Stevens, 17, earned viewer support even though the show's judges were disappointed earlier this week by her performance of "Breakaway" that Randy Jackson likened to karaoke.

Lilly Scott, despite earning praise for her artistry on "I Fall to Pieces," was among the four contestants dropped Thursday. They included Alex Lambert of North Richland Hills, Texas; Todrick Hall of Arlington, Texas, and Katelyn Epperly of West Des Moines, Iowa.

Scott, who had been warned by Simon Cowell that her version of the country standard might be risky, stood onstage next to Stevens to hear which of them would be going home. Scott appeared stunned when her name was announced.

"I thought I did really well. I put my heart into every performance," said Scott, 20, of Littleton, Colo. "I just know there's an audience out there for me."

Judge Kara DioGuardi, comparing the two, acknowledged that Stevens of Middlebury, Conn., had the advantage of a more contemporary sound but didn't know herself as a performer yet, while Scott did.

It was no surprise that the judge's favorite from previous weeks, Michael "Big Mike" Lynche, made the cut.

Lynche, 26, of Astoria, N.Y., especially dazzled the panel Wednesday with his performance of "This Woman's Work," which brought DioGuardi to tears.

The other finalists are Crystal Bowersox, 24, of Toledo, Ohio; Siobhan Magnus, 20, of Marstons Mills, Mass.; Lacey Brown, 24, of Amarillo, Texas; Paige Miles, 24, of Houston; Didi Benami, 23, of Los Angeles; Andrew Garcia, 24, Moreno Valley, Calif., Casey James, 27, of Fort Worth, Texas; Tim Urban, 20, of Duncanville, Texas; Aaron Kelley, 16, of Sonestown, Pa., and Lee Dewyze, 23, of Mount Prospect, Ill.

Lambert, 19, who had trouble overcoming his shyness on stage, looked downcast and tearful when he learned his fate.

"There's a lot of things America hasn't seen me do yet," he said, adding, "I wish could just have broken out of my shell."

Judge Ellen DeGeneres gave him a verbal pat on the back.

"You're so good. Don't ever stop believing in yourself," she said.

Hall, however, looked on the bright side.

"This has been an awesome experience. I came here to prove that I'm not just a dancer, I can also sing. I think that I've done that," he said, earning encouragement from Jackson. "Fantastic, dude," the judge told him.

DioGuardi had criticized Epperly for "going through the motions" on her version of "I Feel the Earth Move" earlier this week. Cowell compared her performance to request night at a restaurant, but added that he did like her full, curly locks that evoked the song's composer, Carole King.

"I'm not stopping now. It's just a push actually, for me. I'll do more stuff," Epperly said Thursday.

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The appeal of 3-D movies helped boost movie ticket sales by nearly 8 percent to a record $29.9 billion worldwide in 2009, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

The jump, from $27.8 billion a year earlier, was driven by a rise in ticket prices and the first increase in attendance in the U.S. and Canada in two years, the MPAA said. On top of that, theaters worldwide benefited from the popularity of 3-D movies, as they brought in more movie-goers, who buy tickets that cost more than regular screenings.

"Whenever screens are converted or built in 3-D the public seems to be embracing it," said Bob Pisano, the MPAA's president.

There were 20 movies released in 3-D last year, including the blockbuster "Avatar" and animated "Up." That's an increase from eight in 2008. The number of 3-D screens in the U.S. and Canada, meanwhile, more than doubled to 3,548 from 1,514.

Although 3-D movies represented less than 4 percent of the 558 films released all year, they accounted for $1.14 billion, or 11 percent of the $10.6 billion total box office haul in the U.S. and Canada. In fact, the bulk of the $1 billion increase in North American ticket sales is attributable to the 3-D movies; box office sales for 2-D movies increased by only about $70 million over 2008.

The overseas impact of 3-D was not as clear, but the number of screens capable of showing 3-D movies grew fivefold to 5,441 from 1,029.

The average ticket price in the U.S. and Canada rose 32 cents, or 4 percent, to $7.50, even though consumer prices for most goods fell amid the longest and deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Despite tighter pursestrings, the number of tickets sold in the U.S. and Canada grew nearly 6 percent to 1.42 billion, as people sought a way to escape their worries. The number of yearly visits to the cinema rose to 4.3 per person from 4.2, the first increase since 2002, when it was 5.2 per person.

