`ANACONDA' SLITHERS TO NO. 1 : MONSTER SNAKES CUT `LIAR' DOWN TO SCALE.

Byline: Associated Press 

``Anaconda'' squeezed ``Liar, Liar'' out of the No. 1 box office spot with $16.5 million in weekend ticket sales, according to industry estimates Sunday.

Though it received some harsh reviews, the movie about monster snakes in the Amazon opened well enough to dump Jim Carrey's hit comedy into second place with a $14.3 million gross.

``The snake was there,'' said Ed Russell, executive vice president of publicity for Columbia-Tristar.

The film co-stars Jennifer Lopez, who starred in the hit movie ``Selena,'' and rapper Ice Cube. They may have helped lure ethnic and young audiences, Russell surmised.

Also, ``it's a fun movie,'' he said.

``Anaconda'' had little competition in the action-adventure genre, which is saving its big guns for summer. Val Kilmer's ``The Saint'' did creditable business, winding up in third place with $11.2 million.

The other big-name action film, ``Double Team,'' starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and basketball star Dennis Rodman, sank to eighth place with $2.1 million, a 58 percent drop in its grosses.

Coming weeks will tell whether ``Anaconda'' has legs. ``Liar, Liar'' already has shown its staying power. The movie about a slick lawyer forced to tell the truth for 24 hours saw only a 22 percent dip in its ticket sales from the previous weekend, considered good for major films.

It had the biggest March opening ever and was the first new movie of the year to break the $100 million mark. It now has grossed $119.8 million in four weeks, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

Another new film, ``Grosse Pointe Blank,'' was fourth with $7 million. The black comedy stars John Cusack as a professional killer who returns to his hometown for a high school reunion.

The Harrison Ford-Brad Pitt drama ``The Devil's Own'' had $4.3 million for fifth place, followed by ``That Old Feeling'' with about $3.5 million.

Tim Allen's comedy ``Jungle 2 Jungle'' continued its strong showing with a sixth-place take of $2.3 million in its sixth week.

The reissue of the recent horror film ``Scream'' did surprisingly well, earning $2 million for ninth place.

``Return of the Jedi,'' the last installment of the 20-year-old ``Star Wars'' trilogy, tied with the basketball comedy ``The Sixth Man'' for 10th place with $1.7 million each.

Final weekend box office figures were to be released Monday.

The top 10 films from Friday through Sunday:

1. ``Anaconda,'' $16.5 million.

2. ``Liar, Liar,'' $14.3 million.

3. ``The Saint,'' $11.2 million.

4. ``Grosse Pointe Blank,'' $7 million.

5. ``The Devil's Own,'' $4.3 million.

6. ``That Old Feeling,'' $3.5 million.

7. ``Jungle 2 Jungle,'' $2.3 million.

8. ``Double Team,'' $2.1 million.

9. ``Scream,'' $2 million.

10. ``The Sixth Man,'' $1.7 million.

10. ``Return of the Jedi,'' $1.7 million.