The Weekend Preview, Issue 2

Welcome to The Weekend Preview, our exclusive look at the upcoming weekend, both financially, and entertainment-wise. We all know that the stock market has been extremely rocky as of late. How's it faring so far? Well, the Dow Jones and the NASDAQ are down since we last left them, closing at 10,816.92 and 2086.00, respectively. The S&P 500, however, is up moderately, ending the Wednesday session at 1230.04.

Now we shift gears towards where we'll be spending our bucks at the box office this weekend. There has been some stiff competition the past few weeks between Cars, The Break-Up, and X-Men III. Now, the box office is going to get even more crowded. Here's what you can expect at your local cineplex this weekend:

- The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift; It doesn't have Paul Walker. Or Vin Diesel. But it still has cars! Basically, there's a very contrived attempt at a plot that basically amounts to a bunch of street racers ending up in Tokyo. And there's something about the Yakuza, a love story, and a bunch of fast driving. Oh, and it also stars Bow Wow. Doesn't that make you want to stay home go see it? Rated PG-13.

- Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties; For reasons unknown, Garfield and Jon Arbuckle travel to England. (They leave their house? They haven't done that in the comics for years!) Hilariously, Garfield is mistaken for a cat who has inherited a castle! But the real regal cat is determined to take back his rightful spot (as well he should!), and a movie full of animated mishaps ensue. Rated PG for stupidity off-color humor.

- The Lake House; Two pretty people A pretty woman and Keanu Reeves fall in love with each other, only to discover that they're living two years apart! And somehow, this has to do with the unusual lakeside home that they live in. And they write letters to each other. Which makes sense for the one living in the past. But how on earth does the one in the future talk to the one in the past? I don't get it. But movie executives are hoping you will! The Lake House, starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, is rated PG.

- Nacho Libre; Good heavens. The only hope for the box office this weekend is Jack Black? I'm going to cry now. So basically, Jack Black acts like himself, and as a Mexican monastery cook. He becomes a Lucha Libre wrestler, and finds a meaning and purpose in his life. And he leads a double life in the process. So it's like Alias, only with wrestling instead of spying? Whatever. Good thing the trailers were funny, because based on the description, I wouldn't have high hopes for this film at all. (I'd still have hopes, mind you. Just not high ones.) Nacho Libre is rated PG.

So here's how we see it breaking down: Nacho Libre takes the box office this weekend, with a pull of about $55 million or so. Cars will shift into second spot, with Tokyo Drift debuting in third. The Break-Up still has appeal, so it'll come in at #4. X-Men: The Last Stand won't go down without a fight, and will close out the weekend in fifth place. And the total box office intake for the week? We'll estimate between $155-$160 million.

To find out how the movies actually did at the box office this weekend, come back late Sunday/early Monday for The Weekend Recap, a quick look back at how the stock market did (So you can "keep up" with the markets and sound smart around your friends), and a brief check at how much the new movies made at the box office.