"We believe it's because in times of economic distress, people are looking for value," Pisano said, arguing that going to the movies with a family of four is still cheaper than attending a theme park or major sporting event.

From the beginning of the year through Tuesday, ticket sales were still rising, up nearly 5 percent from a year ago to $2.06 billion in the U.S. and Canada, helped by the continuing popularity of "Avatar," the MPAA said.

The three received uniformly negative comments from the judging panel after performing Tuesday night, while the other five female singers all hit high notes.

Stevens' version of "Breakaway" sounded close to karaoke, Randy Jackson said, while fellow judge Kara DioGuardi suggested that the 17-year-old from Middlebury, Conn., does not know herself as an artist yet.

Epperly, 19, of West Des Moines, Iowa, seemed like she was just "going through the motions" on her version of "I Feel the Earth Move," DioGuardi said. Cowell compared her performance to request night at a restaurant, but added that he did like her full, curly locks that evoked the song's composer, Carole King.

Miles, of Houston, sang "Smile" and came in for the harshest drubbing.

Jackson told her the song was "way too big" for her. Ellen DeGeneres said the 24-year-old turned an inspiring song into something sad. DioGuardi added, "They've just said it. It was all wrong."

Miles told the judges that she was overcome by emotion because the song was recorded by a favorite artist, Michael Jackson.

Crystal Bowersox, who took the stage with an electric guitar to belt out Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason," drew nothing but bouquets.

"Love that, love you, love the song, love the honesty," said Jackson.

Simon called the 24-year-old from Toledo, Ohio, "the one everyone has to beat."

Lilly Scott also earned kudos from the judge for her performance of Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces," on which she accompanied herself on a mandolin. But Cowell suggested that her offbeat approach could prove to be a risky one when it comes to viewers and their votes.

Siobhan Magnus, 20, of Marstons Mills, Mass., scored with "House of the Rising Sun" and Lacey Brown, 24, of Amarillo, Texas, did the same with "The Story."

The eight male semifinalists will perform Wednesday (9 p.m. EST), with the top six vote-getters from the men's and women's groups to be announced Thursday.

On Tuesday's show, DeGeneres, who has joked about reports she and Cowell are feuding, provided "Idol" with one of its trademark quirky moments: She sat on Cowell's lap and nuzzled his cheek, making sure the camera caught them.

"Oh, I didn't know we started. I'm so sorry," she said, feigning surprise before slipping back into her seat between Jackson and DioGuardi.

"I liked that," said a smiling Cowell, who has denied any problems between them.

"I think Ellen's taken," host Ryan Seacrest informed him, a reference to her wife, actress Portia de Rossi.

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"Alice in Wonderland," their update on Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," had a mammoth opening weekend of $116.1 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "Alice in Wonderland," Disney, $116,101,023, 3,728 locations, $31,143 average, $116,101,023, one week.

2. "Brooklyn's Finest," Overture, $13,350,299, 1,936 locations, $6,896 average, $13,350,299, one week.

3. "Shutter Island," Paramount, $13,225,411, 3,178 locations, $4,162 average, $95,750,005, three weeks.

4. "Cop Out," Warner Bros., $9,289,311, 3,150 locations, $2,949 average, $32,504,610, two weeks.

5. "Avatar," Fox, $8,118,102, 2,163 locations, $3,753 average, $720,607,444, 12 weeks.

6. "The Crazies," Overture, $7,078,851, 2,479 locations, $2,856 average, $27,472,164, two weeks.

7. "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," Fox, $5,124,623, 2,994 locations, $1,712 average, $78,057,749, four weeks.

8. "Valentine's Day," Warner Bros., $4,154,110, 3,040 locations, $1,366 average, $106,303,870, four weeks.

9. "Crazy Heart," Fox Searchlight, $3,312,591, 1,274 locations, $2,600 average, $29,532,002, 12 weeks.

10. "Dear John," Sony Screen Gems, $2,782,079, 2,496 locations, $1,115 average, $76,626,086, five weeks.

11. "The Tooth Fairy," Fox, $1,684,408, 1,734 locations, $971 average, $56,240,052, seven weeks.

12. "The Wolfman," Universal, $1,636,835, 1,829 locations, $895 average, $60,446,320, four weeks.

13. "The Ghost Writer," Summit, $1,287,646, 147 locations, $8,759 average, $2,600,505, three weeks.

14. "The Blind Side," Warner Bros., $1,257,186, 822 locations, $1,529 average, $250,467,047, 16 weeks.

15. "The Last Station," Sony Pictures Classics, $717,675, 354 locations, $2,027 average, $4,527,796, eight weeks.

16. "Up in the Air," Paramount, $607,465, 403 locations, $1,507 average, $83,011,223, 14 weeks.

17. "When in Rome," Disney, $575,254, 504 locations, $1,141 average, $31,720,305, six weeks.

18. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," Fox, $544,451, 562 locations, $969 average, $217,367,092, 11 weeks.

19. "The Book of Eli," Warner Bros., $533,156, 555 locations, $961 average, $93,412,890, eight weeks.

20. "The Hurt Locker," Summit, $439,000, 274 locations, $1,602 average, $14,700,000, one week.

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Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Rogue Pictures is owned by Relativity Media LLC; Overture Films is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp.

Bullock had repeatedly said she didn't think she was going to win for the part she initially turned down, although the 45-year-old actress was a heavy favorite.

"Did I really earn this or did I just wear you all down?" she said after accepting the golden statue from Sean Penn.

"I have so many people to thank for my good fortune in this lifetime and this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I know."

In the closest race of the acting categories, Bullock was up against Meryl Steep in "Julie & Julia," former winner Helen Mirren in "The Last Station," and breakout stars Gabourey Sidibe of "Precious" and Carey Mulligan of "An Education" for their first-time leading roles.

In "The Blind Side," Bullock donned a frosted blond wig and a Tennessee twang to play Leigh Anne Tuohy, the real-life adoptive mother of Baltimore Ravens football player Michael Oher.

Bullock had already won the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards, and tied Streep at the Broadcast Film Critics awards. Streep also won at the Globes.

At 60, Streep is the most nominated actor, male or female, of all time with 16 nods, but she's gone home empty-handed since her last best-actress win for "Sophie's Choice" in 1983. Her other victory was as supporting actress for "Kramer vs. Kramer" in 1980.

"I look at the company I keep in this category and you can't pick," Bullock said backstage. "There's not one that rises above the others. I feel like I share it equally in five parts because we ladies need to stick together."

Bullock's Oscar triumph came a night after she won worst actress at the Razzies on Saturday for "All About Steve," a romantic comedy flop that quickly vanished at theaters in between her 2009 hits, "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side."

Bullock became the first person to win an Oscar and a Razzie on the same weekend. She was the rare A-list star who attended the show that pokes fun at the Oscars by giving out prizes for Hollywood clunkers.

"I had the best time at the Razzie," she said backstage. "It's the great equalizer. No one lets me get too full of myself."

Asked where she would put the Oscar and the Razzie, Bullock replied, "They'll sit side-by-side on a shelf somewhere, the Razzie maybe on a different shelf, lower."

Bullock's breakout role came in the 1994 film "Speed." She went on to score box office successes in "While You Were Sleeping" and "Miss Congeniality." But she also appeared in a string of duds before a supporting role in the 2004 movie "Crash" earned Bullock some of the best reviews of her career.

She attributed her victory to hanging in through good roles and bad.

"I didn't aspire to this," she said backstage, cradling her Oscar. "I was in awe of it, I admired it and I got to watch it like everyone else did. I didn't think the opportunity would ever present itself for me to rise to that occasion. This came out of left field, every pun intended."

Park, a 21-year-old from Northbrook, Ill., said he left the show with no regrets when he heard the bad news from host Ryan Seacrest.

Joining Park out the door was Sellers, a 27-year-old from Joliet, Ill.

"In God there is no failure," Sellers said. "So I leave here happy."

Also getting the boot were Vaughn, a 16-year-old high school student from Fort Collins, Colo., and Delamor, 22, of Miami, Fla.

"I think I was so wrapped up in trying to do everything right while being judged that I kind of lost sight of just performing," Delamor said afterward.

The two male and two female semifinalists had logged the fewest viewer votes following their on-air performances earlier this week.

The remaining 16 contestants will vie for a spot among the top dozen finalists next week.

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The 24-year-old single mother from Toledo, Ohio, performed Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Long As I Can See The Light" to rave reviews from the judges Wednesday, the day after she was hospitalized for an undisclosed malady that prompted the show's producers to switch the semifinal performance order at the last minute.

