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We also have what is technically a third new opener this weekend. The title in question, Daddy Day Camp, actually made its debut on Wednesday. As I pointed out in the daily numbers analysis for that day, it was an instant dud, losing to even Hot Rod. In the 48 hours since then, nothing much has changed. Daddy Day Camp fell from its ninth place debut of $773,706 on Wednesday to a tenth place finish of $710,901 on Thursday. It gets the expected moderate bump on Friday, grossing roughly $1.25 million, which puts it in tenth place yet again. The most accurate evaluation I may offer of the appeal of the movie is this. Our local newspaper's movie listings include the screening time of Daddy Day Camp followed by these words in bold letters and a larger font: "FEATURING THE CHUBBCHUBBS SAVE XMAS!" Yes, folks, the appeal of Daddy Day Camp is so low that the local marketing department (which is the home office of Regal, by the way) has decided that they can sell it better using a five minute short than they can with a feature length movie. I can't help but believe Cuba Gooding Jr. would have been happier if he had been run over by the bus the morning after he won his Academy Award. It would have saved so much pain and humiliation.

The big holdover from last weekend is, of course, The Bourne Ultimatum. After debuting with a sizzling $24,668,225 last Friday, it fell an expected 57.5% to $10.5 million yesterday. I had projected a weekend total of $31.9 million in yesterday's daily numbers analysis, but it has a pretty good chance to beat that. The lone caveat is that Friday numbers are always inexact until Monday afternoon after the studio has tampered with...err, finalized the totals. If we assume the $10.5 million number is correct, however (and the entire basis of this column breaks down if we don't), The Bourne Ultimatum is looking at a weekend total of $33.6 million. Under any circumstance, it has crossed the $100 million barrier after eight days as expected. It currently has a running total of $109.1 million, meaning it will have passed The Bourne Identity's total domestic gross by this time tomorrow. Most impressive.

The other "big" opener last weekend was Underdog. After earning $4.1 million last Friday, the Jason Lee Cashes a Check movie from Disney fell 46.1% to $2.2 million yesterday. It has a running total of $20.5 million and I genuinely fear it will outperform Stardust in terms of opening weekend, ten-day total and final domestic take. I need a drink.

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