Cinefantastique Online

There is no doubt that INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL is a box office blockbuster - after only two weeks in theatres it has already earned over $200-million - but it could not not hold onto the #1 position for two weeks in a row. SEX AND THE CITY managed what many talk about but few achieve: counter-programming success in a summer season filled with testosterone-fueled action epics. The feature film version of the old HBO comedy made its debut in nearly U.S. 3,300 theatres, where it earned an estimated $55.74-million.

The left INDIANA JONES in second place with an impressive sophomore take of $46.71-million. That yielded a two-week total of $216.88-million.

The weekend’s other big debut was for thriller THE STRANGERS, which opened in 2,467 theatres, earning $20.71-million. Although a small number compared to the #1 and #2 films, that was better than most horror films have achieved this year.

As for other cinefantastique in the Top Ten:

IRON MAN rusted from third to fourth place in its fifth week of release. Weekend revenues of $14-million raised its U.S. total to $276.63-million.

THE CHRONCILES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN abdicted the #2 position for #5. Despite the drop, the film still earned $13.02-million, raising its fortune to $115.67 after three weeks in theatres.

SPEED RACER chugged along into eighth place, three slots behind last week’s finish. A prize of $2.14-million resulted in a four-week total of only $40.56-million - or less than one-fifth of its reported production costs.

Rounding out the Top Ten was FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, a crude comedy that we keep mentioning because it includes a rock opera version of Dracula, performed by puppets! The seventh week of release added $1.04-million to the $60.47-million total.