Indy delivers big, angers Russian communists

'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' met expectations, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the holiday weekend ticket sales. The film grossed $101 million from Friday to Sunday, and $126.1 million from Friday to Monday. Including its Thursday debut of $25 million, the movie delivered $151.1 million in the first five days, Exhibitor Realtions Co. announced.

Although the film did not set any records or meet the highest projections of a $175 million debut, it did surpass all but four other movies in ticket sales in its first 120 hours in theaters.

'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' ranks 10th in three-day weekend openings, just ahead of the recently released 'Iron Man,' according to Box Office Mojo. It is seventh in the annals of four-day Memorial Day weekend debuts.

However, not everyone is rushing to theaters to see the film. According to news reports, members of Russia's Communist party have called for the movie to be banned throughout the country.

In the film, Cate Blanchett plays the leader of a Russian communist organziation that is in the United States in 1957. Present day Russian Communist party members claim the movie inaccurately portrays the party during that time period, and have said it will provide youngsters an inaccurate view of history. They have said the movie needs to be banned to prevent "ideological sabotage."

"Our movie-goers are teenagers who are completely unaware of what happened in 1957. They will go to the cinema and will be sure that in 1957 we made trouble for the United States and almost started a nuclear war," Communist party chief Sergei Malinkovich said. "It's rubbish. In 1957 the Communist party did not run with crystal skulls throughout the US. Why should we agree to that sort of lie and let the West trick our youth?"

Exclusive! Indiana Jones &The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Review

Check out a review of the film before it hits theaters on May 22nd!

{Insert Indiana Jones anthem here!} Get ready, Dr. Jones fans! The newest summer blockbuster hitting theaters does not disappoint – packed with cryptic code-breaking, mythical quests and yes even, snakes! PCM got a sneak peak at the latest film from George Lucas & Steven Spielberg. You guessed it! Grab your fedoras and whips and read the exclusive review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Old meets new in this thrilling installment of Indiana Jones movies. Dr. Jones (Harrison Ford) is back escaping villains, swinging through jungles and cheating death as he treks through Peru with a handful of new faces. Newcomer Shia LaBeouf (Mutt Williams) is a great addition to the film. He’s sure to attract younger audiences who may not be as familiar with the older Indiana Jones movies. His charming and adventurous character is loveable and LaBeouf acts very well off Ford. In between all the action, the pair even offers a few comedic spats that break up the explosions and high-speed chases. And perhaps even LaBeouf will keep the journey going and turn into the new star of future films.

He’s definitely a different Jones then one may remember (older?!), yet Ford still looks great in his old hat and getup. He hopped right back into character and kept me entertained! Diehard fans will be satisfied as many references (and characters) are made from the older films. All of Indy’s old tricks are still likely to leave stunned audiences asking, “How did he get out of that jam?!”

It’s worth a trip to the theaters. The adventure and wild stunts are likely to keep male adrenaline soaring while Ford, and even LaBeouf, ooze enough good looks and swagger to keep the women in the audience giddy. The villains and storyline get pretty extreme but if you’re there to enjoy it and go with it, you won’t be left discontented. One thing is for sure, you’ll have the Indiana Jones theme song stuck in your head for a few hours after viewing this flick!

Cannes Film Festival Line-Up

Clint Eastwood's latest film will get top billing at the 61st Cannes International Film Festival next month. Clintwood directed The Changeling, a 1920s thriller starring Angelina Jolie as a woman whose son is kidnapped. John Malkovich and Amy Ryan also star.

The film festival will run from May 14-25 in southern France and will also include Wim Wenders' The Palermo Shooting and Steven Soderbergh's biopic of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara.

The new Indiana Jones movie, Woody Allen's new romance and the animated Jack Black film Kung Fu Panda will be screened out of competition.

Stars rumored to be attending include Penelope Cruz, Woody Allen, Benicio Del Toro and the cast of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

The jury includes Sean Penn, Natalie Portman and former Harry Potter director Alfonso Cuaron. They will select the winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or prize.

Nineteen directors, including Eastwood, Soderbergh and Wenders, will be vying for the award.

Last year the Romanian abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days was the winner.

A complete list of the films competing for the prize follows:

FILMS IN COMPETITION:

• Three Monkeys (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey / France / Italy)
• Le Silence De Lorna (Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, France / Belgium)
• A Christmas Story (Arnaud Desplechin, France)
• Changeling (Clint Eastwood, USA)
• Adoration (Atom Egoyan, Canada)
• Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman, Israel)
• La Frontiere De L'Aube (Philippe Garrel, France)
• Gomorra (Matteo Garrone, Italy)
• Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, USA / France)
• My Magic (Eric Khoo, Singapore)
• La Mujer Sin Cabeza (Lucretia Martel, Argentina / Spain)
• Serbis (Brillante Mendoza, Philippines)
• Delta (Kornel Mondruczo, Hungary / Germany)
• Linha De Passe (Walter Salles, Brazil)
• Il Divo (Paolo Sorrentino, Italy)
• Leonera (Pablo Trapero, Argentina / South Korea)
• The Palermo Shooting (Wim Wenders, Germany)
• 24 City (Jia Zhangke, China)
• Che (Steven Soderbergh, USA / Spain / France)