Hurricane Irene pummels weekend box office

By Sarah Sluis

Hurricane Irene caused millions of dollars of damage. With an estimated 1,000 theatres closed because of the storm, this weekend's box office was no exception. Receipts were down 20-25% from 2010, meaning some $25 million was lost due to decreased attendance. Even in areas where theatres were open, many chose to hunker down for the whole weekend.

The Help held on to its first-place spot by dipping just 28% to $14.3 million. Strong support from areas outside the East Coast, like the South, Los Angeles, and Chicago, kept the movie from dropping significantly. The drama should cross the $100 million mark sometime this week.

Colombiana landed on top of the new releases with a seven-digit debut of $10.3 million. The revenge-action pic, starring Zoe Saldana, drew audiences from all four demographic quadrants. Women comprised 57% of the audience, and 65% of viewers were over the age of 25.

While horror movies normally open big, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark had a more modest debut, racking up $8.6 million. In fact, only two supernatural horror movies have opened lower in the past three years. FilmDistrict had a surprise hit earlier this year with horror movie Insidious, so perhaps the spry distributor can quickly help the film back on its feet.

New York City-set comedy Our Idiot Brother, which finished with $6.5 million, was especially hard-hit by Irene. The movie tested best among East Coast viewers, who couldn't turn out due to the weather. The movie's highest-grossing location, Manhattan's Union Square theatre, was closed Sunday due to the hurricane. Next week it will be hard work to pick up the mess and try to recoup the adult audience.

Vera Farmiga's religious drama Higher Ground released in three theatres, including two in Manhattan, for a per-screen average of $7,000. Studio execs estimated the pic would have averaged $15,000 per screen in better weather.

This Wednesday, The Debt will hit theatres. On Friday, the box office will kick off the long Labor Day weekend with sci-fi thriller Apollo 18 and the sharks-eat-teens flick Shark Night 3D.

'Colombiana,' 'Idiot Brother' and 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' head off against 'Help'

By Sarah Sluis

The last weeks of the summer box office are normally dampened by kids going back to school and people trying to squeeze in some time for a final beach trip or barbecue. This weekend, the East Coast box office will be hampered by Hurricane Irene, which has put citizens from North Carolina to New York City on alert and unlikely to be thinking about catching the latest summer movie. Even for those areas without a hurricane to worry about, the trio of new releases is unlikely to unseat The Help from its first-place spot.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2,760 theatres) should grab a number in the low teen millions thanks to horror fans who prefer to see their movies opening weekend. Unlike a lot of other scary fare, the R-rated picture has little gore. This could either bring in a wider audience or alienate hard-core horror fans who like to see blood spilled along with their scares. Although the movie hews to haunted house film conventions, I wrote in my review that it will "partially satisfy those in need of simple, old-fashioned chills."

The charming Our Idiot Brother (2,555 theatres) tells the story of a "homeless hippie who disrupts the more conventional lives of his three New York City sisters," as described by critic Kevin Lally." The "first-rate cast" wields remarkable comic abilities, making Idiot Brother a "comedy of modest, genial pleasures." Like Don't Be Afraid, this comedy could open somewhere above the $10 million range. However, the New York audience is definitely a sweet spot for this comedy, which is set in the city, so the hurricane could easily blow these projections off course.

Some like revenge served cold. Others like to see their victims "shot, knifed, garroted, run over, blown up and eaten alive," which is what critic Daniel Eagan says happens to a number of supporting actors in Colombiana (2,614 theatres). Zoe Saldana stars as a contract killer out for revenge on those who murdered her parents. Eagan calls her the fantastic action star, a would-be "perfect Catwoman," who is "lithe, graceful, and eager to get dirty." While nothing here feels "remotely original," there's more than enough to satisfy genre fans.

On the specialty front, Midnight in Paris will triple the amount of locations in release for a total of 652 theatres. The Woody Allen movie has already earned $50 million, making it the indie hit of the summer. Vera Farmiga directs and stars in Higher Ground (3 theatres), which is based on a woman's memoir about her religious journey. Unlike a lot of religious movies, the subject is handled with "real intelligence and objectivity," according to David Noh. Brighton Rock (11 theatres), the adaptation of a Graham Greene novel, suffers from "wrongheaded bloat."

On Monday, we'll see what damage Irene did to the box office, and if The Help was able to maintain its spot at number one.