Blockbuster

"The Avengers"will take a big bite out of the opening of"Dark Shadows,"as the superhero blockbuster is set to dominate the box office for the second consecutive weekend. After launching with a record-breaking $207.4 million - the biggest opening weekend ever, not adjusting for inflation - "The Avengers" isn't likely to lose steam at the box office any time soon. In its second weekend, the film featuring beloved comic book characters such as Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk is expected to collect an additional $90 million, according to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys.

One day in 1962, the Hollywood legend Darryl F. Zanuck turned to his 27-year-old son, Richard, seeking advice. Whom, the elder Zanuck asked, should he appoint head of production of 20th Century Fox, which had fallen on hard times and was losing millions on the problem-plagued "Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Richard Zanuck gave his father -- a co-founder of Fox - a piece of paper with a single word on it: Me. Dad took his son's recommendation and, over the next five decades, Richard Zanuck emerged from the shadow of his father at the studio and eventually became an Oscar-winning independent producer of such films as "Jaws," which ushered in the modern blockbuster era. He followed with well-regarded films such as "The Verdict," and "Driving Miss Daisy.

Dodgers management praised the team's historic multiple-player trade Saturday and the club's key acquisition, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, was in the starting lineup for the game against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. "This is an exciting day," Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson told a news conference before the game. "We did this for our fans. We feel, of course, we want to win now. " Besides Gonzalez, the Dodgers acquired starting pitcher Josh Beckett, outfielder Carl Crawford and utility fielder Nick Punto.

In summer 1978, I suffered the mummy's curse when I nearly fainted in the stuffy, overcrowded heat of the first King Tut show at LACMA ["Curse of the Blockbuster?" May 22]. Fortunately, I'm tall enough so I could see over the many heads to enjoy the art at the Van Gogh show, but the bad part was the annoying buzz from people with their museum headsets turned up too loud. In recent years I've been favoring smaller, less-crowded exhibits. I appreciate the value of all of the artifacts, but if the Tut show promotes itself as a blockbuster event, yet doesn't include the king's beautiful burial mask, it's not worth the $30. It sounds like the curse of the lackluster to me. Judging by Mike Boehm's article, Steve Martin had it right when he paid homage to Tut by placing a blender at his feet.

CHRISTOPHER KNIGHT may not understand this ["The Hammer Cleanup," Jan. 22], but a lot of residents in West Los Angeles have great affection for the Hammer Museum in Westwood. With its eclectic selection of paintings old and new, the Hammer provides a pleasant and intimate viewing space. We are delighted that the Hammer did not give the Los Angeles County Museum of Art all of its "great master" holdings, and we are equally happy the Hammer held on to some of its "minor" works and paintings of "modest size."

Sheriff's deputies surrounded a Blockbuster video store in Altadena where two armed robbery suspects were believed to be holding several people hostage Monday night, including at least one employee and two patrons. Initial reports indicated that a third suspect had been arrested. Deputies said the robbery attempt gone awry apparently began shortly after 10 p.m. at the store in the 1900 block of North Lake Avenue.

Re "5 youths, 3 adults shot at bus stop," Feb. 28 Are any of us surprised by the rash of shootings that have filled the headlines of our local newspapers and TV news broadcasts? All one has to do is look at this year's Oscar nominations and winners to understand how our culture views violence. Are our young men and women acting out their own version of the latest Academy Award-winning movie or blockbuster? With violence and death promoted as "high art," is it any wonder that we, the youth of America, act out our own version of "No Country for Old Men" or some other version of Hollywood's idea of a "classic"?

Exactly how Rita got such power over me, I'm not sure. I only know that I lied and cheated in a grievous fashion, that Rita somehow caught me, and that I wound up at her mercy. I never saw Rita, which made it odd. And odder yet, she was in Houston. Why did Rita-in-Houston care that I was committing small crimes out here in California? Huh, Rita, why did you care? Well, she did. And I was forced to do what she wanted. * I'm getting ahead of my story, of course.

I enjoyed the story about that new opera, Richard Wagner's "Ring" cycle ("A Pause in the 'Ring' Cycle," by Jan Breslauer, Dec. 30). With so much space devoted to specially effected artists at Industrial Light & Magic, I expect a computer graphic imagery blockbuster capitalizing on the success of "The Lord of the Rings" and giving new meaning to the term "playing at selected theaters" since unnamed co-producers plan to build a $400-million joint to...