Amidst these February Blahs, Moviegoers find solace in Comedy with Universal Pictures’ Identity Thief usurps the top of the Box Office once again in its third week with $14.1 million; tepid but enough to be number one this weekend and just-shy of the $100-million mark domestically.

Snitch starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, opens in second spot with $13 million for Lionsgate Films/eOne Films in 2,511 theatres across North America.  Reviews were mixed for the Action Flick at 54% on the Tomatometer, but audiences responded better with a B CinemaScore.

Escape from Planet Earth, the Canadian-produced Animated Feature, is in third this weekend with $11 million. Its two week tally is $35.1 million.

Holding its position at number four is Nicholas Sparks Adaptation, Safe Haven, with $10.6 million in its second week, just ahead of Horror Flick Dark Skies in number for in its debut with $9 million. Both Films are distributed by eOne Films in Canada.

Experiencing a significant slip is A Good Day to Die Hard in fifth with $10 million for 20th Century Fox. Its cumulative total for two weeks is an impressive $51 million for last week’s number one Film.

Amazingly, Silver Linings Playbook continues to show its grit in seventh spot with $6.1 million as its fate at the Oscars is set to be revealed tonight – the only Film still remaining in the Top Ten in the running for Best Picture.

Side Effects rounds-out this week’s Top Ten with $3 million in this its third week of release.

Interestingly enough on President’s Day/Valentine’s Day weekend, Moviegoers opted for action instead of Romance, making the latest in the long-running Die Hard Franchise, the number one Film in North America. The Action Flick starring Bruce Willis grosses $28.2 million from 3,552 theatres between Thursday through Sunday. Audiences responded well with a B+ CinemaScore for the 20th Century Fox release, while Critics panned it with 17% on the Tomatometer. The Film falls just short of its highest-grossing Live Free or Die Hard, which opened with $33 million back in 2007.

Still going strong is Universal Pictures’ Identity Thief in second spot with $27.6 million in its second week of release, from 3,165 theatres, undoubtedly helped by Critic Rex Reed‘s controversial remarks about Melissa McCarthy‘s weight giving it some added buzz.

Although it kicked-off with a bang on Valentine’s Day, Safe Haven from eOne Films/Relativity Media,  earns $25.4 million this four-day weekend.  The Romantic- Thriller starring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough might not have fared well with Critics with an 18% rating on the Tomatometer, but audiences enjoyed it with a B+ CinemaScore. Perhaps overseas it will fare better or even it its second run on Video-on-Demand/DVD/Blu-ray.

On a weekend lacking Family-oriented choices, Escape from Planet Earth from The Weinstein Co./eOne Films grosses $20.5 million from 3,288 theatres.  The Canadian Animated Feature which contains the voice work of Jessica Alba, Ricky Gervais, Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry and Sophia Vergara didn’t get critical love, but it does receive at B+ CinemaScore. The Film looks to be a profitable venture, made for $40 million and likely to recoup that over the next couple weeks.

Warm Bodies is proving to be a great hit with Moviegoers, earning $10.9 million in fifth this weekend for eOne Films/Lionsgate Films in this its third week out, an option for those looking for a bit of Romance but less tears than Safe Haven.

Beautiful Creatures surprisingly opens in sixth spot for Warner Bros. with only $8.5 million from 2,950 theatres and many are saying that Director/Writer Richard LaGravenese taking some liberties with this Film Adaptation have deterred Fans of the Novel. Overall audiences reacted fairly well with a B CinemaScore.

In its second week, the excellent Side Effects is in seventh spot for eOne Films/Open Road Films, earning $7.3 million for a cumulative total of $19.6 million.  This places it just ahead of Silver Linings Playbook which benefited from its Romantic appeal this weekend, earning and awesome $7.2 million in its 14th – yes you read that right – 14th week of release.  The David O. Russell Film is just fractionally shy of the $100-million mark domestically.

Best Picture Contender Zero Dark Thirty  rounds-out the Top Ten with $3.5 million this weekend in its ninth week of release.

A massive Storm on the East Coast couldn’t keep the Moviegoers home, with Identity Thief from Universal Pictures opening huge at the Box Office with $36 million from 3,141 theatres.  The Comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Justin Bateman was panned widely by Critics (24% at Rotten Tomatoes), but Audiences responded fairly well, garnering a B CinemaScore.  If there was any doubt that McCarthy‘s Career is going strong, Bridesmaids which garnered her an Oscar Nomination last year, made only $26 million in its opening weekend.

