Nominations? Clint Eastwood doesn’t need any stinkin’ nominations…

Although the 78-year-old was recently overlooked by the Academy, the actor/director still got some respect from the paying public. This past weekend, Gran Torino landed softly into third place and, most importantly, topped the actual Best Picture contenders.

But that’s not to say a nomination is pointless. Last week’s #10, Slumdog Millionaire, jumped 5 positions this week after nabbing 10 nods on Thursday. (It also bested Torino’s per screen average.) Meanwhile, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - thanks to 13 nominations - found itself reentering the Top Ten.

1. Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Sony, $21,623,182 (avg. $6878)
2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Sony, $20,828,511 (avg. $7080)
3. Gran Torino, Warner Bros., $16,244,462 (avg. $5335)
4. Hotel for Dogs, Paramount, $12,860,944 (avg. $3932)
5. Slumdog Millionaire, Fox Searchlight, $10,699,629 (avg. $7562)
6. My Bloody Valentine 3D, Lionsgate, $10,012,658 (avg. $3951)
7. Inkheart, Warner Bros., $7,601,379 (avg. $2863)
8. Bride Wars, 20th Century Fox, $6,868,664 (avg. $2621)
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount, $6,085,919 (avg. $2689)
10. Notorious, Fox Searchlight, $5,779,692 (avg. $3522)

(You can review last week’s numbers here.)