the buzz log

You've just watched the most historic inauguration of your time. Do you then sneak into the screening about the rapper, the based-on-a-true tale of World War II resistors, a mall cop comedy, or the 3D-freakout?

Actually, the freeby inauguration theatrical screenings aren't until Tuesday, so if you want to avoid the politics, this weekend's the time to watch these eclectic offerings. (And no, we don't advocate sneaking in, even in these hard economic times.) Here are the three most-searched movie openings for this three-day weekend, as people look for ways to get out of the cold.

1. Notorious (PG-13, limited release). Biggie Smalls didn't even live a quarter-century before he was shot in 1997, and his case remains unresolved. Interest has also been focused on Lil Kim's displeasure over her depiction in the bio-pic. The screenwriter's asking the music artist to see the movie before she judges, but she may want to pass given the largely unimpressed reviews who prefer the soundtrack (up 358% in lookups this week, incidentally). Still, combined searches for the late rapper and his movie pushes "Notorious" as the most-searched film this week. Most interested in the big-screen story are folks in Washington D.C. — as though they don't have enough excitement coming up.

2. My Bloody Valentine 3D (R). Winter has become Hollywood's horror wastelands, but people (especially ages 13-44) love checking out things that may scare the pants off them. For those who actually care about the reviews, this heartwarming, albeit "absurd," throwback stirred Newsday's critical affections as a return "to those entertainingly scary days of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the golden age for modern horror films." The Daily Sentinel says its "style... proves that a bad movie can still make for a great time at the movies." Given the interest from men and women alike, "Valentine" slashes the mark as the gruesome, scream-inducing, mature date movie of the week.

3. Defiance (R). "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" and "Hotel for Dogs" jockeyed for the third slot, but Daniel Craig's dramatic crossover from his James Bond day job just squeaked in. Critics admire the tale about four brothers saving more than 1,200 people from the Nazis, but they don't necessarily love the Hollywood-style execution. Then again, the storytelling's brought to you by Ed Zwick, master of swollen-valor films like "Blood Diamond" and "The Last Samurai." Once again, Zwick successfully tugs at male audience Search strings (63% male versus 37% female).