The Indie Top Five and the Other Top Ten: 11.28.97 - 11.30.97

by Eugene Hernandez

Five films debuted over the holiday weekend, with the Goldwyn release "Bent",
directed by Sean Mathias, performing strongly on a dozen screens and
landing in the non-studio top ten. Meanwhile Miramax' "Welcome To Sarajevo",
directed by Michael Winterbottom, premiered powerfully earning $66,920 on
five screens. Stephen Kijak's "Never Met Picasso", distributed by Turbulent
Arts, made $4,021 on two screens, P&B Films' "Bad Boy Bubby" earned $3,038 on
one screen and Mongrel's "Tar" made $2,776 on one screen.

In its second weekend on screen, Atom Egoyan's "The Sweet Hereafter" from
Fine Line gained 29% on five screens, earning $94,664 for a per screen
average of $18,933 and a two week total of $221,768. Sony Classics' "The Tango Lesson", directed by Sally Potter, performed well in its third
weekend, gaining 9% on three screens, adding $19,065 for a per screen
average of 6,355 for a total of $75,270. Strand's re-release of Godard's
"Contempt" played on three screens nationwide again this weekend, its 23rd
week in release, earning $10,598 and bringing its total take to $660,818.

[The following lists include -- Line 1: Title and distributor, weekend
gross and change from last weekend, and total. Line 2: Number of weeks
in release, number of screens and change from last week and per screen
average.]

++ THE INDIE TOP FIVE ++

"Eve's Bayou" (Trimark): $1,460,802 (-6.75%) -- Total: 11,216,617

Week #4 -- 557 Screens (-95) -- $2,623 average per screen

"Wishmaster" (Live): $47,552 (+9.83%) -- Total: 15,719,109

Week #11 -- 64 Screens (-24) -- $743 average per screen

"Nueba Yol: Abajo La Nueva Ley" (Parker): $44,273 (-56.09) -- Total: 697,262

Week #5 -- 13 Screens (-20) -- $3,406 average per screen

"Beaumarchais" (New Yorker): $30,807 (no change) -- Total: 134,002

Week #6 -- 7 Screens (+2) -- $4,401 average per screen

"Guantanamera" (CFP): $14,857 (+3.35%) -- Total: 729,553

Week #22 -- 7 Screens (-2) -- $2,122 average per screen

++ THE OTHER TOP TEN ++

"Mortal Kombat Annihilation" (New Line): $6,789,482 (-59.52) -- Total:
27,784,74

Week 2 -- 2,140 Screens (no change) -- $3,173 average per screen

"Bean" (Gramercy): $2,955,340 (-31.08%) -- Total: 42,000,127

Week #7 -- 1,833 Screens (-158) -- $2,154 average per screen

"Eve's Bayou" (Trimark): $1,460,802 (-6.75%) -- Total: 11,216,617

Week #4 -- 557 Screens (-95) -- $2,623 average per screen

"The Wings Of The Dove" (Miramax): $1,456,110 (+11.53) -- Total: 4,717,312

Week #4 -- 261 Screens (+2) -- $5,579 average per screen

"Boogie Nights" (New Line): $930,136 (-25.25) -- Total: 21,794,752

Week #7 -- 478 Screens (-270) -- $1,946 average per screen

"The Full Monty" (Fox Searchlight): $882,955 (+9.89) -- Total: $32,562,544

Week #16 -- 354 Screens (-77) -- $2,494 average per screen

"The Ice Storm" (Fox Searchlight): $769,586 (+13.69) -- Total: 5,428,690

Week #9 -- 230 Screens (+13) -- $3,346 average per screen

"One Night Stand" (New Line): $214,897 (-58.65) -- Total: 2,265,685

Week #3 -- 185 Screens (-222) -- $1,162 average per screen

"Kiss Or Kill" (October): $191,695 (-139.55) -- Total: 386,194

Week #3 -- 60 Screens (+40) -- $3,195 average per screen

"Bent" (Goldwyn): $109,243 -- Total: 145,222

*Premiere -- 12 Screens -- $9,104 average per screen

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

[DISCLAIMER: The Indie Top 5 includes the top grossing EDI tracked films
released by distribution companies not owned or affiliated by major
studios or entertainment companies. The Other Top Ten includes the top
grossing EDI tracked films distributed by companies other than the primary
major studios.]