Cinemascore

You never see him at any fancy movie premieres or making the rounds of the talent agencies. He hasn't turned up on any Hollywood power lists. But the 68-year-old Ed Mintz has quietly emerged as a key player in the movie business over the past year, thanks to the growing popularity of CinemaScore, his Las Vegas-based market research company that provides an invaluable piece of information to studio insiders every Friday night. His reports reveal just how much -- or little -- moviegoers liked the new movies that invade America's multiplexes each weekend.

After a glut of family films opened over the Thanksgiving holiday, no new movies are slated to hit theaters nationwide this weekend — leaving a clan of felt "Muppets" to rule the box office. The post-Turkey Day weekend has traditionally been one of the slowest moviegoing periods of the year, as Americans emerge from their tryptophan-induced hazes and begin their holiday shopping. In 2010, it was the second-lowest-grossing weekend of the year, according to Box Office Mojo. This weekend, Walt Disney Studios' modern spin on "The Muppets" is expected to ring up about $20 million in ticket sales, according to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys.

Nostalgia dominated cutting-edge at the box office this weekend. "The Expendables," directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone with a crew of aging action stars, proved far and away the most popular movie in theaters as it sold a strong $35-million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates. With men of all ages and a surprising number of women in attendance, it decimated "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. " The well-reviewed melange of video game and other pop culture references, based on a cult favorite series of graphic novels, opened to a weak $10.5 million.

"The Hangover Part II" is now assured a massive box-office take of more than $100 million over the Memorial Day weekend. An even raunchier follow-up to 2009's surprise hit, the R-rated comedy took in $31.7 million on its first day in theaters in the U.S. and Canada on Thursday, including $10.4 million from late-night screenings just after midnight. That's the biggest opening day for a live-action comedy and the third biggest Thursday debut of all time, not accounting for ticket price inflation, according to Box Office Mojo.

Few actors inspire swooning devotion the way George Clooney does. It's not just "I'm going to check out something he does because I find him interesting" but also full-on, follow-every-last-detail-in-his-life obsession. Even though -- or maybe because -- the actor's personal life is shrouded in such mystery, these fans take a fervent interest in all that Clooney does. A friend who is one such Clooneyist demands, upon our return from a film festival, that we share with her even the smallest Clooney tidbit.

Sisters Ornella and Yolanda Schinazi don't eat out much anymore. They rarely go out drinking, and they have cut way back on shopping. Like many Americans, the Glendale residents are feeling the pain of the economic downturn. Ornella, 28, recently took a $25,000 pay cut at her job, and Yolanda, 25, has been frustrated all year in her search for work. But one thing the Schinazis haven't cut back on is movies. In fact, they're going to more of them than ever. "We don't really go out anymore.

"The Hangover Part II" is now assured a massive box-office take of more than $100 million over the Memorial Day weekend. An even raunchier follow-up to 2009's surprise hit, the R-rated comedy took in $31.7 million on its first day in theaters in the U.S. and Canada on Thursday, including $10.4 million from late-night screenings just after midnight. That's the biggest opening day for a live-action comedy and the third biggest Thursday debut of all time, not accounting for ticket price inflation, according to Box Office Mojo.

After a glut of family films opened over the Thanksgiving holiday, no new movies are slated to hit theaters nationwide this weekend — leaving a clan of felt "Muppets" to rule the box office. The post-Turkey Day weekend has traditionally been one of the slowest moviegoing periods of the year, as Americans emerge from their tryptophan-induced hazes and begin their holiday shopping. In 2010, it was the second-lowest-grossing weekend of the year, according to Box Office Mojo. This weekend, Walt Disney Studios' modern spin on "The Muppets" is expected to ring up about $20 million in ticket sales, according to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys.

Two studios in the midst of intense corporate drama were dealt a blow this weekend as moviegoers largely rejected the new in favor of the familiar. Walt Disney Studios' science-fiction thriller "Surrogates" and MGM's remake of "Fame," along with Overture Films' horror flick "Pandorum," all proved box-office disappointments while Sony Pictures' animated film "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" was a surprising No. 1 again as it posted one of the smallest second-weekend declines of any film this year.

Sony's efforts to gain a foothold in the highly competitive computer-generated animation market continue to generate mixed results, as "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" opened to a so-so $30.1 million this weekend in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates. Three other new movies -- "Jennifer's Body," "Love Happens" and "The Informant" -- all had soft debuts of $10.5 million or less. Accounting for three years of ticket price inflation and the fact that 59% of theaters playing "Cloudy" charged extra for digital 3-D screens, its launch was only a little stronger than Sony's first animated film, "Open Season," which collected $23.6 million on its first weekend in late September 2006.

