Seagal’s Film Whips Foes in Ticket Sales : Box office: ‘Marked for Death’s’ $10.5-million performance is the second-highest non-holiday fall opening.

“Marked for Death,” the latest action entry starring Steven Seagal, gave the weekend box office a jolt--as well as plenty of kicks and punches--with opening ticket sales of $10.5 million.

“This is one of those surprises, like ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ earlier this year, and last year’s ‘Look Who’s Talking,’ that leaves the industry scratching their heads,” said John Krier, president of Exhibitor Relations, which provides box office information to exhibitors.

The film’s startling performance is the second highest non-holiday fall opening, following last year’s “Look Who’s Talking,” which opened with $12.1 million.

Starring Seagal as a former undercover DEA agent who goes back into business--unofficially--when Jamaican drug dealers threaten his family, “Marked for Death” averaged nearly $5,344 on 1,968 screens.

But if 20th Century Fox’s “Marked for Death” was the weekend’s runaway hit, there were also solid performances from the 50th anniversary reissue of “Fantasia,” as well as the limited releases of the sexually-provocative “Henry & June”--the first film to carry the controversial adults-only NC-17 rating--and “Avalon,” about three generations of an immigrant family.

In fact, the landmark Disney film “Fantasia” claimed second place with ticket sales of about $5.2 million on 461 screens for a per-screen average of about $11,280.

It was followed by Fox’s “Pacific Heights,” which slipped more than 25% over the previous week, with $5 million at 1,283 screens, for an average of $3,953.

Fourth place went to Paramount Pictures’ leggy “Ghost.” With ticket sales of another $4.7 million, it has now earned $161.5 million. It averaged $2,664 on 1,766 screens.

With ticket sales of $4.5 million, Warner Bros.’ “GoodFellas” took fifth place. In release at 1,328 screens, it averaged $3,420 per-screen.

In release at just 76 screens, Universal Pictures’ “Henry & June”--about the relationship between writers Anais Nin and Henry Miller, and his wife June--earned $868,489 for a per-screen-average of $11,427. Stamped with the Motion Picture Assn. of America’s new NC-17 rating, the film reportedly played to sell-out crowds in many theaters.

Tri-Star Pictures’ “Avalon,” about an immigrant family’s experiences and assimilation into U.S. culture over three-generations, earned $184,489 at seven screens--for an impressive average of $26,424.

In contrast, Warners’ “Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones,” about the life and career of the legendary record producer, earned $83,988 on 26 screens, for an average of $3,230.

The week’s other new release, MGM/UA’s “The Desperate Hours”--only the third film from director Michael Cimino since 1980’s ill-fated “Heaven’s Gate”--had ticket sales of $1.2 million on 1,033 screens for an average of $1,163, and a seventh-place ranking.