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Welcome to Marquee History, the weekly column that takes you back to a time when you - or your parents - were younger.  Prepare to become nostalgic (and shocked) at how much time has passed when you recall what was new in theaters 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years ago.

This week’s film anniversaries include February record setter Dante’s Peak, and the 25th anniversary of Medicine Man.

Here are the movies that premiered on theater marquees this week…

10 YEARS AGO (weeks 5 & 6)

The Messengers - February 2, 2007
Kristen Stewart was still a year away from becoming a household name with Twilight, but she was featured in this ghost story.  Hong Kong directors The Pang brothers previously directed The Eye trilogy.  Stewart’s teenage character and her family move into an old rural house and begin to experience poltergeist activity, which seems to be especially drawn to their toddler son, Ben. Dylan McDermott and Penelope Ann Miller co-star.  Reviews weren’t great but The Messengers took down the previous week’s openers for the #1 spot with $14.7 million from 2,528 theaters.  Steep drops in the following weeks led to a $35.3 million domestic gross.

Because I Said So - February 2, 2007
This romantic comedy from director Michael Lehmann stars Diane Keaton as the meddling mother of three girls, played by Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, and Piper Perabo.  Moore’s character Milly finds herself juggling two guys, played by Tom Everett Scott and Gabriel Macht.  Counter-programming against The Messengers and the Super Bowl, Because I Said So came in a close #2 with $13.1 million for the weekend and a total of $42.6 million during its run.

Norbit - February 9, 2007
As in his two Nutty Professor comedies, Eddie Murphy relies heavily on makeup to star against himself here: the shy and awkward Norbit Rice, and his large and domineering wife, Rasputia.  Norbit reunites with his childhood friend and true love, played by Thandie Newton, and has to get rid of his wife and her scheming lover, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.  Murphy had just earned an Academy Award nomination two weeks earlier for Dreamgirls, which was in theaters at #9 this weekend.  Norbit would later earn a nomination itself for Makeup, but it also won a Razzie Award for Murphy as Actor, Actress, and Supporting Actor (Mr. Wong, an orphanage owner), along with nominations for Worst Picture, Director (Brian Robbins), and Screenplay (Murphy). Still, audiences made Norbit #1 this weekend with $34.1 million from 3,136 theaters - the seventh best February opening at that time.  Norbit made a decent $95 million in the U.S., but fell short of the $128 million earned by The Nutty Professor a decade earlier.

Hannibal Rising - February 9, 2007
This was technically the fifth Hannibal Lecter film, preceded by: Manhunter (1986) with William Peterson and Brian Cox and based on Red Dragon; The Silence of the Lambs (1991) with Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster; Hannibal (2001), a sequel to Lambs, with Hopkins and Julianne Moore; and Red Dragon (2002), a prequel to Lambs, with Hopkins and Edward Norton.  Hannibal Rising is the prequel’s prequel, and happened to be released among other notable origin stories like Casino Royale and Batman Begins.  Gaspard Ulliel stars as a younger Dr. Lecter, who sets out to avenge the killing of his sister during WWII.  Hannibal Rising drew some audience interest and opened at #2 over last week’s openers with $13 million, but finished its theatrical run with a dismal $27.6 million (contrasted to the series peak of $165 million for Hannibal in 2001). Mads Mikkelsen picked up the franchise with the television series Hannibal in 2013, which was set between Hannibal Rising and Red Dragon.

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