Ticket sales for Dec. 19-21. Dollar figures in the millions. There are no ties; numbers are rounded off.  1. Yes Man $18.3 Total: $18.3, one week Locations: 3,434   2. Seven Pounds $14.9 Total: $14.9, one week Locations: 2,758

Six films open in Richmond this week, ranging from a drama about a plot to assassinate Hitler to a comedy about the worst dog in the world.

The financial and political turbulence engulfing the globe this holiday season has created a long list of universal needs, including world peace, economic stability and personal security.  With all due respect to Faith Hill, another new Christmas album by your favorite pop superstar singing one more version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” is nowhere near the top of that needs list.

It’s the same old song for top concert draws       Check out the top 10 names of this year’s highest-grossing tours and then feel free to wonder aloud, “What year is it, anyway?“  It certainly looks like 1985 with Bon Jovi conquering the top slot with a gross of $210.6 million from its “Lost Highway” tour.

Slumdog Millionaire” is so engrossing, you just might find yourself caring, deeply caring, whether a fictional character wins on a television game show. You might care, even if you don’t care whether real people win.

As a former waitress at a barbecue restaurant while in college, I don’t have the best memories of smoked-meat dining. Paper-covered tables, faux-wood-paneled walls, neon pigs and a general aura of stickiness are the unsettling images that usually permeate my mind when someone mentions ribs.  Thank goodness for Q Barbecue.

stillgoing   Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern, 13181 Hanover Courthouse Road, Hanover, 282-2620. “Sanders Family Christmas,“ $35-$38. Through Jan. 25.  Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn, 1601 Willow Lawn Drive, 282-2620. “This Wonderful Life,“ $38. Through Jan. 11.

Chances are, he’s still moping.  Morrissey, the former frontman of the best brooders of the ‘80s, The Smiths, is going on tour to support his upcoming “Years of Refusal.“  The Brit will stop at The National at 8 p.m. March 13, about a month after his album arrives.  Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow for $37.50 ($40 day of show).

Second run “Eagle Eye” and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” will play through Tuesday at the Byrd.  Bye-bye “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,“ “Delgo,“ “Familiar Strangers,“ “The Punisher: War Zone,“ “Soul Man” and “Synecdoche, New York” leave town in first run tonight.  Zuzu’s petals! The irresistible Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” will play Wednesday and Thursday—Christmas Eve and Christmas—at the Byrd.  Open caption “Four Christmases” will be shown with open captions at Southpark and “The Day the Earth Stood Still” at Virginia Center.  Ho ho ho An hourlong collection of family holiday favorites will be screened beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Byrd. Free.—Daniel Neman

Stir Crazy Café in the city’s Bellevue area recently opened “New Zealand or Bust,“ a show of paintings by Richmond artist Will Turner. His inspiration? Turner will compete in New Zealand’s Iron Man Triathlon—a lifetime goal—on March 7 in Taupo, New Zealand. Turner, who co-owns Richmond’s Dancing Elephants achievement group, has been painting for 13 years. His show consists of abstract, oil-on-canvas works in bold, bright colors. One, titled “Looking to Taupo,“ is a self-portrait. The paintings are priced from $95 for smaller works to $1,400 for larger ones, with an average price of $250. “New Zealand or Bust” runs through December at Stir Crazy Café, a coffee café by day and wine bar by night. It’s located at 4015 MacArthur Ave. Open early every day; also open nights Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, call (804) 864-0264 or visit http://www.stircrazycafe.net.—Jo Lord

“Mamma Mia!“—ABBA songs are so enduring, even a former James Bond likes to croon them now and then. Meryl Streep and ex-007 Pierce Brosnan lead the cast in this adaptation of the stage musical that uses the infectious pop tunes of ABBA to knit together the story of a single mom and three old flames who make a surprise appearance at her daughter’s wedding. Single-disc and two-disc DVD releases and a two-disc Blu-ray set allow viewers to sing along with the on-screen lyrics and also have a deleted musical number (“The Name of the Game”), plus commentary with director Phyllida Lloyd. The two-disc sets also come with deleted scenes, making-of segments and a digital copy of the movie for portable video players.

If you’re looking to grab a slice of pizza and still make the movie on time, the renamed A Slice of Grapevine, next to Regal Cinemas in Short Pump, can make your life a little easier.  The restaurant (11636 W. Broad St.) is still run by the Trak family, but now, in addition to table service, a “slice counter” is available for quicker meals.

SEVEN POUNDS Movie review ½ Cast: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson At: Carmike, Commonwealth, Short Pump, Southpark, Virginia Center, West Tower FYI: Running time: 1:57. Rated PG-13 (themes, sensuality).

The 40th anniversary of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will take over the Fair Grounds Race Course April 24-26 and April 30-May 3. Some of the top names on board this year are Aretha Franklin, Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, James Taylor, Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett and perennials the Neville Brothers. For a full lineup and ticket information, visit http://www.nojazzfest.com.  . . .  Duran Duran fans can now be sated with all their burning questions answered in one place. The “Ask Katy” section of the band’s Web site, where longtime band employee Katy (just Katy) gets fans’ questions answered directly from the guys, now has its own book. “Would Someone Please Explain? The Best of Duran Duran’s Ask Katy” is available now at the Web store on http://www.duranduran.com.  . . .  Sirius XM has already modified its channel changes from last month and will bring back The Strobe (disco/classic dance) and Backspin (old-school hip-hop) beginning Jan. 15.  . . .  The Who’s1979 documentary, “The Kids Are Alright,“ gets reissued for a Jan. 20 release. The single-disc version features commentary from the director, while the double-disc one has interviews with Roger Daltrey and live versions of a couple of songs isolated with John Entwistle’sbass lines.  . . .  A recent U.K. poll found that Oasis’“Wonderwall” and Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” were the songs mothers chose most often to sing as lullabies to their babies. Really.  . . .  Carson Daly’s “NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly” will broadcast from Times Square on New Year’s Eve from 10 p.m. to 12:35 a.m. Ludacris, Katy Perry, T.I. and The Ting Tings are slated to perform.  . . .  VH1’s “Top 40 of 2008” will debut at 11 a.m. tomorrow and repeat at 9 p.m.