The blood and guts of "300" pulled in an estimated $70 million over the weekend from a mostly male audience.

By Barbara Vancheri
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Diane Keaton can don all the ropes of pearls, jauntily knotted kerchiefs or scarves that she wants. A movie such as "Because I Said So" was never destined to debut with the sort of numbers that "300" did.

It pulled in $13 million its opening weekend, vs. the $70 million of "300," anointed the first certified blockbuster of the year by reporters and box-office observers.

	"Wild Hogs," with John Travolta, is going full throttle at the box office. Click photo for larger image. Related reviews '300' 'Wild Hogs'

The only way "300" would have made more money (a lot more) was if it were rated PG-13 instead of R; of course the beheadings and stabbings and sexuality and nudity would have had to be scaled back. Still, I doubt that stopped some teenage boys from gaining entrance to "300," legitimately -- with a parent or guardian in tow -- or not.

Like those Spartans in their crimson capes, you could see this one coming.

The Pittsburgh preview early last week was packed, in a way reminiscent of the one for "Borat." In some cities, early birds invited to similar sneaks were turned away, not just forced to sit in the front row. The movie is based on a graphic novel, just as "Ghost Rider" was, and you can never underestimate the power of that built-in audience.

If that weren't enough, watching "300" is like watching a very primitive football game, where the stakes are the highest: Lose and you die. The Spartans go into a huddle, with their shields and spears at the ready, they wear their own version of uniforms that leave well-developed chests exposed, and they have their own pre-game battle cry.

Yes, there's enough testosterone on screen to launch a banned-substance investigation.

Audiences for "300" were 60 percent male and 52 percent under age 25, Warner Bros. estimated, according to stories in the Los Angeles Times and other news outlets.

"300" is a manly man's movie. The comedy "Wild Hogs" is about weekend warriors -- suburban guys who work as a dentist or businessman or plumber-turned-aspiring writer or computer geek -- who want to be manly men and set off on a cross-country motorcycle trip.

Both movies are burning up the box office, with "300" a magnet for young men and "Wild Hogs" attracting slightly older male moviegoers who have their girlfriends or wives or even parents in tow. At least that's what I saw in the lobby of the Carmike 10 at South Hills Village on Saturday while waiting for another movie.

Women, particularly those old enough to drive themselves to the theater, don't tend to have the same sense of urgency (or free time) as young men when it comes to movie-going. They'll see "The Devil Wears Prada," just not the first weekend. And they may or may not drag their boyfriends or husbands with them.

That's why you can expect "The Nanny Diaries" to have buzz in the play-date circles around April 20 -- but it won't do Spartan or Spidey numbers.