Weekend Receipts: Satan Wins By A Nose, Takers Takes Second Place

It was a real horse race at the box office this weekend as the demon-possessed country bumpkin of The Last Exorcism edged out the smooth criminals from Takers for the number one slot. And meanwhile not a whole lot of people were making the return trip to Pandora as Avatar's re-release landed outside the top ten. Grab your crucifix and your favorite porkpie hat, your weekend receipts are here.

1. The Last Exorcism

Gross: $21,300,000 (new)

Screens: 2,874 (PSA: $7,411)

Weeks: 1

There's such a slim sum separating The Last Exorcism and Takers that when the final numbers roll in tomorrow, this flick may actually slide to number two. But since Exorcism reportedly only cost about $1.8 million to make, I think they'll be fine with it either way.

2. Takers

Gross: $21,000,000 (new)

Screens: 2,206 (PSA: $9,519)

Weeks: 1

With the largest per-screen-average in the top ten this weekend, Takers is doing surprisingly well. But it's like that old Hollywood aphorism goes, "Never underestimate the audience's desire to see Darth Vader, Uhura, Stringer Bell, and a woman-beater in a movie together." I think it's something Jack Warner used to say.

3. The Expendables

Gross: $9,500,000 ($82,010,000)

Screens: 3,398 (PSA: $2,796)

Weeks: 3 (change: -44.0%)

After a two week run at the top, Sly's boys get shuffled down to three. But sequel plans are already afoot." I've already made my plea to include Jean-Claude Van Damme, but I'd also like request that Steven Segal come nowhere near it. Unless the majority of the action scenes are set at a Golden Corral all-you-can-eat buffet, I don't think he'd fit in.

4. Eat, Pray, Love

Gross: $7,000,000 ($60,716,000)

Screens: 3,108 (PSA: $2,252)

Weeks: 3 (change: -42.2%)

While not an outright bomb, Julia's privilege-flick certainly has to be considered a disappointment. Perhaps the movie shouldn't have been nearly two and a half hours long. I think even Julia's mom can only take her in two hour increments.

5. The Other Guys

Gross: $6,600,000 ($99,300,000)

Screens: 3,181 (PSA: $2,075)

Weeks: 4 (change: -35.1%)

Now that it's within a fart's breadth of crossing the $100 million mark, let us congratulate Will Ferrell on his movie's impressive stay power and marvel that no one thought to schedule another comedy in the last few weeks of August. For filing purposes, I'm not counting Vampires Suck as a comedy, but more along the lines of a weird Dadaist experiment in anti-comedy.

and then alllll the way down the list we have

12. Avatar: Special Edition

Gross: $4,000,000 (new)

Screens: 812 (PSA: $4,926)

Weeks: 1

Sadly, folks couldn't be arsed to come to theaters to see additional footage of penis ponytail foreplay. James Cameron will no doubt throw himself on one of his giant mountains of loose cash and cry himself softly to sleep.

[Numbers via Box Office Mojo]