Guns and violence are proven ratings winners in the news and at the movies.
As it happens, I saw “True Grit” Saturday while the Tucson shooting news was still developing. It’s a great movie, with lots of guns and violence. I’ve often wondered why we find fictional violence, and real violence, so compelling. Why does a crowd gather at a schoolyard fight? Why do people watch wrestling?
And yet, when Rooster Cogburn hollers “Fill yore hand!” it’s a thrill, I can’t deny it.
True Grit claimed the top spot, ending the reign of Little Fockers over a quiet start to 2011, while new nationwide releases Season of the Witch and Country Strong posted modest results. Overall business was off a precipitous 30 percent from the same weekend last year, when Avatar led.