A surprising uptick in the box office this weekend thanks to the horror/social satire hit “The Purge,” which keeps Ethan Hawke’s horror hit streak alive.Over $36 million? That’s insane.

Horror movies don’t open that big, thrillers don’t blow up like that, and Ethan Hawke has never had a hit like that. Ever. Damn.

Politics work into it? Maybe. It has a very explicit message about humanity, community and the haves shooting the have nots. A good weekend to smack the NRA down at the multiplex.

“The Internship” did a middling $18 million. Vince and Owen are either aging out of comic royalty, or that Google image polish that a lot of critics bitched about was reflected in the numbers. I think the former kept turnout down.

“Much Ado About Nothing” did HUGE per screen numbers for Joss Whedon. Open it wider and see if it takes?

“Now You See Me” has pulled even with “Fast & Furious” and “After EArth” has taken a dive.