The Possession | featured news

"The Possession" occupied the top spot at a nearly comatose box office. The fright flick with Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan playing the parents of a girl possessed by a demon earned $9.5 million in its second outing, the lowest grossing weekend for the box office this year and one of the worst weekends at the box office in a decade. It marked the first time since 2008 that no film managed to crack the $10 million mark.

"The Possession" was the top choice for moviegoers over Labor Day weekend, giving Lionsgate three weekends in a row of box office supremacy. The horror film, produced by Sam Raimi, grossed an estimated $17.7 million from Friday to Sunday,and could be over $21 million by the time Labor Day earnings are tabulated on Tuesday. That would give the Lionsgate feature the second-highest Labor Day opening ever, behind only the original "Halloween." Jason Statham's "The Transporter" held the previous runner-up position, with $20.1 million earned in 2005.

...That seems to be the case with “The Possession,” yet another film about an evil spirit that tries to possess its host. And it’s based on a true story. You know, like how “The Return of the Living Dead” is based on real events. Yeah, sure. With a 35% score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics aren’t buying it. That is, unless you’re Roger Ebert, who gave it 3.5 stars.