Robert Rodrigez and Quentin Tarantino's seedy exploitation flick take-off Grindhouse double feature may earn the title 'Flophouse' if its performance doesn't perk up from a disappointing $11.6 million opening weekend, less than half of what many forecasters had predicted and a far cry from Tarantino's Kill Bill, Part 2's $25.1 million opening and Rodriguez's Sin City, which posted $29.1 million in its first frame. 

Grindhouse, with its 'inside Hollywood' touches like scratched film stock and missing reels, has earned great reviews (83% positive on the Rotten Tomatoes Website), so some sort of box office recovery is possible if the good notices can expand its potential audience beyond the young male demographic.  Although its box office performance has been disappointing, Grindhouse could inspire the kind of cult-like devotion that should make a success out of NECA's collector-oriented Grindhouse figures (see 'NECA to 'Grind' Out Horror Figures').

Grindhouse faced fierce and unexpected competition for what should have been its core audience from 300, which in its 5th week of release declined only 22.8% while earning an estimated $8.8 million and running its cumulative total to $193.8 million, making it the highest-grossing sword and sandals epic of the modern era.  300 is certain to pass the $200 million mark and is clearly benefiting from repeat viewings so it is difficult to tell where it will end its domestic box office run.

Will Ferrell's skating comedy Blades of Glory declined only 30%, while finishing first for the second week in a row with an estimated total of $23 million, and Disney's 3-D animated feature Meet the Robinsons also held up well dropping just 32.8% and earning an estimated $17 million.  Meet the Robinsons has earned an estimated $52.2 million in just two weeks and has surpassed the TMNT movie, which has a cumulative total of $46.7 million after 3 weeks.