TV Living Rooms That We Grew Up In infographic by VisualApogee.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Pain & Gain," $20 million. (Review by The Associated Press' David Germain: Director Michael Bay's bombast puts the pain in 'Pain & Gain')
2. "Oblivion," $17.4 million ($12.8 million international). (Review by The News-Herald's Mark Meszoros: 'Oblivion' a solid, brainy sci-fi adventure with stunning visuals a few missteps)
3. "42," $10.7 million. (Review by Germain: '42' a classy but tame telling of Jackie Robinson tale, features fine effort from Harrison Ford)
4. "The Big Wedding," $7.5 million.
5. "The Croods," $6.6 million ($13.1 million international). (Review by The AP's Christy Lemire: Semi-prehistoric script cliches hurt, don't sink 'The Croods')
6. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $3.6 million ($10.2 million international). (Review by Meszoros: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' ditches most of original cast Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, loses fight)
7. "Scary Movie 5," $3.5 million ($6.7 million international).
8. "Olympus Has Fallen," $2.8 million ($4.2 million international). (Review by Meszoros: 'Olympus Has Fallen' doesn’t quite crumble from weight of outlandish story, excessive violence)
9. "The Place Beyond the Pines," $2.7 million ($1.1 million international).
10. "Jurassic Park" in 3-D, $2.3 million ($410,000 international). (Review by Meszoros: Release of ‘Jurassic Park’ in 3-D shows it’s no dinosaur)

— From The Associated Press

News-Herald Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros and Sports Editor Mark Podolski preview the summer movie season, including "Man of Steel," "Star Trek Into Darkness," and "The Great Gatsby."

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Oblivion," $38.2 million ($33.7 million international). (Review by The News-Herald's Mark Meszoros: 'Oblivion' a solid, brainy sci-fi adventure with stunning visuals a few missteps)
2. "42," $18 million. (Review by The Associated Press' David Germain: '42' a classy but tame telling of Jackie Robinson tale, features fine effort from Harrison Ford)
3. "The Croods," $9.5 million ($23.4 million international). (Review by The AP's Christy Lemire: Semi-prehistoric script cliches hurt, don't sink 'The Croods')
4. "Scary Movie 5," $6.3 million ($3.5 million international).
5. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $5.8 million ($40 million international). (Review by The News-Herald's Mark Meszoros: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' ditches most of original cast Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, loses fight)
6. "The Place Beyond the Pines," $4.7 million.
7. "Olympus Has Fallen," $4.5 million ($7.8 million international). (Review by Meszoros: 'Olympus Has Fallen' doesn’t quite crumble from weight of outlandish story, excessive violence)
8. "Evil Dead," $4.1 million ($2.3 million international). (Review by The AP's John DeFore: ‘Evil Dead’ remake should please new, old fans)
9. "Jurassic Park" in 3-D, $4 million ($420,000 international). (Review by Meszoros: Release of ‘Jurassic Park’ in 3-D shows it’s no dinosaur)
10. "Oz the Great and Powerful," $3 million ($1.5 million international). (Review by Lemire: 'Oz the Great and Powerful' a prequel that won’t really wow old or new fans)

— From The Associated Press

Arguably the greatest superhero and pop culture icon ever - Superman - debuted in a comic book 75 years ago today, Thursday, April 18.

Superman was created by youngsters Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, just a few miles from Lake County in East Cleveland at the corner or Parkwood Drive and Amor Avenue. Siegel came up with the idea, and Shuster, an aspiring artist at the time, drew the superhero.

Fans of Superman can catch a cool glimpse of history by visiting the corner of Parkwood and Amor, the area where the house Siegel grew up in once stood. There is a wooden fence with a plaque honoring Siegel and Shuster, enlarged comic book panels of "Action Comics No. 1" as well as an enlarged cover of the comic book, considered one of the most valuable of all-time.

There's also an recently added Superman exhibit at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. If none of those excite you, there's always the upcoming "Man of Steel" film by Director Zack Snyder to be released in June. Check out the latest and greatest trailer below:

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo

The evolution of TV sitcoms infographic

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "42," $27.3 million. (Review by The Associated Press' David Germain: '42' a classy but tame telling of Jackie Robinson tale, features fine effort from Harrison Ford)
2. "Scary Movie 5," $15.2 million ($3.5 million international).
3. "The Croods," $13.2 million ($25.5 million international). (Review by The AP's Christy Lemire: Semi-prehistoric script cliches hurt, don't sink 'The Croods')
4. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $10.8 million ($15.6 million international). (Review by The News-Herald's Mark Meszoros: 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' ditches most of original cast Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, loses fight)
5. "Evil Dead," $9.5 million ($2.9 million international). (Review by The AP's John DeFore: ‘Evil Dead’ remake should please new, old fans)
6. "Jurassic Park" in 3-D, $8.8 million ($1.3 million international). (Review by Meszoros: Release of ‘Jurassic Park’ in 3-D shows it’s no dinosaur)
7. "Olympus Has Fallen," $7.3 million. (Review by Meszoros: 'Olympus Has Fallen' doesn’t quite crumble from weight of outlandish story, excessive violence)
8. "Oz the Great and Powerful," $4.9 million ($5.2 million international). (Review by Lemire: 'Oz the Great and Powerful' a prequel that won’t really wow old or new fans)
9. "Tyler Perry's Temptation," $4.5 million.
10. "The Place Beyond the Pines," $4.1 million ($2.2 million international).

— The Associated Press

The balcony is now ... closed.

Roger Ebert, arguably the most popular and best film critic ever, died on Wednesday at age 70. He and Gene Siskel, who worked in Chicago, formed the popular "At The Movies" TV show, where the two discussed movies on a weekly basis.

My love of the big screen began with my Aunt Sheila and carried on watching Siskel and Ebert. In the 80s, moviegoers awaited a "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down" from the moviegoing duo. It was must-watch TV for moviegoers everywhere.

Siskel died in the 1990s, so it's been a while since the two worked together on TV.

Ebert, who battled cancer for the last few years, also won a Pulitzer for his work in film criticism. One of my favorite stories he wrote was Ebert describing watching "Rocky II" with Muhammad Ali. Read it here.

He will be missed.

***

In the pilot episode of A&E's "Bates Motel," the first scene is Norman Bates finding his father dead.

How he died isn't told, but it's assumed Norman's mother is somehow connected, which starts (or contiues?) the odd connection between mother and son.

In Alfred Hitchcock's original "Psycho," a grown-up Norman still has issues with his mother, albeit a dead one he stores in the Bates house behind the motel. "Bates Motel" is a prequel, so to speak, about Norman's teenage years, and the A&E TV show is almost as creepy and suspenseful at the 1960 original, although this version of the Bates family is set in present day. It works.

Vera Farmiga plays Norma Louise Bates and Freddie Highmore Norman. The pair oozes chemistry from the get-go, so much so it makes you cringe at times. There's a scene in the pilot, which aired March 18, that has nothing to do with the mother-son relationship, but will make you cringe nonetheless.

There's also a third character that will send shivers down your spine: the town of White Pine Bay, Ore., where Norma and Norman move to and buy the Bates Motel. There's shaddy things happening in this town, and enough to pull the viewer in.

As if the Bates Motel wasn't enough.

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo