Hit blockbusters proved to be an excellent way for New Jersey residents to beat the beat this weekend.

?The Dark Knight? and ?Mamma Mia,? which both opened Friday, and "Hancock," which has been playing, pulled in a combined $200 million this weekend. Many New Jersey moviegoers say watching a hot movie in a cool theater is a great ? and sometimes cheap ? way to beat the summer heat.

Matinee shows at many theaters are cheaper than a regular showing. ?What really got me was the price, the matinee price,? Ignacio Lopez, of Scotch Plains, says. ?[The movie] was $16 for two.? Lopez saw an 11:50 a.m. showing of ?The Dark Knight? at the Hadley Cinema in South Plainfield.

The top three movies at the box office this weekend were ?Hancock,? pulling in $14 million; ?Mamma Mia,? which took in over $27 million its opening weekend; and ?The Dark Knight,? which opened with a cool $155 million in ticket sales.

Some residents say they?re prepared to face the heat once they leave the movie theater. Samantha Schulkes and her brother Jimmy say that after seeing a movie, they plan to hang out by their pool.