Even more ‘Jackass’ than before

The afterlife: Love it or loathe it, there’s no denying the “Jackass” phenomenon. Fans just can’t seem to get enough of Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man and other members of the gang, engaging in hilarious acts of self-mutilation, brain-numbing encounters with not-so-friendly members of the animal kingdom, outrageous practical jokes and gross-out stunts.

“Jackass: Number Two,” which arrives Tuesday on DVD, improved on 2002’s “Jackass: The Movie” at the box office, taking in $72.7 domestically. (The original grossed $64.3 million.) The digital edition, which is being offered in both R-rated and unrated versions, features 29 more segments not seen in theaters. You’ll either laugh ‘til you drop or contemplate the end of Western civilization.

Caribbean, true,

but no ‘Pirates’

Best of times, worst of times: Heartthrob Orlando Bloom may have been one of the stars of the biggest box-office hit of the year, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” but his legions of fans certainly didn’t flock to see him in the muddled thriller “Haven,” which opened ever so briefly in theaters in September.

The suspense tale shot entirely in the Cayman Islands by writer-director Frank E. Flowers grossed only $142,483 domestically. Internationally, it barely caused a blip, taking in a minuscule $13,088.

The film, which also stars Bill Paxton, Anthony Mackie and Stephen Dillane, had a rocky history. It was shot three years ago and had a less than favorable response from critics when it screened at the Toronto Film Festival back in ’02.

Haggis’ one little

bump in the road

The “Kiss” off: Paul Haggis has had quite a year. He won an Oscar for co-writing the film “Crash,” which marked his feature directorial debut. He picked up another Oscar for producing “Crash” when the racial drama upset “Brokeback Mountain” for the best picture Academy Award.

Haggis also co-wrote the screenplay for Clint Eastwood’s World War II epic “Flags of Our Fathers,” and has a story and executive producer credit on Eastwood’s “Letters From Iwo Jima,” which examines the battle from the Japanese perspective.

And he also was one of the scribes on the critically and commercially successful new James Bond picture, “Casino Royale.”

But if there was a thorn in Haggis’ side this year it was “The Last Kiss,” a romantic comedy-drama that he adapted from the 2002 Italian film of the same name.

Directed by Tony Goldwyn and starring Zach Braff, it revolved around a group of 29-year-old men terrified of turning 30 and received generally mixed to negative reviews, grossing only $11.6 million domestically.

-- Susan King