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Tim Briody: See, I think the title is genius. As I said in the Friday numbers column, they've got a 50 film franchise all set to go!

Joel Corcoran: I was ready to pass right by this movie until the latest round of TV ads appeared this week, which seriously creeped me out. I really have no idea what this film is about, but I want to see it now. I'm not sure what it is about Lionsgate, but they really do know their stuff when it comes to horror films.

Eric Hughes: I disagree with David. The Haunting is a bad title, but The Haunting in Connecticut makes people assume there's something special about the location, that the movie has to be set there. In addition, when I was making my blog rounds, it seemed like many people were anxious to see this one because of its "true story" claims. Of course, leave it to Hollywood to dress it up some. But people love it when movies, especially horror, derive from somewhere.

David Mumpower: I disagree with Eric's disagreement. To wit, the vaguer title, The Haunting, a largely forgotten DreamWorks horror film from 1998 that co-starred Liam Neeson and Catherine Zeta-Jones, opened to $33.4 million back in 1999. Not only does it wipe the floor with this one in terms of actual gross but if we inflation adjust it, that's a $47.4 million debut. Clearly, specificity hurt the Connecticut title. Okay, I'm joking with a lot of that but I genuinely despise the title of this movie. There is nothing engaging about it.

Max Braden: I can't understand why this horror movie would open to significantly higher numbers than The Last House on the Left. So if they open a possessed serial killer movie on a Friday the 13th, will it open to $50 million? Maybe Freddy vs. Jason redux would do well after all.

Brandon Scott: The number is staggering. I'm shocked to see that. Not unlike the Haunting of UConn, with two dominant basketball teams. If that women's team loses, then I will think something is really Haunting in Connecticut...I am not really paying attention, but 38-0, is staggering as well.

Kim Hollis: I see no logical reason why this movie should have broken out. I'm just going to credit it to Lionsgate marketing it to the right people in the right place at the right time. They obviously know their audience a lot better than I do.

Reagen Sulewski: While I can think of few less scarier places than Connecticut (...wooooo, I am the ghost of the Hartford Whalers...), I thought this actually had a decent chance. The self-mutilation bit, and whatever that was image that closed off the trailer was quite effectively creep. I'm not sure there's any particular rhyme or reason for any of these anonymous horror films to do better than the other ones, but once in awhile they break out like this and they're cheap, so studios will continue rolling the dice.

Can you smell what the...er, wait.

Kim Hollis: 12 Rounds, the action(?) film starring something called John Cena, opened to $5.3 million. Say something funny about 12 Rounds.

Reagen Sulewski: Looks like they just needed one round to knock this out.

Pete Kilmer: *waves hand in face* "You Didn't See Me!" (Tt's a wrestling joke).

Josh Spiegel: Renny Harlin, he of Die Hard 2 and Cutthroat Island, directed 12 Rounds. Statement of fact, but funny (and sad) all the same, right?

David Mumpower: That's not even half a million per round.

Tim Briody: That's about a dollar for every mention it got on WWE programming over the last month. Even John Cena fans didn't want to see this. Throwing under The Marine is pretty surprising.

Joel Corcoran: Twelve Rounds was about eleven rounds too long for John Cena, apparently. But I'm just wondering if John Cena fans are as vitriolic and reactionary as Clay Aiken fans. Actually, that would be a pretty good movie - John Cena vs. Clay Aiken backed by their armies of fans in a clash reminiscent of Gangs of New York.

Eric Hughes: Hey, hey, hey. At least it did better than Delgo!

Max Braden: Everybody knows the movies are rigged.

Brandon Scott: Cena got knocked out faster than Tyson knocked out Spinks back in the day. The man is trying to be the next Rock, but it ain't happenin' just yet. Still, he's got to be better than that Scorpion King sequel dude from MMA (whose name eludes me at the moment). Cena should be in Stallone's upcoming Expendables, not the man whose name eludes me. What is that cat's name? Oh, yes...Randy "Don't call me Juicy" Couture. That guy should wear one of those velour or terry cloth zip-ups that Kardashian loves...marketing mash-up!

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