How a Black Film Benefited from Piranhas

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Box Office Round-Ups | Comments (38)

How did The Last Exorcism debut at number one with $21 million only a week after another horror film, Piranha 3D at number six with less than half that gross? Piranha 3D had an established director, a somewhat well-known cast, (fake) 3D effects, and buckets and buckets of blood (it also fared well with the critics). Meanwhile, The Last Exorcism looked like it was made in a garage, had no stars, and a director no one has ever heard of (Daniel Stamm), although it also fared well with critics (and our review will be posted later today).

I’ll tell you how: PG-13 (The Last Exorcism) vs. R (Piranha 3d). Teenagers are, by and large, the biggest demographic for horror films, and they will watch anything with the hint of blood or fear. I strongly suspect that Piranha 3D was seen by a lot more teenagers than paid for it. Why did The Lottery Ticket fall from number four to number 11 in one week, with a whopping 62 percent drop? That was the 14th biggest rank drop from opening weekend to second weekend of all time. It’s because those horror movie fans didn’t have to buy a ticket to another film this week. Or they bought a ticket to The Last Exorcism. and saw Piranha 3D, instead.

I wonder if studio heads ever strategically release a film to take advantage of tickets purchased to see another film? And it’s been a while since I had to sneak into a theater to see an R-rated film (I remember always feeling vaguely terrified as a teenager that I’d get caught), but I wonder if most theater employees (many of whom are teenagers themselves) even care? I’ve certainly never seen anyone pulled out of an R-rated movie for sneaking in.

The Last Exorcism’s weekend win, however, is still up in the air. It beat out Takers by only $300,000, and that may change when the final numbers roll in this afternoon. Not that anyone will care this afternoon. Not that anyone cares right now. That’s just about the dullest match-up of the year.

The Expandables and Eat, Pray, Love held on to numbers three and four, with $82 million and $60 million overall, respectively (in both cases, their box-office surpassed their budgets this week). The Other Guys hung on to number five, scoring $99 million cumulative (it’s budget was $100 million). And no one cares about the rest of the top ten.

However, here’s the good news: Avatar in re-release only made $4 million. Apparently, not so many people wanted to see the extra eight minutes in an already overlong film. Suck it, James Cameron. How does it feel to only add $4 million to a film that’s already the biggest box-office hit of all time? Loser.

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Comments

Interesting theory. Guess it helps if you always looked older and could sneak into R-rated fare at 14-15.

I'm surprised that both of the new movies got to $20 million when I didn't think either would get that much, given that schools are back in session and people are beginning to use these last few summer days to be outside.

BTW, is a Summer 2010 round-up happening?

Posted by: Fredo at August 30, 2010 9:54 AM

I read Snuggiepants's take on The Last Exorcism and was disappointed. I'm looking forward to reading another review of it. Also, MY PHONE GON' RING!

Posted by: Pinky McLadybits at August 30, 2010 9:55 AM

I will work MY PHONE GON' RING! into a headline this week if it kills me.

Posted by: Dustin Rowles at August 30, 2010 9:58 AM

The Expandables

i c wut u did thar.

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Posted by: blucee at August 30, 2010 10:15 AM

All those comments up there, even spambot's ode to interracial dating, those comments are the reason I love Pajiba. My phone gon' ring, indeed.

And Fredo, some theaters (like many of my local ones) require you to be over 17 (with valid ID) or have a parent with you to watch an R flick. Even 16-year-olds get no slack. Although it's painfully obvious when kids are sneaking into R-rated movies. Hey jerkwads, word to the wise, don't keep giggling and slapping high fives and loudly hawing about how you can't believe you snuck in whilst texting on your phones. Those giant blue screens you have on constantly through the film are enough to make me turn you little dipshits in, you hear me? *shakes fist* Kids today!

Posted by: Kayanne at August 30, 2010 10:52 AM

Kayanne, I'm talking about me back when I was a teen and got in (during more relaxed times) to R-rated fare. I know that, in today's day, it's not as easy.

Posted by: Fredo at August 30, 2010 11:08 AM

Oh, I'll never forget walking out of a R movie only to see my mom and her friends coming out of an adjoining theater. To this day, my mom still thinks I saw Sister Act II. As if! That was the closest I ever got to getting caught. I can't remember what I saw, but I'll never forget what I didn't see.

Posted by: EJ at August 30, 2010 11:42 AM

WHAT THE FRICK??? Ok, I officially APOLOGIZE for being two of those tickets that made it #1 this weekend (me and little Snuggie). That shite was SHITE. (Critics liked it??? What the hell? It's like a movie that was sort of decent and then went and shot itself in the head in the last 35 minutes. It was like a mercy killing in film form.)

As for the PG-13 versus R thing, I mentioned this, but I was really surprised The Last Exorcist got a PG-13 rating. I'm tempted to go see that fish with fangs flick just to see if there's any damn difference in the level of violence, etc.

And MY PHONE GON' RING guy was big and scary, y'all. I had those fight or flight things rushing in my blood.

Posted by: Snuggiepants at August 30, 2010 11:58 AM

He was scarier than anything in the movie!

Posted by: Snuggiepants at August 30, 2010 12:00 PM

didnt the avatar special edition have the alien sex scene?? If they made a special rated R version for theatres, the box office would be like $45 million this weekend, especially if it was a hard R rating. You know its true

Posted by: Mr. Razastein at August 30, 2010 12:41 PM

I actually have been removed from an R-rated movie. Paid to see Independence Day and instead tried to see Bulletproof (the Adam Sandler/Damon Wayans movie) and got yanked out about 10 minutes into the movie. But they at least let us go and watch ID4 (for the dozenth time) instead of completely kicking us out of the building.

Posted by: Daniel at August 30, 2010 12:59 PM

I have a question,...last week I paid to see two movies in a row, Salt and Scott pilgrim. My brother was appalled that I would pay for both, and not just sneak into one after paying for the other. It was only 6 bucks a movie, I felt like I was in bizarro world, or am I the insane one?

Posted by: e at August 30, 2010 2:40 PM

You can't sneak into a 3D movie. You wouldn't have the glasses!

Posted by: ERM at August 30, 2010 5:31 PM

Not that you care what a stranger on the internet says, but you did the right thing, e. Yes, you probably could have gotten away with not paying, but it wouldn't have been ethical.

Good on you. :)

Posted by: marya at August 30, 2010 9:05 PM

Seconded

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