It's been a long Labor Day for me and I've spent most of it wandering around in the heat at a wine festival enjoying the best and the worst the southwest has to offer. As such, you get the short version of the report this week (stop cheering) since I'm hot and tired.

While I was out sampling cabernets and syrahs, plenty of people were hitting the theaters and giving the box office a healthy holiday helping of ticket sales. Two of the movies debuting made it into the high ranks of the all time 4-Day Labor Day weekend opening chart. Crank's $13 million pumped it into fourth place on that list while The Wicker Man snuck in right behind it at fifth. Even The Illusionist, which expanded to wide release and only opened in 971 theaters took tenth place in that category.

Despite making a good showing for a Labor Day weekend, none of those newcomers could best Invincible which only dropped an impressive 29% from last weekend. Basketball story Crossover starring Wayne Brady couldn't even score enough points with audiences to make it into the top ten. Idiocracy, cinema's latest controversy flick which theoretically openend this weekend wasn't reported at all. Apparently Fox is so ashamed of this black sheep in its fold that they're not acknowledging it made any money. That may be a first. It's not that Idiocracy isn't good, it just slams corporate America in the nose for its role in the dumbing of America, something that surely won't garner Fox many friends when it goes looking for sponsors for its network television branch. For more check out Cinema Blend's review.

Next weekend teen horror movie The Covenant will open in 2,500 theaters while star-studded Hollywoodland will only seen around half that at 1,350. Expect the story about George Reeves' mysterious death to show the kiddos how it's done and take number one in the process. Also opening will be Ong Bak star Tony Jaa's The Protector. Opening in only 1400 theaters, it's likely to get lost in the shuffle.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN LABOR DAY WEEKEND September 1 - 4, 2006 LW = Last Week WR = Weeks Released THTRS = Number of Screens * Denotes new release. Click on title to read CB Review 3-Day Totals 1. Invincible $12,104,000 - Total: $34,745,000 LW: 1 WR: 2 THTRS: 2921 2. Crank * $10,300,000 - Total: $10,300,000 LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2515 3. The Wicker Man * $9,565,000 - Total: $9,565,000 LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2784 4. Little Miss Sunshine $7,575,000 - Total: $33,683,000 LW: 3 WR: 6 THTRS: 1602 5. The Illusionist $6,350,000 - Total: $10,410,000 LW: 14 WR: 3 THTRS: 971 6. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby $6,101,000 - Total: $136,774,000 LW: 2 WR: 5 THTRS: 3001 7. Barnyard: The Original Party Animals $4,832,000 - Total: $62,021,000 LW: 10 WR: 5 THTRS: 2907 8. World Trade Center $4,620,000 - Total: $62,506,000 LW: 5 WR: 4 THTRS: 2902 9. Accepted $4,572,000 - Total: $28,082,000 LW: 6 WR: 3 THTRS: 2822 10. Step Up $4,472,000 - Total: $57,353,000 LW: 8 WR: 4 THTRS: 2553 4-Day Totals 1. Invincible $15,206,000 - Total: $37,847,000 LW: 1 WR: 2 THTRS: 2921 2. Crank * $13,000,000 - Total: $13,000,000 LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2515 3. The Wicker Man * $11,720,000 - Total: $11,720,000 LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2784 4. Little Miss Sunshine $9,725,000 - Total: $35,833,000 LW: 3 WR: 6 THTRS: 1602 5. The Illusionist $8,021,000 - Total: $12,081,000 LW: 14 WR: 3 THTRS: 971 6. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby $7,700,000 - Total: $138,373,000 LW: 2 WR: 5 THTRS: 3001 7. Barnyard: The Original Party Animals $6,404,000 - Total: $63,593,000 LW: 10 WR: 5 THTRS: 2907 8. Accepted $5,912,000 - Total: $29,422,000 LW: 6 WR: 3 THTRS: 2822 9. World Trade Center $5,816,000 - Total: $63,702,000 LW: 5 WR: 4 THTRS: 2902 10. Step Up $5,487,000 - Total: $58,368,000 LW: 8 WR: 4 THTRS: 2553