weekend box office: Madea beats the crap out of Paul Walker

Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion sets up its own press for printing money, rakes in $30 million since Friday. Only one conclusion can be drawn from this fact: An America weaned on Oprah’s stern but loving maternalism is desperate for a thorough scolding from a large, angry black woman (or at least a large angry black man in drag). Critics need not apply, though -- the film was not screened in advance because, according to Lionsgate president Tom Ortenberg (via the New York Post), “We are not going to spend $50,000 for the privilege of negative reviews for a film that isn’t going to be affected by them.” And Lionsgate knew the reviews would be negative because they’ll still reeling from the drubbing the prequel, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, took last year.

Meanwhile, Paul Walker could not force moviegoers into multiplexes at gunpoint -- Running Scared took in a pathetic $3 million. Last week he told Philly.com, about his role as a footsoldier for the Joisey mob, “I was super-intimidated by the role, although it was something I desperately wanted to do. But deep down inside I knew I could do it.” Um, not so much, maybe...

[box office results via Yahoo! Movies]