In January, people like to go and see uplifting films that help them escape the wintry gloom that surrounds them. Or films about Jack Nicholson dying, one or the other.

Because that's what The Bucket List is about, and The Bucket List is currently the top movie at weekend box office. It's not difficult to see why The Bucket List did well at the US weekend box office - it's basically a remake of Cocoon, but one where all the old people die at the end instead of getting zapped up by aliens.

And, really, who can honestly say they they weren't a little disappointed when all the old people didn't die at the end of Cocoon.

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets has now been the top movie at the weekend box office for three weeks, which is remarkable because nobody seems to have a clue what the bloody thing's about.

But still, National Treasure: Book Of Secrets must have something going for it, otherwise it wouldn't be so flipping popular at the US weekend box office. Maybe National Treasure: Book Of Secrets has done such good business at the weekend box office because it is a masterpiece, or maybe it answers a number of profoundly upsetting questions that the cinema-going public may have had for some time now.Or perhaps - just perhaps - National Treasure: Book Of Secrets is number one at the weekend box office because the main competition this week comes from a shitty horror film about a spooky telephone.

Since Christmas 2007 doesn't have a Harry Potter or a Narnia or a Lord Of The Rings, the wintry epic title this year goes to The Golden Compass - but how did it do at the weekend box office?

It did alright. Ish. We suppose. For a festive family fantasy blockbuster with a budget of $180 million, The Golden Compass managed to top the US weekend box office, but only by taking a relatively paltry $26 million. The Golden Compass' failure to ignite the weekend box office any more than, say, Flubber or S.W.A.T will be a disappointment to many, but a timely reminder that there's only a certain amount of dads in the world able to convince their children to see a movie just because Nicole Kidman wears a tight gold dress for about three minutes in it.