"So it was Nazis vs Aliens at the box office. In terms of negative cost, the two pics are $72M vs $30M. But I've learned that while District 9 only has a small gross participation for Peter Jackson and nobody else associated with the film, Inglourious Basterds has a big gross participation for both Tarantino and star Brad Pitt. Film financing circles tell me the film has to make more than $60M, and others say it's $80M, in North America in order to earn out. But they also expect a 70% drop for Inglourious Basterds next weekend because most college campuses around the country will be back in session — and that's bad for biz."

I hope you're more opened minded in your classes than you are when someone disagrees with you about something so inconsequential (to you) as a movie's box office. Sounds like they have not only made big money from "Inglourious" but that that NEED to make a lot more.

By the way, I think you're right about the college crowd. But surely this last weekend home was a bigger market.

I think that he's saying that this is certainly an impressive opening, considering the hard-R rating, the long running time and the subtitles (among other things) but that there have been more impressive openings in our lifetime, specifically "Passion of the Christ". That's where the comparison begins and ends.

PS.

I just saw "The Goods" and thought it was hilarious- I think it'll be a cult hit, definitely much like "Hot Rod" or "Walk Hard" was as soon as they hit DVD.

D9's drops will be smaller from here on out, at least for a couple weekends. Next weekend may see about a 40% drop. Horror fans are going to be spoiled with the release of Halloween II and Final Destination 4 on the same weekend, but every other demographic will be left out, which means a great opportunity for strong holds all around. And the weekend after that is Labor Day weekend, which could mean a drop at low as 10-20% for D9.

Oh, and I'm not that surprised that a 2.5-hour movie with 70% subtitles won the weekend with $37.6mil in August. It IS Tarantino, after all, and it got good reviews, and the ads made it look fun and easy to follow (supposed premise: Jews kill Nazis. Everyone loves strong violence, but everyone loves revenge even more, and since it's not a horror movie nobody anticipates being scared or too grossed out by it, so of course they want to see it). Also, other movies have done more impressive things at #1. Like the movie that was 2 hours of brutal torture and 100% subtitles in three different languages, and it managed to open in #1 for three weeks in a row, the first being $83.8mil in February after a Wednesday opening… Yeah. Just to put things in perspective. ;)

Anyways, that can't be good news for Shorts, it's budget must have been at the in the $40-$50 million range. I'm still wondering what the hell happened to William H. Macy. He was great in Fargo, and then just kind of disappeared. I half-wanted to see it just to see what he did.

Next weekend will fall to H2, probably coming short of it's proceeder's amount of cash, but grossing in the area of $25 million none the less. I don't see a 70% drop for Inglourious Basterds, but there is a point about college starting next weekend. It might fall 50-55% for second, and then Final Destination with around $15 million for third.

Again a very interesting weekend coming up, no idea who can make 20M.

Weekend is about escape, something well needed after that depressing first week of realization that your school life has returned and will go on for the next 8-10 months. Canada starts university a bit later I guess but I already know what *I* and a great number of university students are going to be doing that weekend: partying and then seeing a movie hungover the next day. Except mine will be the long anticipated-for-me Gamer. That's my personal take on that.

Other thoughts: Beyond damn thrilled about IB's opening. Hopefully District 9's holds will be like this weekend. Should have seen Shorts' and Post Grad's numbers coming. Real shame about The Goods.

And how about that, with the release of H2 and FD4 next weekend, looks like 4 of the Top 5 will be R-rated films. When the hell was the last time that happened?

What about next weekend? The Final Destination will win with $28M? I think yes!