Box Office: Stacey Jaxx is Flop?

Even with a big drop for Conversation Starter Prometheus, the two new wide releases couldn't make a big dent; nobody was holding up their lighter for Tom Cruise or sending Father's Day cards to Sandler. But I'm still curious to see if Rock of Ages can pick up any guilty pleasure WOM and have a non disastrous second weekend. Truth: I always root for musical success -- even when the musicals aren't great -- because I can't live without musicals. Sometimes you gotta take one for the team. If you want more musicals on screen, go see them all!

The best news this weekend was for Moonrise Kingdom which is expanding quite successfully. Your Sister's Sister had the weekend's best per screen average for a brand new film.

box office top five (actuals)
01 MADAGASCAR 3 $34 (cum. $119)
02 PROMETHEUS  $20.7  (cum. $89.3) Premiere Fashions
03 ROCK OF AGES new $14.4 Review & Premiere Fashions
04 THAT'S MY BOY new $13.4 
05 SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN $13.2 (cum $122) Review & Sequel Plans

What did you see this past weekend?
Did you take your father? Or maybe you just watched father figures on the big screen? The weekend's best opening, 

Box Office: Hair-Raising Franchise Battles

One could argue, and some did, that we didn't need another Alien movie after four regular features and Alien vs. Predator mash-ups. One could argue, though no one bothered to, that we didn't need another Madagascar. Yet both films had robust attention from audiences for their opening weekend. When all the new entries are crowd-interest family films always win since they have better legs at the box office. Their target audience doesn't even require legs to get to them since they're carried to or wheeled to the movie theaters question via their parental units.

an unlikely franchise showdown: Aliens vs. Madagascar

THE DIRTY (BOX OFFICE) DOZEN 
01 MADAGASCAR 3 new $603
02 PROMETHEUS  new $50.0
03 SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN $23 (cum $98.5) Review & Sequel Plans
04 MIB 3 $13.5  (cum $135.5)
05 THE AVENGERS  $10.8 (cum $571.8) Review
06 THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL $3.2 (cum. $31) Review

07 WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING $2.7 (cum. $35.7)
08 BATTLESHIP $2.2 (cum $59.8)
09 THE DICTATOR $2.1  (cum $55.1)
10 MOONRISE KINGDOM $1.5 (cum $3.7) (Wes Anderson's Dark Side)
11 DARK SHADOWS $1.3 (cum. $73.7) Review
12 THE HUNGER GAMES $1.0 (cum. $400.2) Review

What did you see this week? I was busy taking in the musical Rock of Ages, the buzzy poetic Beast of the Southern Wild (ohmgod. Do not miss it when it opens... but lower those Oscar expectations. Not that kind of movie), the Italian coming out comedy Loose Cannons (2010), and Prometheus (more on that as soon as I can manage).

Box Office: Snow White and the Hulkman

Queen Ravenna and The Runaway as I prefer to call it seized the box office kingdom with ease this weekend. It helps when no other big movie dares question your right to the throne. Given that the last Snow White picture Mirror Mirror didn't open even half as well, it's left to us to wonder: What accounts for the fair princess's drawing power this time around?

Help us determine it!

poll by twiigs.com

Here's the estimated top ten (US) chart with discussables afterwards as to what people are spending their money on... and why.

TOP TEN 
01 SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN new $56.2 review tomorrow
02 MIB 3  $29.3  (cum $112.3)
03 THE AVENGERS  $20.2 (cum $552.7) Review
04 BATTLESHIP  $4.8  (cum $55.1)
05 THE DICTATOR $4.7 (cum $50.8)
06 THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL $4.6 (cum. $25.4) Review
07 WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING $4.4 (cum. $30.7)
08 DARK SHADOWS $3.8 (cum. $70.8) Review
09 CHERNOBYL DIARIES $3.0 (cum. $14.4)
10 FOR GREATER GLORY new $1.8

Drawing by NathanielDiscussables
• The Avengers has now whizzed past The Dark Knight and the last Harry Potter film to become not only the top grossing superhero picture of all time domestically and internationally but the highest grossing picture of all time not directed by James Cameron .. (both records *not adjusted for inflation*) . If you adjust for inflation its performance is still spectacular. It's just outgrossed the original Spider-Man (2002) and has only one superhero picture left to vanquish: The Dark Knight. It'll surely do so.

• Speaking of behemoths, The Hunger Games (reviewed) only just left the top ten list and is but one week away from reaching $400 million domestically. It'll be only the third movie to achieve that remarkable feat this decade after Toy Story 3 and The Avengers. 

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (reviewed) continues to show terrific gams, picking up more theaters each week and barely dipping in occupancy (which makes you wonder if it can manage an Oscar run of some sort at year's end?). I attribute this, at least in part, to Downton Abbey Maggie Smith Fever.

• Moonrise Kingdom had the best per screen average by far. But despite the collected star power and Wes Anderson's fanbase it's only in very limited release still.

What did you see this weekend? If it was Queen Ravenna save your breath. We'll discuss her tomorrow!

Box Office: Some Movies Made $. Some Didn't. The End.

Whenever a mega-hit comes along reporting on box office gets yet duller. How many times can the internets type "SHATTERING RECORDS!" There aren't enough thesauri in the world to rescue us. I've tried goosing the box office column up with cartoons, illustrations, and extra lists so that The Film Experience retains its air of not phoning this in! So begone repetitive top ten chart. Let it suffice to say that the box office looked something like this over the weekend...

• THE AVENGERS
• Unauthorized Transformers Sequel
• Outrageous Antics of Sacha Baron Cohen III
• Marketing Hooks
• Old Ladies
• Movies
• Movies only New Yorkers and Los Angelenos are allowed to see for some reason 

Next week is a holiday weekend. Can The Avengers withstand the onslaught of Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin as Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black III for a fourth weekend on the top of the mountain of money? Stay tuned!

Did you see a movie this weekend? 

Box Office in Full Franchise Mode

In its second weekend, Marvel's The Avengers broke yet more records (first film to gross over $100 million in its second weekend) and joined the long-legged Katniss of The Hunger Games in her treetop perch. Together they can gaze far far down at the rest of the year's films whilst casually planning their even bigger sequels. Toy Story 3 excepted, they're the two most massive hits since James Cameron's Avatar. Meanwhile in limited release that Exotic Marigold Hotel was at full occupancy. Dark Shadows had a disappointing bow given the expectations generally placed on the Burton/Depp camp in mainstream remake mode. Since they clearly ought to take a break to recharge their creative batteries, maybe this is for the best? Consider that the Dames Judi & Maggie, in far far fewer theaters (roughly 4% of Dark Shadow's screens) and in their second weekend, had double the per screen average.

Johnny Depp's bankability tied down by Avengers fever and Double Dame powers.

TOP TEN 
01 THE AVENGERS  $103.1 (cum $373.1) Review
02 DARK SHADOWS  $28.8 new
03 THINK LIKE A MAN  $6.3 (cum $81.9)
04 HUNGER GAMES  $4.4 (cum $386.9) Review
05 THE LUCKY ONE  $4 (cum $53.7)
06 THE PIRATES! $3.2 (cum $23.1)
07 FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT  $3.1 (cum $24.3)
08 THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL $2.6 (cum $3.7) Review
09 CHIMPANZEE $1.6 (cum. $25.5)
10 GIRL IN PROGRESS $1.3 new 

What did you see this weekend? How many times have you seen The Avengers already? I would've seen Dark Shadows (LaPfeiffer awaits) but for visitors from out of town. I shall gaze on my beloved this week. More to come.