"I feel good," she told Ryan Seacrest, the Fox singing competition's host. "I'm a tough cookie."

Randy Jackson called Bowersox's soulful rendition "the truth," while Ellen DeGeneres said the dreadlocked singer had "pure, raw, natural talent." Kara DioGuardi informed Bowersox that she "hit a new level tonight."

Simon Cowell admitted he "completely underestimated" Bowersox after her performance last week of Alanis Morissette's "Hand In My Pocket."

"I think we've got a serious artist with you," Cowell said.

Lilly Scott, the 20-year-old musician from Denver, satisfied the panel with her rendition of Sam Cooke's "It's Been a Long Time Coming." And the often divided judges were equally impressed with the range displayed by Siobhan Magnus, the 20-year-old glass blower from Marstons Mills, Mass., during her performance of Aretha Franklin's "Think."

"You are so bold and so fearless," exclaimed Jackson.

Other singers weren't as favored.

Didi Benami, the 23-year-old waitress from Los Angeles, was almost brought to tears after the judges slammed her uninspired interpretation of Bill Withers' "Lean On Me." But Haeley Vaughn, the 16-year-old high school student from Fort Collins, Colo., kept smiling as they ripped down her version of Miley Cyrus' "The Climb."

"You need about a year of strengthening your instrument," DioGuardi advised Vaughn.

Among the singers who turned in so-so performances: 24-year-old event coordinator Lacey Brown of Amarillo, Texas, with Sixpence None The Richer's "Kiss Me," 19-year-old college student Katelyn Epperly of West Des Moines, Iowa, with Coldplay's "The Scientist," and 24-year-old preschool teacher Paige Miles of Houston, Texas, with Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away."

The two male and two female semifinalists with the fewest viewer votes are slated to be sent home Thursday, leaving 16 contestants to vie for a spot as one of the top 12 finalists next week. Thursday's episode will also feature bespectacled season-eight finalist Danny Gokey performing his single, "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me."

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The Fox singing contest's judges were more impressed with the performances from the remaining 10 male semifinalists after their doddering semifinal debut last week. Michael Lynche, the burly 26-year-old personal trainer and new father from Astoria, N.Y., soulfully started Tuesday's episode with the James Brown ballad "It's a Man's Man's Man's World."

In a last-minute switch, the 10 male semifinalists performed Tuesday instead of the 10 female semifinalists because 24-year-old dreadlocked singer Crystal Bowersox from Toledo, Ohio, was hospitalized and unable to take the stage. Bowersox, who also plays the guitar and harmonica, is expected to perform with the other women on Wednesday's show.

"Crystal, if you're watching, we hope you feel better very, very soon," said host Ryan Seacrest.

The semifinalists' performance order wasn't the only "Idol" adjustment. The judges slipped into a new seating and critiquing order. Ellen DeGeneres moved down between Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi while Simon Cowell went back to getting the last word after last week's wonky rotating evaluation system, which only seemed to befuddle the panel.

Among those who moved up in class: 21-year-old college student John Park of Evanston, Ill., with John Mayer's "Gravity," 19-year-old high school student Alex Lambert of North Richland Hills, Texas, with John Legend's "Everybody Knows" and 20-year-old college student Tim Urban of Duncanville, Texas, with Matt Nathanson's "Come On Get Higher."

"After last week, I was just coming up here to perform," said Urban.

The judges were less jazzed with Jermaine Sellers of Joliet, Ill. The 27-year-old gospel singer, who copped to still wearing one-piece pajamas, shot back at the judges. The panel unanimously agreed they didn't appreciate what was going on with his rendition of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," so Sellers asked them what they'd like him to perform next week.

"I'm not sure you're going to be here next week," retorted Cowell.

Lee Dewyze, the 23-year-old paint sales clerk from Mount Prospect, Ill., and Andrew Garcia, the 24-year-old musician from Moreno Valley, Calif., ditched their guitars to mixed results. Dewyze admitted he was nervous singing Hinder's "Lips of an Angel" with just a microphone stand. Garcia faltered crooning James Morrison's "You Give Me Something" from a stool.

"I like when you surprise us, and we need another big surprise from you right now," DioGuardi demanded of Garcia.

The 10 female semifinalists are scheduled to perform Wednesday. The two male and two female semifinalists with the fewest viewer votes are slated to be sent home Thursday, leaving 16 contestants in the competition. Thursday's episode will also feature bespectacled eighth season finalist Danny Gokey performing his single, "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me."

