‘Aliens’ and ‘Jason’ Are Giving the Box Office a Fright

For the second week in a row, 20th Century Fox’s “Aliens” maintained its grip on the top spot at the box office but Paramount’s “Jason” of “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” almost dethroned the slimy critters.

“Jason” lives indeed. In its first five days “Jason” has taken in a healthy $8.4 million at 1,610 theaters, according to a Paramount spokeswoman. In its first weekend, the film’s gross of $6.8 million was only $200,000 short of “Aliens’ ” $7-million take.

“Top Gun” fell only 9% last weekend and should surpass the $110-million mark this weekend.

Columbia’s “The Karate Kid Part II” has also shown extraordinary stamina at the box office. In its first 47 days of release “Kid II” has taken in $78.1 million. By comparison, according to a Columbia Pictures spokesman, the original “Karate Kid” had taken in $49.7 million in its first 47 days. Columbia expects the picture to pass the $100-million mark this fall--a remarkable achievement considering that most sequels fail to do half the business of their predecessors.

Tip of the week: Look for Tri-Star’s “Nothing in Common” to have a good run. In its first weekend at 618 theaters, Garry Marshall’s comedy-drama starring Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason took in a respectable $4.3 million.