the buzz log

Why so furious?

Some fans of "The Dark Knight" feel the blockbuster got cheated out of Academy recognition for best director and best picture, but at least they have a chance this weekend for box office payback. The Christopher Nolan vehicle's not the only snubbed film opening in wide release this week. Could a perceived Oscar snub be as powerful an audience aphrodisiac as a nomination? At least in the Buzz Multiplex, a statuette isn't required to be among the three top-searched movies on Yahoo! this week.

1. The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience (PG-13). Just one day after the anniversary of Heath Ledger's death, his posthumous action-adventure film gets another release in movie theaters. Audiences can get a close-up reminder why Ledger snagged the Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, and aggrieved fans can show their support. The IMAX version includes six sequences using special cameras, but international theatergoers prone to nausea have a choice of only 29 other screens to avoid the effects. MTV.com lists the rundown of theaters hosting Batman and Joker's return.

2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (R). Oscar wouldn't touch this horror-thriller with a gold-plated 10-foot britannium pole. Still, R-ratings aside, searchers 13-44 have developed a thirst for the third in this money-making series, which makes this either the lowbrow group-date movie of the week or the dysfunctional family compromise. Sorry, sweet Kate Beckinsale won't be reprising her toothy role as a bloodsucker in love with a werewolf. Instead, Rhona Mitra plays the female vampire lead in this prequel—popular, yes, but Mitra reaps only half the lookups of her predecessor. People most into underworld clashes? Online searchers from Kentucky, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.

3. Revolutionary Road (R). Best supporting actor, art direction, and costume design were all the Academy was willing to consider for this critically lauded melodrama, and denied Kate Winslet (nominated for Best Actress in "The Reader") a chance to double her odds. The suburban drama, now in wider release, still beckons mostly to women especially from Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle-Tacoma, and New York City.