This weekend got hundreds of thousands of movie enthusiasts back into the silver-screen theaters. After a summer quite poor in premieres, interesting movies and profit, this fall represented 2008’s cinematographic turning point, a change most visible when adding the overall revenues.

Media by Numbers, a box office tracking firm, added the proceeds from the first 12 movie hits, and the result was a whopping $95.4 million! According to the same firm, who also monitored the 2007 box office earnings, this weekend registered an increase in revenues by almost 50% in comparison with the same weekend in 2007.

The undefeated winner of this weekend was, without any doubt, the hit animal movie “Beverly hills Chihuahua”, with an astonishing debut measured in its $29 million over-the-weekend earnings. The canine comedy outshined “Eagle Eye”, who landed on second place, only a week after its premiere. With seven other movies premiering that same weekend, Disney officials were thrilled by “Chihuahua’s” performance, certifying it as their best October debut. It is a powerful statement coming the Disney executives; especially considering the movies the company has released in the past. It is clearly a sign that “Chihuahua” should not be missed!

Overall movie revenues are lower this year compared to 2007, although only by 1%. Attendance, on the other hand, has dropped by 4%. It is yet unclear whether these changes can be accounted by a failing quality in movies or the American economic crisis. This weekend, however, seemed to revive the typical American moviegoer and gave the movie industry a morale boost.

The other movies that helped “Chihuahua” make this weekend enter cinematographic history are “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist” of Sony-Screen Gems, Lionsgate’s “Religulous” – a mockumentary on religious extremism and a limited screening of “Rachel Getting Married”, courtesy of Sony Picture Classics.