North American box office: ‘Obsessed’ goes crazy

It’s really depressing when blank-faced Channing Tatum beats Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx at the multiplex, but it’s even worse when they’re all beaten by a catfight between Ali Larter and Beyoncé Knowles. I guess smart movies are dead, and all we’re left with is exploitation. Box Office Mojo puts it best:

Obsessed boasted the highest-grossing opening on record for a psycho stalker, erotic or "blank from hell" thriller.

Until the next one, of course. And the one after that. Which we’re sure to see as soon as the studios can pump them out.

Cuz: State of Play dropped all the way down to No. 7 in its second week, and dropped more than 50 percent. Which is bad, if you care about smart movies. Business was up 25 percent over the same weekend last year, but it’s not the kind of business that bodes well if you would like to see a grownup movie once in a while. Obsessed even enjoyed the best per-screen average for the weekend, $11,381 at each of 2,514 venues (though the documentary Nursery University, about the crazy world of the nursery-school admissions process, was close behind, earning $11,307 on its single screen).

Oh, and look: Fast & Furious, at No. 9 this week, will easily pass $150 million in domestic revenue along, though it will take another two weeks to do so.

I dunno what to make, however of Crank: High Voltage crashing in its second week, dropping more than 62 percent. That’s probably a matter of poor marketing... or else even this movie is too smart for what audiences want at the moment. And that’s really depressing.

Monsters vs. Aliens, which is sweet, at least, will pass $175 million by next weekend. Of course, it cost that much to make, so it won’t be considered a good deal by Hollywood.

Other milestones: Knowing passed $75 million this past weekend. Whoopie!

[numbers via Box Office Mojo]