For the second weekend in a row, it was experience over youth at the box office, as a film aimed at adults defeated one targeted toward kids. "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," Oliver Stone's follow-up to his 1987 financial-world drama, was master of the box-office universe over the weekend with what 20th Century Fox said was a $19-million haul. The movie beat the far younger-skewing 3-D animated film "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," director Zack Snyder's interpretation of a children's fantasy series, which grossed $16.3 million despite higher ticket prices, according to studio estimates.

Few actors inspire swooning devotion the way George Clooney does. It's not just "I'm going to check out something he does because I find him interesting" but also full-on, follow-every-last-detail-in-his-life obsession. Even though -- or maybe because -- the actor's personal life is shrouded in such mystery, these fans take a fervent interest in all that Clooney does. A friend who is one such Clooneyist demands, upon our return from a film festival, that we share with her even the smallest Clooney tidbit.

Nostalgia dominated cutting-edge at the box office this weekend. "The Expendables," directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone with a crew of aging action stars, proved far and away the most popular movie in theaters as it sold a strong $35-million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates. With men of all ages and a surprising number of women in attendance, it decimated "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. " The well-reviewed melange of video game and other pop culture references, based on a cult favorite series of graphic novels, opened to a weak $10.5 million.

Proving that family entertainment from trusted brands has become more powerful at the box office than A-list stars, Pixar's "Toy Story 3" did nearly as much business on its second weekend in theaters as new movies starring Adam Sandler and Tom Cruise did combined. "Toy Story 3" sold a studio-estimated $59-million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada, making it No. 1 against a solid $41-million opening for "Grown Ups," an ensemble comedy starring Sandler, Chris Rock and Kevin James, and a tepid $20.5-million first weekend for the Cruise-Cameron Diaz action-comedy "Knight & Day."

It was a photo finish between fanboys and families this weekend, as "Kick-Ass" opened below expectations in a surprising virtual tie at the top of the box office charts with the animated "How to Train Your Dragon." Despite pre-release polling that indicated the obscenity-laden, hyper-violent take on superhero culture would take in around $30 million, "Kick-Ass" finished the weekend with ticket sales of $19.75 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to an estimate from distributor Lionsgate.

After a strong Martin Luther King Day weekend there's no doubt left that "Avatar" will surpass "Titanic" atop the box-office charts, but two new movies managed to find their audiences too. The 3-D phenomenon "Avatar" raked in $54.6 million Friday through Monday in the U.S. and Canada, according to an estimate from distributor 20th Century Fox. The Denzel Washington action film "The Book of Eli" and the Peter Jackson-directed book adaptation "The...

Neither romance nor action nor comedy could shake Hollywood from its traditional Labor Day blues. With three new movies -- Fox's "All About Steve," Lionsgate's "Gamer" and Miramax's "Extract" -- all opening to relatively weak ticket sales this weekend, two movies out longer topped the box office. Warner Bros.' "The Final Destination" was No. 1 essentially by default, as it declined 55%, typical for a horror movie on its second weekend, and sold a studio-estimated $15.4 million of tickets in the U.S. and Canada over the four-day holiday weekend.

For the second weekend in a row, it was experience over youth at the box office, as a film aimed at adults defeated one targeted toward kids. "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," Oliver Stone's follow-up to his 1987 financial-world drama, was master of the box-office universe over the weekend with what 20th Century Fox said was a $19-million haul. The movie beat the far younger-skewing 3-D animated film "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," director Zack Snyder's interpretation of a children's fantasy series, which grossed $16.3 million despite higher ticket prices, according to studio estimates.

Sisters Ornella and Yolanda Schinazi don't eat out much anymore. They rarely go out drinking, and they have cut way back on shopping. Like many Americans, the Glendale residents are feeling the pain of the economic downturn. Ornella, 28, recently took a $25,000 pay cut at her job, and Yolanda, 25, has been frustrated all year in her search for work. But one thing the Schinazis haven't cut back on is movies. In fact, they're going to more of them than ever. "We don't really go out anymore.

You never see him at any fancy movie premieres or making the rounds of the talent agencies. He hasn't turned up on any Hollywood power lists. But the 68-year-old Ed Mintz has quietly emerged as a key player in the movie business over the past year, thanks to the growing popularity of CinemaScore, his Las Vegas-based market research company that provides an invaluable piece of information to studio insiders every Friday night. His reports reveal just how much -- or little -- moviegoers liked the new movies that invade America's multiplexes each weekend.