Weekend Box Office #153

Late September: the dumping ground for all sort of movies.

Opening wide this weekend:

FAME (3096 theaters). The problem with remaking this movie is the original was good, plus between GLEE and all the dancing shows on TV, there isn't exactly a huge need for a film like this. It seems aimed firmly at teens, but it's hard to believe they'll care much, while the reviews I've seen haven't been glowing. Figure $8.7 million for the weekend.

SURROGATES (2951 theaters). The hook for this is vague, while reviews haven't been great either, and Bruce Willis isn't all that critic-proof any more. Figure $12.5 million.

PANDORUM (2506 theaters). I'm really not all that aware of this film, so it's hard to think it'll be that huge. $9.3 million.

********

Last weekend, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS did a surprisingly-solid $30.3 million.

THE INFORMANT did $10.5 million, LOVE HAPPENS did $8.1 million, and JENNIFER'S BODY stalled with only $6.9 million.

Weekend Box Office #152

Another week has flown by. It's nuts how fast time is slipping through my fingers.

This weekend's wide releases.

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (3119 theaters). I don't know. On the one hand, it's family friendly, but on the other hand it just doesn't seem to have that intangible something that is going to make people flock out to see it. I could be wrong, but I'm going to lowball guess $16.7 million for the weekend.

JENNIFER'S BODY (2701 theaters). Reviews have been underwhelmed, but it's Megan Fox, and that might be enough to do okay. $15.1 million.

THE INFORMANT! (2505 theaters). This was high on my list, until I skimmed the terrible review in the LA Times today. Still, they are advertising the hell out of it. $10.2 million.

LOVE HAPPENS (1989 theaters). This looks a little too generic. $7.7 million.

***********

Last weekend, TYLER PERRY's latest did $23.4 million. 9 did $10.7 million.

SORORITY ROW only did $5.0 million, and WHITEOUT limped in with $4.9 million.

Weekend Box Office #151

So life ambles on. Weeks have been flying by; I have no idea where the time went. I've been battling a cough and insomnia (beither helping the other at all), and this weekend's crop of wide releases don't offer much respite:

WHITEOUT (2745 theaters). This is apparently not very good at all; the LA Times review today was rather scornful. Apparently it's one of those mysteries where there is endless dialogue in which characters over-explain what they are looking at (note to writers: don't do this). It's hard to believe anyone will care about this film. Estimate: $4.7 million for the weekend.

SORORITY ROW (2665 theaters). With The Final Destination and Halloween II still hanging around, theaters are a bit overclotted with horror movies. $7.1 million.

TYLER PERRY'S I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF (2255 theaters). I learned long ago not to underestimate the drawing power of Tyler Perry. $17.4 million.

9 (1661 theaters). This actually opened on Wednesday, and did okay, not great. Figure $9.8 million.

*********

Last weekend, for the 4-day Labor Day weekend, ALL ABOUT STEVE did $14.1 million, GAMER did $11.2 million, and EXTRACT did $5.5 million.

Weekend Box Office #150

Not much this weekend. EXTRACT sort of looks amusing, though reviews have been slightly mixed.

Opening wide:

GAMER (2502 theaters). I've seen commercials, and there's nothing here that feels like a real grabber. Prediction: $6.7 million for the weekend.

ALL ABOUT STEVE (2251 theaters). This movie also has an odd hook -- she's a stalker, but it's a romantic comedy -- though Sandra Bullock's name is worth a little something. $11.2 million.

EXTRACT (1611 theaters). There's some buzz, but Mike Judge movies don't have much of a track record in theaters. $5.5 million.

******

Last weekend, THE FINAL DESTINATION did a solid $27.4 million, while HALLOWEEN II did a decent $16.3 million.

TAKING WOODSTOCK only did $3.5 million.