The week in film: ‘Harold and Kumar’ and Eddie Murphy

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The “Harold and Kumar” trilogy has never been a giant money-maker, but with a dedicated fan base (i.e. pot smokers) and a small price point, the raucous R-rated comedies have continually been a solid investment for New Line Cinema. This weekend, the laughter will have some steep competition from two big box-office draws, Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy, in “Tower Heist.” Stiller’s star power has been pretty reliable for years. It’s Murphy who’s much more of a wild card.

The Times’ Steve Zeitchik and Nicole Sperling discuss the allure of Harold and Kumar and ponder what exactly Murphy wants with his career.

RELATED:

Kal Penn: From ‘White Castle’ to White House and back

Movie Projector: ‘Tower Heist’ to swipe No. 1 spot from rivals

‘Tower Heist’ has plot holes aplenty but laughs too, critics say