Death of a President, the controversial movie which depicts the assassination of George W Bush had a miserable opening weekend.   According to www.boxofficemojo.com,  Death opened on 91 screens nationwide and earned only an estimated $167,000, or $1,935 per screen.  Bush Derangement Syndrome doesn't seem to be quite as lucrative at the box office as it was in June, 2004 when Fahrenheit 9/11 opened on 868 screens for a per screen average of $27,558.

Shut Up and Sing, a documentary about the Dixie Chicks' opposition to the war in Iraq, also opened this weekend.  It was shown on four screens in New York and Los Angeles where it earned an estimated $50,800, or $12,700 per screen.  While that average per screen exceeds that of the most popular widely released commercial film of this weekend, Saw III,  Shut Up and Sing's opening performance is below average for the limited release of a widely promoted independent film. 

Just four weeks ago, The Queen, a fictionalized account of the Queen's actions at the time of Princess Diana's death, also opened on four screens.  Helen Mirren's critically acclaimed performance as the woman whose personal motto is "Duty first. Self second.", averaged a whopping $40,671 per screen.   The Queen has expanded its release each week, playing on 152 screens last weekend. 

Based on its opening weekend, Shut Up and Sing is unlikely to ever see that wide a release.  Another recent political documentary that averaged around $12,000 per screen on its opening weekend, The U.S. vs John Lennon, was in 65 theaters at its widest release.

Rosslyn Smith    10 29 06