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With a smashing debut for Inglourious Basterds, overall business was a-boomin.' The increase over the same weekend last year was around 20 percent, making for one of the busier late August weekends on record. Quentin TarantinoBrad PittRobert Rodriguez

Many humans ventured into District 9 over the weekend, propelling the alien spectacle to an excellent $37.4 million start, while another science fiction-themed picture, The Time Traveler's Wife, had a solid debut. Though the weekend's other new movies disappointed, overall business was up 14 percent from the same weekend last year, when Tropic Thunder opened in first. Rachel McAdamsEric BanaDwayne Johnson

The summer's last would-be event picture, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, wielded its kung fu grip on the box office over the weekend, though it wasn't quite a real blockbuster hero. With a big movie opening, the weekend as a whole was up 21 percent over the same timeframe last year, when The Dark Knight led for the fourth weekend in a row and Pineapple Express debuted in second. Compared to previous years, though, weekend attendance was middling. Meryl StreepJudd Apatow

If this weekend's box office were a comedian, it might have been heckled off the stage, mostly for its dullness. Between the main new release, Funny People, which always had sketchy prospects despite high profile talent, and the cumulative effect of a relatively soft July slate, overall business amounted to $127.6 million, which was off 17 percent from the same weekend last year and low for the time of the year. What's more, the summer as a whole became on par with last summer through the same point, dwindling from the lead it had racked up in May and June. Judd ApatowAdam SandlerSeth Rogen

Though G-Force and The Ugly Truth opened well, it was another down weekend at the box office. Driven by less compelling new and recent releases, business as a whole was off from last year for the third weekend in a row. With $151.4 million, the drop was 16 percent from the $180.9 million of the same timeframe last year, when The Dark Knight was in its second session and Step Brothers debuted. Katherine HeiglGerard Butler

The remarkably popular Harry Potter franchise kept the cauldrons churning with the release of its sixth installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which drew $77.8 million on approximately 9,600 screens at 4,325 locations over the weekend. Compared to last year, though, when The Dark Knight blazed into the record books, overall weekend business was down a sharp 38 percent, and attendance was a bit soft versus the more normal weekends of years past, due in part to Harry Potter being the sole new nationwide release. Sandra Bullock

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had an opening day fit for a king. On Wednesday, the sixth entry in the blockbuster franchise conjured $58.2 million on nearly 10,000 screens at 4,275 sites. That ranked as the second-biggest Wednesday ever behind Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen's $62 million, and fourth-biggest among all opening days.

Bruno strutted to the top of the box office but wasn't quite in vogue, leading to a relatively slow July session. Overall, the weekend was the least attended for the timeframe in 17 years and down five percent from last year. Sandra Bullock

Giant robots narrowly socked it to anachronistic dinosaurs over Independence Day weekend. With actual grosses reporting, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen weighed in with $42.3 million, while Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs came in at $41.7 million. Distributors Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox had estimated $42.5 million for each movie, which was the first time two studios had the same weekend estimate since 1998, when Titanic and The Man in the Iron Mask were in a photo finish. Paramount ended up having the more accurate Sunday projection, and that was the difference as both pictures were neck-and-neck on Friday and Saturday. With Public Enemies debuting solidly in third, business as a whole was up a tick from the same weekend last year, when Hancock was in charge. Johnny Depp

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen sent shock waves with the first mega-blockbuster launch of the year, rocketing to $109 million over the weekend. With such a massive movie debuting, overall weekend business surged past $200 million, which was up eight percent from the same weekend last year and was a new high for a June weekend. Cameron Diaz

In its third day, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen maintained its blockbuster run, raking in an estimated $36.7 million on approximately 10,000 screens at 4,234 sites. That stands as the tenth highest-grossing Friday ever, but all movies ahead of it had Friday openings, giving the action sequel the record for biggest non-opening Friday gross. It ranks ahead of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Spider-Man 2 and The Matrix Reloaded on that front, although each of those pictures had higher attendance. Revenge of the Fallen's Friday included an estimated $2.6 million from 169 IMAX runs, and the picture has thus far made $8.9 million in the format.

On Thursday, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen continued to dominate with a $28.6 million haul at 4,234 sites, lifting its total to $89.2 million in two days. It was the highest-grossing non-opening Thursday ever. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, The Matrix Reloaded and Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones each had bigger Thursdays, but those were opening days.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen shattered the Wednesday record, raking in $60.6 million on approximately 9,700 screens at 4,234 sites (including a record 169 IMAX venues) in its first day. The former Wednesday champ, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, had mustered $44.2 million in its 2007 debut.

The Proposal engaged enough moviegoers to lead the weekend box office and deliver by far the biggest opening of star Sandra Bullock's career. Couple that with strong holds for The Hangover and Up and an okay start for Year One, and overall business rose five percent over the same weekend last year, when Get Smart opened in first. Ryan ReynoldsJack BlackDenzel Washington

The good times continued to roll for The Hangover and Up, though not so much for the new movies and the box office as a whole. Hangover kept its buzz going with $32.8 million, while Up maintained its slow descent with $30.8 million. While those pictures were bustling, overall business was down 24 percent from the same weekend last year and had the lowest attendance for the timeframe in over a decade. Denzel WashingtonJohn TravoltaEddie Murphy

The party didn't stop for The Hangover, which led Friday with an estimated $10.4 million. The comedy was off 38 percent from last Friday, increasing its gross to $82.4 million in eight days. By comparison, Wedding Crashers saw a smaller drop at the same point (28 percent) but was grossing less with an eight-day tally of around $70 million, adjusted for ticket price inflation. Hangover's trajectory suggests a weekend of around $32 million, which would be enough for the top spot. Denzel WashingtonJohn TravoltaEddie Murphy

The Hangover hit the jackpot over the weekend, narrowly edging out Up for the top spot. The ribald comedy had been projected to trail the Pixar adventure in Sunday's studio estimates, but was revised upward once actual grosses poured in. Hangover's Friday dominance combined with a better-than-expected Sunday haul cinched its position, despite Up soaring past it on Saturday as well as being marginally ahead on Sunday. Both pictures were highly successful for their genres and wound up less than two percent apart. Less fortunate was Land of the Lost, which debuted at a distant third. The weekend as a whole came in at $165.5 million, off six percent from the same period last year when Kung Fu Panda opened. Will Ferrell

After last weekend's high-flying start, Up seemed poised to hang on to the top spot for a second weekend, but The Hangover rang in with a punchy opening day gross to top Friday and has a shot at maintaining that lead for the weekend as a whole. Will Ferrell

Pixar's commercial track record ballooned to a sensational ten for ten with the release of Up. The adventure comedy swooped in with a $68.1 million start on approximately 6,700 screens at 3,766 sites, handily perched atop a weekend that grossed a bit less as a whole than the same timeframe last year when Sex and the City dominated. Ben Stiller

On Friday, Up arrived with a buoyant estimated $21.4 million on approximately 6,700 screens at 3,766 sites (including a record 1,530 3D presentations). The Pixar comedy adventure ranks as the second-highest grossing opening day for a Disney-animated title, behind WALL-E's $23.2 million, although the first days of The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Cars and Monsters, Inc. rate higher in terms of attendance.