Sadistic, Weird, and R rating does best at Box Office

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (commonly referred to in the trades as "sadistic and weird"), and WEDDING CRASHERS (a producer-reluctant "R" for "raunchy" rating until the box office numbers started pouring in) are superstar standouts in an otherwise lackluster box office, and it's baffling pundits everywhere.
Is it really a surprise? After continuously sanitized, neuterized, and blendisized fare, adults want some raunch in WEDDING CRASHERS (we're talking outside our SF bubble folks)....CHARLIE is another animal altogether, it's a 'crossover'. On the one hand it is marketed as a "family" film, which means every family in the US will see it at least once. Parents may be disgusted but kids will love it..... it's too late...the ticket has been bought. The other magnet elements are as follows a. Johnny Depp fans b. Tim Burton fans c. Danny Elfman (music) fans. My 19 year old falls into the Burton-Elfman category. She's a soft-goth hipster (no offense hon!) and she was in line opening night..it was sold out and was SHE depressed! Next day, like clockwork, she was back in line with her boyfriend. That's a dedicated home grown Burton fan, who was captivated as a child with NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Nothing was going to stop her...and so the box office climbs. As my Dad would say: "vive le difference!"