Box Office Update: 8/26-28

Much like Wedding Crashers before it, and still going, The 40 Year Old Virgin is showing signs of having strong legs to carry it through the rest of the summer. It is nice seeing genuinely funny and surprisingly well written comedies rise to the top, while dreck like the Deuce Bigalow sequel sink like a stone.

Red Eye and Four Brothers are also showing strength as well. I am happy to see the latest Craven film doing well, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it, but found a tightly wound and finely focused thriller. One other note, March of the Penguins continues to perform strongly, great news for a documentary. Perhaps this will open the doors to other documentaries getting a wide release.

Of the new films this week, The Brothers Grimm performed the best, placing second. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't that unadulterated bliss I had hoped for, it was more of a restrained "coulda been better" kind of enjoyment. Then there is the sad The Cave, that was not a terribly good film and the take reflected that. I think the capper for under performing releases has got to be the Ashlee Simpson starrer Undiscovered, which barely cracked $676,000 on over 1,300 screens. Now that has to be one of the worst openings I've ever seen.

One last note, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may have dropped off of the top ten, but it is continuing it's march towards $200 million, much like Batman Begins did a few weeks back. Here's hoping it is a safe journey into a world of imagination.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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