'Paranormal Activity' climbs to number one in its fifth week

By Sarah Sluis

Most horror movies open huge and drop precipitously, at least 50%, in their second week. Not Paranormal Activity. In a rare case of the tortoise beating the hare, the minuscule-budget movie rose to number one in its fifth week and usurped the Saw franchise, which consistently had been opening in the $30 million range. As I predicted, Paranormal Activity's per-screen average dropped about 50% from last week, but since the movie more than doubled the its total screens, its gross shot up 12% to $22 million.

Below Paranormal Activity, Saw VI opened at $14.8 million, despite receiving positive reviews for its jibes at health care and insurance. Critic Frank Scheck wrote that "[i]f this is torture porn, it's as if it was designed to be enjoyed by Michael Moore."

Four family titles were in the top ten, making for a crowded market. Summit's Astro Boy opened at number six with $7 million. Most critics had at least something good to say about the movie (it's tracking at 49% on Rotten Tomatoes), so perhaps the property was just too obscure to connect with audiences. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant opened two spots lower, at $6.3 million, but received overwhelmingly negative reviews, with reports that the movie went all over the place. At number nine, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs dropped 30% in its sixth week to take in $5.6 million, making it the strongest family movie of the fall. Up at number three, Where the Wild Things Are dropped 55% in its second week to $14.4 million. While it's certainly not the flop some were predicting, its second-week drop is precipitious

Fox Searchlight's Amelia opened just outside of the top ten with $4.9 million. Because it was released in just 818 theatres, its per-screen average was better than all the films in the top ten. While reviews faulted its by-the-book storytelling, which may move it out of awards consideration, the PG-rated flick with a historical heroine could make it the perfect matinee for a young girl and her parents or older audiences in search of tamer subject matter.

Among specialty releases, An Education had the best per-screen average of the week, earning $13,000 per screen and approaching the $1 million mark in its third week. Antichrist debuted with a $12,200 per screen at six theatres.

This Wednesday, the Michael Jackson concert film This Is It will release, followed by a weekend devoid of major openings because of the Saturday night Halloween holiday.

'Zombieland' to take over theatres

By Sarah Sluis

Zombieland (3,036 theatres) is the top pick for #1 this weekend, since its blanket release puts it in nearly twice as many theatres as the other wide releases. The horror comedy "has its tongue planted

firmly in its rancid cheek while still delivering the visceral

goodies," and its twist on the horror genre should attract die-hard and sometimes horror fans alike.

The other three wide releases of the week are each opening in around 1,700 theatres, smaller-scale releases that match each of the movie's strategies.

Roller derby tale Whip It, which is already benefiting from positive word-of-mouth, will open in 1,720 theatres after sneaking in half that number last week. Women seem to love the movie, and opening smaller will put emphasis on its subsequent weekends rather than its opening weekend. Those that love the film (myself included) are struck by how it breathes life into the familiar coming-of-age genre. Critic Peter Brunette called it "familiar yet simultaneously different...loaded with clichs...but somehow writer Shauna Cross...manages to continually inflect the story with fresh twists."

Prepping for the release of Toy Story 3 in June, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 will be released as a 3D double feature in 1,745 theatres. The run is planned for two weeks, but will be extended based on performance. Industry insiders are pegging the film's opening in the $10 million range, but a re-release like this is so rare I wouldn't be surprised if normal tracking measures fail. The movie's biggest competitor is 3D animated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which is going into its third week. The re-release will undoubtedly bump Cloudy from some of its 3D venues, which could affect both of the films' standing.

Ricky Gervais-Jennifer Garner comedy The Invention of Lying is also opening small (1,707 theatres), but perhaps that's indicative of its quality: low. Critic Rex Roberts called it a "self-indulgent, ultimately unsatisfying skit-that-won't-quit." Ouch.

On the specialty circuit, Capitalism: A Love Story expands to 962 theatres, its first wide expansion. LeBron James documentary More Than a Game, a "superb, slam-dunk documentary " that follows a quartet of talented basketball players, including James, through high school and beyond will also open in New York, Los Angeles, and Cleveland.

The Coen Brothers' A Serious Man, sure to appeal fans of the writer/director/producers, opens in New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis this weekend. Our critic Ethan Alter praised the "subtle, humorous way the film tackles such complex subjects as morality, faith and family," calling this personal, "darkly comic" film one of the Coens' best.

On Monday, we'll circle back to see how many viewers Zombieland infected, if audience members took the bait for The Invention of Lying, and how well word-of-mouth was built up for Whip It.