This is actually a fairly reasonable approximation of what it feels like to watch Saw 3D.
With Halloween being this weekend, it shouldn't shock anyone that a horror movie would sit atop the box office, especially when that horror movie was the
only major release of the weekend. Indeed,
Saw 3D took this week's top spot, taking in around $22.5 million in ticket sales. For those keeping track at home, that's a markedly better opening than
Saw VI, but also less than all those other damned
Saw movies did upon their openings, and none of those flicks had the bonus of 3D ticket price hikes to aid their quest for box office domination. So, basically, this is an OK number, and more than the budget of the picture, but not exactly
Jigsaw's finest.
Paranormal Activity 2 also held strong in its second week, taking second place and around $16.5 million. So, news flash: people go see horror movies on Halloween weekend.
Few other tidbits of note this week:
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the conclusion of the Millennium trilogy, opened on around 150 screens, and did just under a million bucks to come in 13th. I expect when/if it goes wider, it will probably break into the top 10, if only for a brief period. Also,
Monsters, the entirely interesting-looking relationship drama-meets-monster movie, while only opening on three screens, did about $21,000. That's a $7,000 per-screen average, which ain't half bad. Also, again, that movie's totally on iTunes, if you're feeling frisky.
More interesting than any of that, though, is the ten spot this week. If you'll recall, last week I made a bold prediction: I said that
Legend of the Guardians would drop off, and that
Easy A would stick around for another week, despite
Legend being two whole spots above
Easy A last week. Well, I was half right.
Legend did drop out of the top ten this weekend...and so did
Easy A. So what appeared on the list in their place?
Conviction! Yeah, remember that movie? The
Hilary Swank /
Sam Rockwell family/legal drama? It bumped up to over 500 screens this weekend, and actually did some real solid business. Don't really expect that to last past week, but hey, always nice to be surprised from time to time.
Click away for the full, owl-less list.
Weekend Box Office: 10/29 - 10/31
 | 1. Saw 3D $22.5 million / NEW
Maybe slightly higher than I was expecting, but with 3D ticket prices as they are, I knew this would at least crack $20 million. The real test will be to see how it does next week, now that all the fanboys and horror junkies looking for a Halloween fix have gotten their jollies.
|
 | 2. Paranormal Activity 2 $16.5 million / $65.7 million
Just a reminder that this movie cost all of $3 million to make. Three. The same number of licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop. We're going to be seeing more of these movies, whether you want them or not.
|
 | 3. Red $10.8 million / $58.9 million
I am legitimately shocked this movie is hanging on so high on the list from week to week. I mean, it's got some star power behind it, but it just doesn't seem like the sort of movie that would really have much long-term health. And I'm not just saying that because everyone in it is hell of old. I swear, I'm not. But they are. Old, I mean.
|
 | 4. Jackass 3-D $8.4 million / $101.6 million
I was going to chalk Jackass' massive 60% drop in revenue this week to Saw 3D snaking 3D screens from it, but then I noticed that its screen count actually went up this weekend. What, seeing Chris Pontius' dick in 3D isn't scary enough for you people?
|
 | 5. Hereafter $6.3 million / $22.1 million
Not much movement here, and still miles away from making its budget back. That said, this seems like one of those movies that will do A-OK internationally. And I'm not just saying that because foreign people are in it. I swear, I'm not. But they are. Foreign, I mean.
|
 | 6. Secretariat $5 million / $44.8 million
If I didn't know Rorie, I'd know exactly zero people who have seen this movie. Then again, I don't tend to hang around a lot of moms. Except yours. She's a sweetie.
|
 | 7. The Social Network $4.7 million / $79.7 million
FACEBOOK MOVIE. Moving on.
|
 | 8. Life as We Know It $4 million / $43.5 million
KATHERINE HEIGL POOPFACE. Moving on.
|
 | 9. The Town $2 million / $87.6 million
Once again, I will use this space to espouse my views on how awesome the Patriots are. Anyone else cackle with delight when Favre went down yesterday? Not that I want to see the dude die on the field or anything, but seriously, fully tired of that guy playing football, not to mention the constant circulation of his Internet dick pics.
|
 | 10. Conviction $1.8 million / $2.4 million
Sort of shocking to see this one rise up out of nowhere, but I guess Sam Rockwell and Hilary Swank still have some drawing power. One of those people is someone I will totally go see in just about anything, and one of them is like cinematic poison to me. See if you can guess which is which!
|
Dropped Out: Easy A,
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole Source: Box Office Mojo
Since there are no good movies in theaters that I want to see right now, I'm just waiting for Harry Potter 7 Pt. 1 to come out. Definitely pumped for those two movies. Also, The Walking Dead was excellent last night.
Hilary Swank was awful in that Amelia Earhart movie. I actuall thought Amy Adams did a better job in Night At The Museum 2.
Also, will Saw 3D break $50 million domestic and will Paranormal Activity break $100 million? Probably not, but both could come close. It's clear that Paranormal is the winner out of these two franchises, however.