WEEKEND BOX OFFICE : Horror, Rock ‘n’ Roll Lead New Crop

Not surprisingly, two favorite teen themes--horror and rock ‘n’ roll--dominated the weekend’s fresh crop of films. John Carpenter’s latest creepy offering, “They Live,” finished first, with $4.8 million at 1,463 theaters, averaging $3,300 per screen. Universal officials say they were able to expand the director’s usual audience by associating Carpenter’s human-like aliens to the real-life characters now running for president. (“You might even vote for one this fall,” warns one of the studio’s ads.) Meanwhile, the popular band U2 hinted that rock movies may not be a lost genre after all: The band’s “Rattle and Hum” grossed $3.8 million at 1,391 screens, for a per-screen average of $2,747.

* Disney/Touchstone’s “The Good Mother,” starring Diane Keaton, had a lukewarm opening, grossing $1.8 million at 667 theaters, for an average of $2,705 per screen.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average in Release 1. “They Live” $4.8 1,463 1 (Universal) $4.8 $3,300 2. “U2 Rattle and Hum” $3.8 1,391 1 (Paramount) $3.8 $2,747 3. “Everybody’s All-American” $3.4 1,122 1 (Warner Bros.) $3.4 $3,053 4. “The Accused” $2.6 930 4 (Paramount) $17.9 $2,836 5. “Halloween IV” $2.3 1,583 3 (Galaxy International) $16.6 $1,474 * “The Good Mother” $1.8 667 1 (Touchstone/Disney) $1.8 $2,705

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.