Yesterday’s projection had Saw IV topping $20 million. Scratch that — it brought in around $14.7 million yesterday and will definitely crest $30 million by Sunday night.

HE theory to explain the resurgence of torture porn: Besieged by too many serious dramas, the 18 to 35-year-old gorillas were laying in wait for a cheap, fiendish low-rent wallow as well as a pre-marketed “old friend.” In other words, Saw IV did as well as it did in part because audiences been worked over by the “challenging” (as far as knuckle-draggers are concerned) Michael Clayton, We Own the Night, Gone Baby Gone, Things We Lost in the Fire, Lars and the Real Girl and Reservation Road. In other words, the marketing of Saw IV was, to some extent, a community effort.

Steve Carell‘s Dan in Real Life has met expectations and will end up with a decent $12.7 million. 30 Days of Night has dropped over 60% and is looking at a $6 million weekend at best, and possibly under that. I don’t feel like reporting numbers on the other wide releases — suffice to say they’re all doing blah business. Sidney Lumet‘s Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead has kicked butt in a 2-theatre opening and will probably end up with $67 thousand by tomorrow — excellent start.