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Host Tom Bergeron and former finalist Melissa Rycroft revealed the cast Monday. It includes Pamela Anderson, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and reality stars Kate Gosselin and Jake Pavelka.

Also competing for the mirrorball trophy will be: gold medal figure skater Evan Lysacek, sportscaster Erin Andrews, singer Nicole Scherzinger, football star Chad Ochocinco and actors Shannen Doherty, Aiden Turner and Niecy Nash.

"It's definitely one of our strongest cast lineups ever," said executive producer Conrad Green. "Pound for pound, it should be really fascinating watching."

"Dancing With the Stars" returns on March 22.

Green said the recipe for a great cast is "part hope, part luck, part skill, part research." The show's staff has been courting many of the newly announced contestants for months, he said.

The new dancers will train for three weeks before making their primetime premiere.

Green said his staff is enforcing limits on training time to avoid the spate of injuries that plagued last year's cast and caused two stars to drop out before the competition began.

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The Paramount Pictures psychological thriller remained the No. 1 film for a second-straight weekend with $22.2 million, raising its 10-day total to $75.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Shutter Island" stars DiCaprio as a U.S. marshal caught in a tangle of delusions and paranoia while investigating the disappearance of a murderess at a remote hospital for the criminally insane.

"It is one of those movies that people, when they walk out of, they want to talk to somebody about," said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman. "When you have a movie that engages people and they want to talk about, want to debate, want to think about it, it certainly keeps you in front of mind for people."

James Cameron's science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar" became the first movie ever to top the $700 million mark domestically. With a $14 million weekend, the 20th Century Fox release now is at $706.9 million domestically and $2.5 billion worldwide.

Some of that business comes from people seeing "Avatar" multiple times, but "I do believe first-time viewers are still discovering this movie," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox. "We're getting people who don't go to movies often or never go to the movies. That's how special this movie is."

Debuting in second-place with $18.6 million was the Warner Bros. police romp "Cop Out," starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. Opening in third was Overture Films' horror tale "The Crazies" with $16.5 million.

Directed by Kevin Smith, "Cop Out" features Willis and Morgan as veteran detectives trying to retrieve a stolen baseball card from a memorabilia-obsessed gangster.

"Cop Out" exceeded the studio's revenue expectations and did well despite storms on the East Coast that kept some people at home, said Dan Fellman, Warner's head of distribution.

"We lost some money with the weather, but we certainly had a strong weekend," Fellman said.

"The Crazies" is a remake of George Romero's 1970s fright flick about a small town hit with an epidemic of insanity.

Scary movies typically vanish quickly because most horror fans rush out to see them over opening weekend. "The Crazies" earned better reviews than the average horror film, and its revenues on Saturday went up over Friday's opening-day numbers, often a sign that a movie might stick around longer at theaters.

"For a horror film, it looks like we've got a great run," said Kyle Davies, head of distribution for Overture.

With a $9.5 million weekend, the Warner Bros. romance "Valentine's Day" became the first movie released in 2010 to top the $100 million mark.

The Academy Awards are coming next Sunday, but the usual Oscar bounce for key nominees has been tough to assess this season. Some nominees, such as best-picture contenders "The Hurt Locker" and "Inglourious Basterds," already had run their course at theaters before the nominations.

A few _ including best-picture contender "The Blind Side" and "Crazy Heart," with a best-actor nomination for Jeff Bridges _ have hung on at the box office partly because of the awards attention.

For "Avatar," which is tied with "The Hurt Locker" with a leading nine nominations, the Oscars were simply one more reason for people to catch what already had been a runaway box-office sensation.

"I think `Avatar' would have hit $700 million with or without the Oscar nominations," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "But it can't hurt. There's got to be some part of the audience out there that was on the fence and finally decided to see it because of all these Oscar nominations."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Shutter Island," $22.2 million.

2. "Cop Out," $18.6 million.

3. "The Crazies," $16.5 million.

4. "Avatar," $14 million.

5. "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," $9.8 million.

6. "Valentine's Day," $9.5 million.

7. "Dear John," $5 million.

8. "The Wolfman," $4.1 million.

9. "The Tooth Fairy," $3.5 million.

10. "Crazy Heart," $2.5 million.

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Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Rogue Pictures is owned by Relativity Media LLC; Overture Films is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp.