Is there anyone out there who believed the top two films would end up in this order? I suspect there are few to none who did. I feel very certain that there are probably a lot of horror fans who were hoping it would wind up like this but dared not dream it would actually happen. Ever since the first Saw surprised audiences, the series has been a rock year in and year out. To this point each of the sequels pulled in more than $30 million in their opening weekend, then this happened. Saw VI failed to even top the $18 million of the original film. On the other hand, it is great to see Paranormal Activity doing as well as it is.
Paranormal Activity has been marketed perfectly by Paramount. The slow burn of its release has paid off. Hype built and built and its release has widened along with the hype. The film is uber-creepy and shows how effective a film can be when it plays with your mind rather than splattering everything across the screen. It will be interesting to see just how far they can take it.
As for Saw? Well, could the aging series be showing some chinks in its armor? Is its Halloween dominance nearing an end? Could the lackluster fifth entry have caused this dip to occur? Or could it just be the one off effect of a cinematic phenomenon known as Paranormal Activity. Of course, this Saw is actually good, one of the better sequels. Perhaps word of mouth will help it out in coming weeks. It will be interesting to see if it has legs in coming weeks and if this showing will have an effect on the already announced part seven (in 3D, no less).
Where the Wild Things Are took a 57% hit in its second weekend out. I cannot say it was unexpected, but maybe a little disappointing. The movie is a masterstroke of storytelling that does lean a bit more towards the art house than the mainstream.
Article comments