Box Office Report: Last Exorcism steals top spot from Takers

Following the motion picture box office is kinda like playing the stock market, only with nothing invested and nothing gained. Sure, there's movies you like that you hope will perform well but, if that doesn't happen, you're not out anything.

I've been a box office tracker for years now and never cease to be amused and entertained by watching some films succeed while others fail. So, starting this week, we're going to try and keep you, our favourite Basement Dwellers, in the box-officer loop by posting results every Sunday night.

It's all part of our master plan to take over the world, or generate content for our radio show, you decide. Read on for the weekly box office report:

The Last Exorcism, a gruesome documentary-style horror movie, beat out competitors for the top spot this weekend. The movie, directed by Daniel Stamm and co-produced by Eli Roth, a director known for his bloody thrillers, follows a disillusioned minister supposedly filming his last exorcism for a documentary.

The new release took 21.3 million dollars in its first weekend in US and Canadian theaters, according to preliminary figures from Exhibor Relations, beating out another newcomer Takers.

The heist film, starring Hayden Christensen, singers Chris Brown and T.I., and Idris Elba, follows the exploits of a group of professional thieves who take on one last job. It took 21 million dollars in box office receipts over the weekend, pushing last week's number one move, old school action flick The Expendables to the number three spot.

Expendables, Sylvester Stallone's film about a group of weathered mercenaries out to topple a South American dictator, earned 9.5 million dollars in its third week in theaters.

Down one spot to number four was Eat, Pray, Love, Ryan Murphy's adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's novel about a divorcee's jaunt to Italy, Indonesia and India, starring Julia Roberts.It earned seven million dollars in its third week of release.

Staying put at number five was The Other Guys, the latest Will Ferrell slapstick comedy, about two mismatched police officers paired on a high-profile crime investigation. It earned an estimated 6.6 million dollars.

Down four places to number six was Vampires Suck, a send-up of the Twilight series of heart throb-meets-horror films, which took 5.3 million dollars after debuting last week at the number two spot.

After spending last week at ninth place, blockbuster Inception jumped back up two places to number seven, showing the movie's staying power with audiences. The mindbending flick, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as an expert infiltrator of people's dreams, took 5.1 million dollars over the weekend to bring its seven week earnings to 270.7 million dollars.

Nanny McPhee Returns, the sequel to a popular kid's film starring British actress Emma Thompson in the title role, stayed put at number eight, earning 4.7 million dollars, while Jennifer Aniston's latest romantic comedy The Switch slipped two spots to number nine with earnings of 4.65 million dollars.

Rounding out the top 10 was summer horror spoof  Piranha 3D, which slipped four places after debuting last week and took in 4.3 million dollars.