Paranormal Activity Out-Scares Saw

The crazy-eyed, apple-cheeked mask may be ubiquitous as Halloween approaches, but Saw VI was beat out at the box office this weekend by Paranormal Activity, the latest horror sensation. In its fifth week in theaters, the low-budget indie expanded to more screens, and took in $22 million, though it’s still playing on 36 percent fewer screens than the latest installment in the Saw franchise, which grossed a lower-than-expected $14.8 million. The thriller has been hailed as the first worthy successor to The Blair Witch Project, and also helped knock Where The Wild Things Are to third place in this weekend’s box office rankings.