Box Office Update: "Steel" on Ice

It's a typically slow weekend at the box office, and it's sad that the word "typical" is part of that sentence. I'll say that this year has been one of massive disappointments more than anything, at least in my opinion. The dry spell of those first three months, and a continued stall from April, an unenthusiastic summer, and now a fall season that won't come soon enough. There's just nothing really seductive this year, at least comparative to last year. Color me discontented, and the box office figures do not help that disposition. Even less helpful is where most of the money is coming from.

Of the top ten films this weekend, I've only seen one, and that was on a minor whim. No opportunity to get to "50/50" or "The Ides of March", though they seem to do be doing well for themselves. Both had such small drops of less than 30% this weekend, which does bring a slight smile to me. Though I'll admit that the more time goes by, the less I'm really enthused about seeing them. Who was so fortunate to win the weekend but "Real Steel", once again protesting with loud bangs of cash streaming in. It just barely won out over "Footloose", which itself brought in the typical teen crowd to its door.

With the younger demographic pretty much tapped out, it's no wonder the other new release, "The Big Year", ended up with a truly pathetic opening. There was some business for "Dolphin Tale", but the rest of the wealth seemed to be evenly distributed towards adult skewing films. See how "The Thing" opened with a in-these-days modest $8.7 million, but barely above any of the other adult fare. It was a wide spread market, but the weekend was still paling in comparison to last year, when "Jackass 3D" proved the hit of the weekend, and happily so. Not so happily here, but "Paranormal Activity 3" will be around next weekend to fill up the market.

1. "Real Steel" (Second Weekend; $16.3 million)

2. "Footloose" (First Weekend; $16.1 million)

3. "The Thing" (First Weekend; $8.7 million)

4. "The Ides of March" (Second Weekend; $7.5 million)

5. "Dolphin Tale" (Fourth Weekend; $6.3 million)

6. "Moneyball" (Fourth Weekend; $5.5 million)

7. "50/50" (Third Weekend; $4.3 million)

8. "Courageous" (Third Weekend; $3.4 million)

9. "The Big Year" (First Weekend; $3.3 million)

10. "Lion King 3D" (Fifth Weekend; $2.7 million)