..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Kim Voynar
..Michael Wilmington

Grin and Bear It Scary Movie 3 once again led the weekend box office with an estimated $21.3 million but the most chilling element for the frame was the detrimental impact of Halloween falling on a Friday evening. Business took a nose dive Friday and more than doubled the next day. Though likely to be less affected than films targeting older audiences, Disney's animated Brother Bear decided to hold off its national debut until Saturday and thundered in with $11 million and a weekend estimated at $19.8 million. It was the sole new movie to debut in the nation though there were plenty of titles that bowed with limited exposure and several niche titles that had significant expansions. Despite the speed bumps (including unseasonably warm weather on the East Coast), overall business should exceed $106 million for a comparatively small decline of 18% from last weekend. It's also off a slim 6% from 2002 when The Santa Clause 2 bowed to $23 million and the first weekend of I Spy claimed third spot with a disappointing $12.7 million. It's been six years since Halloween fell on a Friday and in 1997 the new pictures in the marketplace were MGM's Red Corner and Switchback from Paramount. While much has changed in film going, the industry collectively braced itself for a soft Friday. Scary experienced a 75% drop Friday to Friday but Saturday to Saturday business declined by 44%. Similarly, the second weekend of Radio was down by 54% on comparative Fridays but declined just 10% on its second Saturday. Apart from the impressive roar of Brother Bear, the top 10 movies remained consistent. The best of the limited releases was the launch of The Human Stain in key cities on an exclusive or semi-exclusive basis that generated a respectable $1.1 million for a theater average of close to $6,700. Based on the numbers, the film's future will have to be very strategic, linked to awards and nominations from various organizations. The reissue of 1979's Alien in a "Director's Version" for the fright fest holiday seemed a very canny move with appeal to young audiences and a film savvy crowd. It bowed Wednesday and grossed about $260,000 entering the weekend and added another $1 million from 347 engagements that should pave the way for upbeat DVD sales. Another horror title, First Look's Suspended Animation curiously bowed on just three screens with virtually no advertising. While the distrib might have felt the picture's main appeal was on tape, the quality genre piece squandered its theatrical potential at a time when there was room for it in the marketplace. Lions Gate's Shattered Glass stepped out in eight locations and grossed an encouraging $75,000 while the Sundance series' last entry, Die Mommie Die, was eyeing roughly $52,000 from 10 outings. It's the best bow of the Sundance quartet but overall the experiment has to be considered a major failure. Sundance is apparently committed to at least one more cycle and will have to seriously rethink selections and locations if it hopes to turn a corner. The weekend's other major expansion - the Jane Campion-Meg Ryan thriller In the Cut - hit the wall with $2.2 million and an unprepossessing $2,700 theater average. The film never quite worked for either a mainstream or upscale crowd despite myriad commercial hooks for both audiences. - by Leonard Klady