Box Office Blitz 1/11/13

This is a new feature where you get to pick the winner of this week's box office.  It's been a hobby of mine for a few years to look every Sunday on IMDB and see who the big winners (and losers) were.  It's kind of like fantasy football, only less annoying because you don't have to worry about someone being hurt all week and listed as "questionable" and a "game time decision" and all that crap.

This game is simple enough to play.  I'll post the movies in my local theater (I'll use the AMC Forum 30 because they have the most screens around here) and you pick which three you think will come out on top and how much they will make.  The money part is for tie-breaking purposes.  Unlike the Price is Right it's the closest whether you're over or under.

I was not going to make this a real competition, but what fun is that?  So now I've come up with a scoring system.  I've channeled my inner Briane Pagel to make it super complicated too.

Here's how it breaks down:

• The winner of each round gets a 500 point bonus.
• Each movie you guess that ends up in the top 3 gets you 50 points
• You get another 50 point bonus for each one you get in the correct position (ie if your #1 pick is the actual #1 movie you get 50 extra points)
• In case of a tie, the one who guesses closest to top grossing movie's take that weekend will be declared the winner

There may need to be more rules added or some clarification as things develop.  I'll keep track of the scores and post them every week so you can see who's winning.  At the end of the year, the overall winner will get a $25 gift card to the movie chain of his/her choice or if that's not practical then a $25 Amazon gift card.  So it's high stakes here, people.

After all that explaining, now we can begin.  By looking up my local theater on Moviefone, here's what's playing (* indicates a new release):

• Argo
• Gangster Squad*
• Django Unchained
• Jack Reacher
• Les Miserables
• A Haunted House*
• Lincoln
• Parental Guidance
• Promised Land
• Skyfall
• Texas Chainsaw 3D
• Rise of the Guardians
• The Hobbit
• The Guilt Trip
• The Impossible
• Zero Dark Thirty*
• Twilight:  Breaking Dawn
• This is 40

Pick which three you think will take the box office and how much they will take in.  Remember, the order matters so the one you pick first is the one you think will be #1.  Got it?  Probably not, so I'll pick first.

Grumpy Bulldog Picks:

1. Zero Dark Thirty $21M
2. Django Unchained $15M
3. Gangster Squad $12M

Get your guesses in by midnight EST tonight.  Entries after that will not count for points.

The scores will be tallied Sunday night after the numbers come in.  I just use the front page of IMDB.  It doesn't usually matter that much I don't think.

Monday is another Comic Captions...