BOX OFFICE SLUMP TURNED HIT PARADE RECEIPTS UP OVER 2005 FOR SIX STRAIGHT WEEKS, A TURNAROUND FOR MOVIES.

Byline: GREG HERNANDEZ Staff Writer

A year ago, the movie industry was 10 weeks into a record box office slump that would last an agonizing nine more weekends, the longest losing streak in its history.

But now there's a different kind of streak going on: Box office receipts have been up over 2005's totals for six consecutive weekends, according to final numbers released Monday.

``A year ago, the industry was demoralized and dejected,'' said box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co. ``We were heading into the summer hoping it would be the savior of the box office but it just didn't happen. The streak just kept going and going.''

What constituted the 2004 losing streak was weekend totals coming in short of the same weekend 12 months earlier for 19 consecutive weeks.

In 2006, the weekends leading up to Friday's debut of ``Mission: Impossible III,'' which officially kicks off the summer season, there has already been a bona fide blockbuster in ``Ice Age 2: The Meltdown'' ($177.9 million to date) and plenty of solid hits including ``Failure to Launch,'' ``Eight Below,'' ``Inside Man'' and ``The Pink Panther,'' which all grossed more than $80 million. ``Scary Movie 4'' was at $78 million as of Sunday and remains firmly entrenched in the top five.

Compared with 2005, year-to-date box office revenues are up by 6.75 percent while attendance is up by 5.5 percent.

``Everyone in this industry had different thoughts about what was the cause of the downturn and was it doomsday?'' said Nikki Rocco, president of distribution for Universal Pictures. ``The opinions ranged from quality of product, cell phones ringing to sticky floors in the theaters. But as it turned out, the last six weekends have proved that moviegoing is still everyone's favorite pastime. With the summer here, the picture looks quite rosy.''

Universal, the studio behind ``Inside Man,'' also distributed last weekend's second-place film, ``United 93,'' which depicted on of the Sept. 11 hijackings.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has had five separate movies open in first place including this weekend's family comedy ``RV'' starring Robin Williams and last week's horror film ``Silent Hill,'' which has grossed $34.3 million in two weeks.

Dergarabedian said the upswing in moviegoing in recent months is a good foundation for what many predict will be a record May with the highly-anticipated ``MI III,'' ``Poseidon,'' ``The Da Vinci Code,'' ``Over the Hedge'' and ``X-Men: The Last Stand'' all coming out during the month.

``Last year's slump created a negative feeling among moviegoers about even going to the movies,'' he said. ``And fewer moviegoers means fewer moviegoers were exposed to marketing and watching the trailers for the summer movies.

``It's a momentum thing,'' Dergarabedian added. ``We're in such a better place this year.''

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