland and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which took the second and third spots, respectively. The Woody Harrelson-Jesse Eisenberg buddy movie played much more like a comedy than a horror movie, and dropped a solid 39% to $15 million. Its ten-day cume now stands at $47.8 million, a great number for the $23 million-budgeted film. Cloudy continues to defy all expectations. In its fourth week of release the movie lost only 24% of its value, with a $12 million take. It’s verging on the $100 million mark, a milestone that it should reach quickly, considering lots of children will be home from school tomorrow for Columbus Day.

Disney’s 3-D re-release of the double feature Toy Story/Toy Story 2 could also get a bump tomorrow. Regardless, its second weekend earned the animated classics an additional $7.7 million for a fourth-place bow on the chart. The 3-D experiment has added a hefty $22.7 million to its coffers in two weeks of release.

In limited release, the beloved An Education, starring newcomer Carey Mulligan, opened strong on four screens, grossing $162,000 for a hefty per-screen average of $40,595. Sony Pictures Classics’ second release of the frame The Damned United (starring Michael Sheen) didn’t have as auspicious a beginning. On six screens, the film grossed $38,844. The total box office was up for the weekend compared to last year at this time, when Beverly Hills Chihuahua took the number one spot for the second week in a row.

Tune in next week when Where the Wild Things Are opens opposite The Stepfather and Law Abiding Citizen.

Eight years ago at the Toronto Film Festival, I went to the 8:30am screening of Monsoon Wedding. And when I emerged two hours later, the world had changed. A colleague grabbed me by the hand and pulled me to crowds gathered around a TV screen: We watched and rewatched footage of hell on earth–hell in my home town. In my head, beautiful images of crimson and gold flowers freshly absorbed from Mira Nair’s vibrant movie became forever associated with TV images of airplanes, smoke, buildings collapsing to the ground, and death.

It took me a few years before I could bear to look at Monsoon Wedding again. And when I did, I relived the memory of that horrific day. But something else happened, something sweet: I loved the movie all the more for its simple, enduring themes of family and continuity–and for reminding me that movies, like so many good things, have the power to unite us in joy.

So on this eighth anniversary of 9/11, tell me: What movie do you associate with an important moment, happy or sad, serious or silly in your life?

A few naked guys streak outside during a party scene early in Whiteout. But other than that, as I mention in my review, Kate Beckinsale is the only one who takes the time to strip down, enjoying a lingering shower before suiting up again (complete with a pretty, fur-trimmed hat) to face a well-insulated killer in this snow-based cartoon action thriller.

I’m all for attractive actors of all sexes stripping down in cartoon action thrillers, and I support the right of movie stars to deduct the cost of personal trainers to keep them on-screen shower ready. I guess I was so struck by the superfluous skin shot because it’s just so…superfluous, and so clichéd, and one of so many cheerily cheesy clichés snowballed into one average movie. Examples: When Kate’s character washes her face at a bathroom sink, looks up at the mirror, and sees a dangerous man behind her! When Russians drink vodka before gunshots ring out! When doors don’t open or shut in an emergency! When a black guy who’s not the lead character is destined to either be sidelined or killed!

Okay, your turn: Name your favorite action-thriller cliché.

In the second of three video chats looking back on the summer movies of 2009, Lisa and Owen get animated, suffer a chick-flick hangover, and celebrate the indie movies that connected.

Here's Part I of our Summer Movies Wrap-Up (Transformers, Star Trek, Public Enemies).

In Inglourious Basterds, Nazi colonel Hans Landa enjoys a delicious glass of fresh milk  with his conversation. Pour yourself a tall one before watching Owen and Lisa discuss Quentin Tarantino’s unique view of World War II.

The folks over at Weinstein Co. must be breathing a big sigh of relief. Friday’s box office numbers suggest their gamble on in-house auteur Quentin Tarantino has paid off: His WWII drama Inglourious Basterds took in an estimated $14.3 million, putting it on track to win the weekend with what could be an impressive $36 million.

Robert Rodriguez’s new kid flick didn’t fare nearly as well. Shorts from Warner Bros. only earned an estimated $2 million for the day, giving it a sixth slot in the derby for Friday and a probable weekend gross that won’t reach double digits. Meanwhile last weekend’s big winner District 9 suffered severely at the hands of Inglourious Basterds and its star Brad Pitt, with its Friday number at $5.5 million, down 61%  from its opening day a week ago. G.I. Joe also got knocked, though not as badly. The PG-13 actioner fell 48% from last Friday, to $3.6 million. Rounding out the top five were two of the more female-oriented movies, with The Time Traveler’s Wife taking in $3.3 million on Friday while Julie & Julia added another $2.6 million. Post Grad, the Alexis Bledel post-college comedy didn’t get high marks its first weekend in theaters. Earning just $1 million its opening day, its weekend outcome looks bleak. See Friday’s Top Five below, and check back here tomorrow for the full weekend’s Box Office Report.

1. Inglourious Basterds–$14.3 million

2. District 9–$5.5 million

3. G.I. Joe–$3.6 million

4. The Time Traveler’s Wife–$3.3 million

5. Julie & Julia–$2.6 million

UPDATE: Inglourious Basterds wins the weekend box office with $37.6 million

More on Inglourious Basterds and Quentin Tarantino from EW:
Inglourious Basterds: the EW Review
Quentin Tarantino: 20 Movies — and Posters — You’ve Got to See
Quentin Tarantino: 5 stamps he’s left on Hollywood
Inglourious Basterds: Playing ‘Spot the Reference’
Quentin Tarantino and the Original Inglorious Bastards
Quentin Tarantino: EW’s Trivia Quiz