Screen Gems/Lakeshore Entertainment's The Exorcism OfEmily Rose frightenedthe life out of the competition over the weekend as it opened top on anestimated $30.2m.

Scott Derrickson directedthe $20m project about the trial of a priest accused of negligent homicideduring the exorcism of a college student.

Jennifer Carpenter, Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson and Campbell Scottstar in the picture - allegedly based on real events in Germany - which drewmediocre reviews and averaged a solid $10,130 on 2,981 screens.

Emily Rosefared far better than New Line's comedy The Man, which opened in sixth place on $4m andstars Eugene Levy and Samuel L Jackson as mismatched police partners. Thecritics hated it, and The Man averaged $1,973 on 2,040 screens.

There was better news for New Line's comedy Wedding Crashers as it passed $200m in its ninth weekendon release, slipping one place to eighth on a hair over $200m.

Fox/Europa Corp's The Transporter 2 slid two to third in its second weekendon $7.2m for $30.1m, and Focus Features' The Constant Gardener held well in its second weekend andranks third on $19.1m.

DreamWorks' thriller Red Eye passed $50m in its fourth weekend infifth place, while Dimension's The Brothers Grimm slipped two to seventh after adding $3.3mfor a $33.3m domestic running total.

Warner Independent Pictures' March Of The Penguins ranks 10th in its 12th weekend and added$2.5m for a very impressive $56.9m cumulative total.

In limited release Miramax's drama An Unfinished Life starring Robert Redford, Morgan Freemanand Jennifer Lopez opened to mixed reviews and grossed $1m for a per-screenaverage of $7,264.

Odd Lot Entertainment's football thug picture Green StreetHooligans starringElijah Wood and Charlie Hunnum opened in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago on$60,200 and averaged $8,600 on seven screens. The picture will expand nationwideover the next four weeks.

Overall revenue from the top 12 titles improved on the sameweekend last year by 16%.

Next weekend's wide releases include DreamWorks' romanticcomedy Just Like Heavenstarring Reese Witherspoon, Rogue/Focus Features' horror picture Cry_Wolf starring Julian Morris, Lions Gate'sthriller Lord Of War starringNicolas Cage and Ethan Hawke, and Miramax's drama Proof, which stars Gwyneth Paltrow and AnthonyHopkins, and Miramax's horror title Venom.

Estimated Top Ten US Sept 9-11 2005

Film (Distributor)/International distribution/Estimated weekend gross/Estimatedtotal to date

1 (-) The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (Screen Gems) Lakeshore Entertainment$30.2m -

2 (2) The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Universal) UIP $7.9m $82.3m

3 (1) The Transporter 2 (Fox) Europa Corp $7.2m $30.1m

4 (3) The Constant Gardener (Focus Features) Focus Features $4.9m $19.1m

5 (4) Red Eye (DreamWorks) UIP $4.6m $51.3m

6 (-) The Man (New Line) NLI $4m -

7 (5) The Brothers Grimm (Miramax) Miramax Int'l/BVI $3.3m $33.3m

8 (7) Wedding Crashers (New Line) New Line Int'l $3.2m $200m

9 (6) Four Brothers (Paramount) UIP $2.9m $68.3m

10 (8) March Of The Penguins (WiP) Wild Bunch $2.5m $56.9m