Creepy babies and random dogs = BOX OFFICE GOLD
As much as I want to talk shit about
Paranormal Activity 2 doing a ton of money at the box office its opening weekend, I really don't think I can. Rorie's review seems steel-trap solid, and I've heard more than my share of good things from horror movie fans I trust that this movie is all sorts of totally decent. So its $41 million opening this weekend shouldn't really rankle my feathers in any particular way. I just...I just wish it wasn't a sequel to
Paranormal Activity (which I didn't really like). Dammit. Now I have to see it.
This was, by the way, the only new major release of the weekend. Technically,
Hereafter, the
Clint Eastwood-directed/
Matt Damon-starring supernatural drama, did its wide release this weekend, but it opened in limited release last weekend (and did good money, too). Its wide weekend dollars were a little weaker, with about a $12 million take. Not exactly a stellar initial take (not to mention middling reviews) for a movie that was supposed to be Oscar bait. Damon seems to have some issues with his Oscar projects. He got nominated for the wrong movie last year--should have been Best Actor for
The Informant, not Supporting Actor for
Invictus--and this year he seems unlikely to get locked in for anything, unless he's sensational in
True Grit--which, actually, he might be.
Nothing much else of note happened this weekend, so let's just get on to the full list before I start going off on an
Informant-style nonsensical rambling diatribe.
Box Office Results: 10/22 - 10/24
 | 1. Paranormal Activity 2 $41.5 million / NEW
This is apparently the highest opening for any supernatural horror movie ever, and considering this movie's budget was a paltry $3 million, I'm expecting we will be subjected to many new Paranormal Activities to come. Once they get done catering to Japan, of course.
|
 | 2. Jackass 3-D $21.7 million / $87.1 million
This would be a totally decent opening weekend for any movie, so that it is actually the total for Jackass' second week is pretty nuts. Seems like it ought to make that decision to maybe bring Jackass 3.5 to theaters a little easier.
|
 | 3. Red $15 million / $43.5 million
Way, way better than I thought this would do in its second week. I should know better than to underestimate the American audience's desire to watch Helen Mirren smoke some motherfuckers real rude.
|
 | 4. Hereafter $12 million / $12.3 million
Not a stellar opening for a movie directed by Eastwood and starring Damon, but the advertising for this thing has done a pretty crummy job of even explaining what the hell this movie is supposed to be about, so I'm not surprised it didn't do so great after its limited release debut.
|
 | 5. The Social Network $7.3 million / $72.9 million
I think I have to officially declare a moratorium on coming up with new jokes for movies that have been on this list for four weeks or longer. There is just nothing else funny to say about the Facebook movie.
|
 | 6. Secretariat $6.9 million / $37.3 million
A minimal drop for the horsie movie. Because people love horsies. Are you going to sit here and tell me you don't love horsies? Of course you aren't, because you aren't a monster...are you?
|
 | 7. Life as We Know It $6.1 million / $37.6 million
If this thing lasts more than another week, my life, as I know it, will come to a brutal, shotgunny end.
|
 | 8. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole $3.2 million / $50.1 million
Lowest week-to-week drop of the list, with less than a 25% fall. Considering that only Saw 3-D is opening next weekend, I don't expect that much from this week's list is going to move around this much. Except this movie. It's time for the owls to go, and I'm predicting it. THEY ARE GONE NEXT WEEK.
|
 | 9. The Town $2.7 million / $84.7 million
How 'bout them Patriots, eh? It's early, but I think they could easily take the division this year.
|
 | 10. Easy A $1.8 million / $54.8 million
Maybe I am foolish to believe the power of Emma Stone can defeat the power of 3D owls next week, but I AM PREDICTING IT. LET'S GO EMMA LET'S GO! *BASEBALL CLAP*
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Dropped Out: My Soul to Take,
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Source: Box Office Mojo
Yea how the hell did that movie end up costing $100m? Other than that tsunami scene, there doesn't seem like there was much else that could push the budget up that high.
Also, my Oscar pick goes to the pool cleaner in PA2.
I hope this is the start of big budget horror movies again. Like, summer tentpole horror stuff.
Even just getting new people with more money to do horror movies might actually improve the quality of that genre.
@Conformunist said:
The thing about Paranormal Activity 2, that I've seen, is that people who really liked the first one like this one less, but still like it, and people who didn't like the first one like this one way more.
So it's actually managing to cater to both crowds, somehow!