The Indie Top 10 and the Other Top 5: 2.6.98 - 2.8.98

by Mark Rabinowitz

Trimark's "Star Kid" and "Eve's Bayou" remained in the one-two position
atop the leader board, this week, but the relatively high number of screens
on which they appear rank their per-screen average near the bottom of the
Indie Top Ten. Live's "Illtown" continued to disappoint, dropping off more
than 60%, while dropping from 28 screens to 17 one week after expanding to
28 from 2. The top three per screen pics this week are the two freshmen,
First Run Features "Paul Monette" and Island Digital's "General Chaos", and
four week-old "Full Speed" from Strand Releasing.

In the "Other Top 5" listings, Miramax's "Good Will Hunting" continued its
strong pre-Oscar showing, dropping off 19% while approaching the $70
million mark. With the film expected to receive several Oscar nods on
Tuesday, Miramax expanded this film's exposure by 326 screens on Friday.
The other two films in this week's list to post gains were also favored for
Oscar nominations, with October's "The Apostle" picking up 73% over the
past week, and New Line's "Boogie Nights" expanded by 493 screens and
watched as its weekend gross grew by a whopping 1,163%.

++ THE INDIE TOP 10 ++

STAR KID (Trimark): $449,377 (-26%) -- Total: $5,515,696

Week #4 -- 584 Screens (-44) -- $769 average per screen

EVE'S BAYOU (Trimark): $162,771 (+155%) -- Total: $14,054,598

Week #14 -- 221 Screens (+168) -- $737 average per screen

GUANTANAMERA (LGF): $8,527 (+4%) -- Total: $877,478

Week #3 -- 7 Screens (no change) -- $1,218 average per screen

FULL SPEED (Strand): $8,316 (172%) -- Total: 31,640

Week #4 -- 2 Screens (+1) -- $4,158 average per screen

GENERAL CHAOS (Island digital): $8,022 -- Total: 8,022

Week #1 -- 2 Screens -- $4,011 average per screen

PAUL MONETTE (1st Run): $6,941 -- Total: $6,941

Week #1 -- 1 Screen -- $3,471 average per screen

LILIES (Turbulent): $6,926 (+114%) -- Total: $218,635

Week #18 -- 3 Screens (-1) -- $2,309 average per screen

ILLTOWN (Live): $6,064 (-65%) -- Total: 63,367

Week #4 -- 17 Screens (-11) -- $357 average per screen

TRUE FRIENDS (2nd Generation Films): $3,427 (-37%) -- Total: $10,740

Week #2 -- 4 Screens (no change) -- $857 average per screen

LATIN BOYS GO TO HELL (Strand): $2,852 (-10%) -- Total: 197,838

Week #23 -- 1 Screens (-2) -- $2,852 average per screen

++ THE OTHER TOP 5 ++

GOOD WILL HUNTING (Miramax): $6,828,903 (-19%) -- Total: $68,295,518

Week #10 -- 2,157 Screens (+326) -- $3,166 average per screen

WAG THE DOG (New Line): $3,372,808 (-29%) -- Total: 33,803,719

Week #7 -- 1,586 Screens (-99) -- $2,127 average per screen

THE APOSTLE (October): $965,925 (+73%) -- Total: $1,953,878

Week #8 -- 110 Screens (+60) -- $8,781 average per screen

BOOGIE NIGHTS (New Line): $436,373 (+1,163%) -- Total: $24,664,139

Week #17 -- 524 Screens (+493) -- $833 average per screen

THE FULL MONTY (Fox Searchlight): $329,111 (-26%) -- Total: $38,814,971

Week #26 -- 263 Screens (-44) -- $1,251 average per screen

[All box office figures are provided by Entertainment Data, Inc.
]

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Indie Top 10 lists the top grossing EDI tracked
films distributed by companies not owned or affiliated with major studios or
entertainment companies. The Other Top 5 lists the top grossing EDI
tracked films distributed by companies other than the primary major studios.]