Last week’s Champ Warm Bodies continues to perform solidly in second with $11.7 million this weekend for Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate Films/eOne Films, tallying-in at an impressive $36.8 million in two weeks.  The Zombie Rom-Com was made for $30 million.

Brilliant Psychological-Thriller, Side Effects, boasts an Oscar-worthy Cast including Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jude Law and Channing Tatum, but could only muster a third place debut for Open Road Films/eOne Films with $9.4 million from 2,605 theatres.  Meanwhile, Critics loved what is being called Steven Soderbergh‘s final Film, giving it 85% on the Tomatometer, but Audiences didn’t respond quite as well with a B CinemaScore.  Perhaps it will fare better in its secondary run on DVD/Blu-ray/Video-on-Demand.

Silver Linings Playbook continues to receive a major Oscars Boost and it doesn’t hurt that Jennifer Lawrence is just about everywhere including the cover of Vanity Fair and a high-profile appearance on Saturday Night Live a couple weeks back.  The Best Picture Contender earns $6.4 million this weekend in fourth, almost on its way to that illusive $100-million mark for The Weinstein Co./eOne Films (Alliance Films).

Former Champ Mama in its fourth week of release earns $4.2 million in sixth spot, just ahead of Zero Dark Thirty in seventh with $3.9 million.  Argo now in its 18th week of release has a remarkable resurgence with $2.4 million earned this weekend in eighth, likely due to the exposure from Ben Affleck‘s recent Director’s Guild Award and the Ensemble’s Screen Actors Guild Awards victories. Top Gun‘s 3-D Re-Release by Paramount Pictures rounds out the Top Ten with $2 million, from 300 theatres.

No surprises here!  As rumoured last week, Channing Tatum nabs the Title as People Magazine‘s 2012 Sexiest Man Alive.  Tatum, who turned-up temperatures earlier this year with his starring Role in Male Stripper Flick Magic Mike, has proven his promise as the new Hollywood Megastar with great success  in 2012  Smashes like The Vow, 21 Jump Street and Haywire.

Things definitely aren’t slowing-down anytime soon as Tatum is hard at work still. Out in 2013 are Psychological Thriller Side Effects in February, G.I. Joe: Retaliation in March, Save-the-President Blockbuster White House Down (filming in Montreal) in June and also True Events-inspired Foxcatcher to be released in the latter part of the year. At once, he is prepping for work on three separate Films, including a Sequel to 21 Jump Street. Pretty much everything Tatum‘s touched has turned to gold at the Box Office and we can expect his Reign to continue for a bit.  And oh yes, he is pretty sexy too, isn’t he?

I’ve met Tatum on a couple occasions and can say hands down – including this Interview – along with 2011  Winner Bradley Cooper, is one of the nicest Guys in the Business.  Cooper once again made the List this year, despite handing the Crown to Tatum.  Embarrassed, he admits to People, “My Friends are going to kill me. They’re going to own me over this.  I challenge you to say one thing nice about this.”.

Also on the List this year, representing individual American States are obvious choices: Ben Affleck, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Tom Brady, Jon Hamm, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, Aaron Paul, Chris Hemsworth, Max Greenfield, Wes Bentley, Matt Bomer and many more.

Click here to read more about Tatum‘s newest and well-deserved Title  and Photos of other Contenders over at People.

(Photo credit: People Magazine)

Wow! Nothing like a good Psychological Thriller to throw you off-center. You must watch this brand new Trailer for Side Effects (also known as The Bitter Pill) from Director Steven Soderbergh. Rooney Mara plays Emily, who turns to Prescription Medication to cope with her Husband’s (Channing Tatum) impending release from Prison.  This Trailer is cut so brilliantly that there really is no telling what the deal is here and who’s behind Emily‘s Delusion.  Jude Law and Catherine Zeta- Jones star also.

Is it just me or is Mara channeling some serious Natalie Portman here?

Made for a Budget of $30 million, Side Effects was shot last Spring in New York City and is slated for a February 8, 2013 release via eOne Films in Canada. Looks good.

Watch the Trailer in full below:

(Photo/video credit: Open Road Films)