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Kim Hollis: You're Next, a well-reviewed horror film from Lionsgate, earned just $7 million despite having been picked as the opener with the best potential. Why do you think it failed while other horror films have taken off this summer?

Brett Ballard-Beach: As with The Cabin in the Woods, this has twists that Lionsgate dutifully attempted to not spoil in the advertising. As well, there is a sharp black comic element to the proceedings which may have put off those who just wanted out and out scares. However, I think its perceived similarity to The Purge (and without the futuristic dystopia hook that that had) may have been the nail in the coffin (or crossbow bolt in the back if you will) and led many potential customers to think "been there, done that two months ago."

Edwin Davies: Brett nails it (or impales it). I've not had a chance to see You're Next yet, but everything I've heard about it seems to say that the great stuff about it all happens in the second half of the film, and that the advertising has shown none of that because it would spoil the fun of the film. It's kind of an impossible situation from a marketing standpoint, much as it was with Cabin in the Woods, because it forces them to sell the film as fairly generic or to completely give away the good stuff. They went for the first one, which is probably the best for preserving the experience of the film, but not the best from a commercial standpoint. The big upside, though, is that the film cost hardly anything to produce and will be firmly in the black before you even get to home video sales, but it still feels like a disappointment given all the buzz that had been building for the film as we went into the weekend.

Jason Barney: I may be coming across as a little harsh, but I expected more from You're Next. Perhaps my thinking was influenced by the success of The Purge and The Conjuring earlier this summer, but this opening is dreadful. Sure the project won’t have to work hard to earn back its $17 million budget, but this is one of those times when money was left on the table. The first of the leaves are starting to turn, the Halloween candy is already on the shelves, Stephen King will have a new book out soon…seems like the time was right for a bigger success story than this.

Kim Hollis: I feel like this could have been quite a bit better as well. There seemed to be some interest and buzz in advance of release. Reviews were excellent. And yet, somehow, no one actually wanted to see the film. I'd agree somewhat that it wasn't marketed as well as either The Purge or The Conjuring, and admittedly I had no idea it was because the studio was trying to hide a fun twist. That's kind of a shame. Even though it's going to make money, the real profit will probably come from a possible following on home media.

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