Weekend box office preview: 'Bad Grandpa' vs. 'Gravity'

Gravity heads into its fourth weekend in theaters and so far, this movie shows no signs of slowing. All total, the sci-fi thriller has grossed a whopping $291 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful films of 2013. Is Gravity's reign at the box office ever going to end?

Yes, eventually, and possibly this weekend, with the release of the lowbrow stunt comedy Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa. Love it or hate it, the Jackass franchise has proven almost invincible at the box office. Jackass 3D grossed more than $50 million int its debut weekend back in 2010. This franchise remains popular, so I fully expect that'll prove true again, with Bad Grandpa dethroning Gravity.

I'm not a fan of the Jackass movies, so I'm sure I won't see Bad Grandpa, but then again, I've been staying away from the theater in recent weeks, even when there are movies I'm eager to see. I just started an extremely stressful (but wonderful) new job, and it has me scrambling to find time to do laundry and/or eat lunch. Movies? Zero time for that, at least the ones I have to leave my house to go see. Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to catch Captain Phillips, but who knows?

Enough bellyaching, I'm thrilled to no longer be underemployed, and I'll find balance eventually. The other major movie opening this weekend is Ridley Scott's all-star drama The Counselor. Clearly with the stellar cast (Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Cameron Diaz) and Scott's name attached, I'm intrigued, but even more so because the screenwriter is Cormac McMcCarthy. Unfortunately, the reviews for The Counselor are not very good. That's disappointing, and it likely means I'll wait for the DVD of this one. With so many outstanding films coming out soon (12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club and oh, yeah, Thor: The Dark World) I've got to pick and choose carefully. I can't risk my money or my limited time on mediocrity.

Okay people, what looks best to you this weekend? Are you itching to see any of these new movies, or do you have sights set (as I do) on some even bigger and most likely better fare?

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