Ttl
Wknd B
Pr Scrn
ttl
1
3:10 to Yma $14,100,000 $5,316 $14,100,000
2
Hllwn $10,034,000 (-61.9%) $2,887 $44,230,000
3
Sprbd $8,000,000 (-35.8%) $2,606 $103,668,000
4
Blls f Fry $5,693,000 (-49.9%) $1,847 $24,281,000
5
Th Brn ltmtm $5,478,000 (-47.4%) $1,819 $210,099,000
6
Sht ‘m p $5,450,000 $2,585 $5,450,000
7
Rsh Hr 3 $5,330,000 (-37.8%) $1,981 $129,168,000
8
Mr. Bn’s Hldy $3,387,000 (-43.4%) $1,904 $25,063,000
9
Th Nnny Drs $3,321,000 (-35.3%) $1,358 $21,004,000
10
Hrspry $1,950,000 (-29.6%) $1,399 $114,881,000


Well, I was pretty off base this week. I mean my mom called me and told me that Hairspray was just a delightful movie, and I told her she was a rotten cunt with horrible taste, so just a bad week to begin with. But even more so for New Line, who couldn’t get a clearly delirious action movie like Shoot ‘Em Up to have the off season win of last year’s Crank (to which this film must have been market-compared). Could Clive Owen be the equivalent of the Alba’s and Biel’s that make movies that continuously underperform at the box office? Are some men afraid of how awesome Owen is? Perhaps people like to buy bottles of their favorite Merlot (Sideways is so 2004), and curl up with the latest Owen and quietly enjoy him while no one else is watching. Shhhh. Let the magic happen.

I blame 3:10 to Yuma, which did just enough business to take the top slot, but not enough business to guarantee profitability. Lionsgate is going out of their way to fail this year. So Good Luck Chuck will also likely just eat it. A $14 Mil weekend is pretty paltry – and like William Muny’s wasted misfire, it’s a bad way to start out if you hope to do more than your reported $70 Mil budget. Westerns are a curiously lot though, because they can often attract an older audience, so weekdays and long play might be pretty good (Open Range played longer). That’s the best that can be hoped for.

Greg Mottola. Hitting it out of the park. Superbad. Crossing 100. Lets see who long it goes! Though Sony will likely feel less pressure to keep it on screen now, even as insanely profitable as it is. Obviously, they did not give one whiff of a shit for their Brothers Solomon, which opened in 23rd place. Now that, kids, that’s a real September opening.

Halloween did a little over ten (likely to be adjusted down come Monday to under) and will likely get to something over $60. Can it play into October? Unlikley. Balls also held better than expected, and if it was supercheap (which it should have been, Walken’s the only one who should have gotten real money, but even then) the film could already be profitable. Bean and Nanny keep making more money then you’d think, but the ten has to fill out with something. Though if for some reason the number nine slot was filled with lollipops, I think everyone would be excited. Because of the lollipops.

Bourne should start lagging soon, but 220-235 isn’t out of the question, Rush Hour should limp another ten million, and Hairspray might just make it to 120. Next week offers nothing of worth, though Dragon Wars should deliver Dragons, and The Brave One should offer someone doing something brave, while Mr. Woodcock should offer a wooden phallus ala The Wicker Man. I hope to do a double feature of Across the Universe and Eastern Promises.