This was not a happy box office story unless you were The Rock.

He once starred in a  “GI Joe” movie that made a lot of money. This weekend, he soldiered on in “F9,” one of the big hits of the post pandemic summer.

The new “GI Joe,” called “Snake Eyes,” was a disaster. It made $13.3 million in its opening weekend, having cost $88 million. At least. Paramount, having great success still with “A Quiet Place II,” crapped out here. Maybe foreign territories will pitch in.

“Snake Eyes” had terrible reviews, and was beaten by another bad movie, “Old,” directed by M. Night Shyamalan. “Old” pulled in $16 million. I can’t imagine anyone liked it. Critics didn’t. “Old” had a small budget — and looks it– just $18 million, so they’ve made their money back. But you’ll never get back those two hours.

“Joe Bell,” a movie for which Mark Walhberg gained a lot of weight, was one of his worst openers of all time — just $700K. Released by Roadside, er Roadkill Attractions which can take almost any star and destroy their cume. The per screen average was just $646 at 1.094 theaters. People spend more than that at Wahlburgers. (Not really.)

“Space Jam 2” fell by 69%, erasing its gains, collapsing under its own weight. New total: $51 million, which is what LeBron James spends on lunch.

The sorta Bruce Willis movie I wrote about yesterday, “Midnight in the Switchgrass,” played in one theater in Manhattan and one way out on Long Island so it could qualify for something. Medicare?

Otherwise, “F9,” “Black Widow,” “AQPII,” and “Cruella” continued to be of interest to those willing to venture into theaters.

Machine Gun Kelly is an overly tattooed performer– actor/singer– whose real name is Colson Baker. He and his tabloid actress girlfriend Megan Fox appear in the latest direct to video B movie of former star Bruce Willis called “Midnight in the Switchgrass.”

On Twitter yesterday, Kelly wrote: “if i don’t talk or tweet about a movie i’m barely in it’s because it’s [emoji for trash].”

Kelly appears in the movie but is uncredited. Much has been made in the supermarket tabs of Kelly and Fox appearing in a “movie” together for the first time. They’re like the bargain bin version of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. They know from trash, believe me.

Still, “Switchgrass” must be pretty bad with Machine Gun Kelly doesn’t like it. He’s not alone. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Switchgrass” — which boasts 25 producing credits — merited a lowly 13% among critics who forced themselves to see it.

This is the latest Bruce Willis “movie” to be made for no particular reason, using the “Die Hard” star as a lure but much else. It’s unclear how much Willis understands how these movies have diluted whatever legacy he had even in action films. There are now dozens of them, movies in which he shows up briefly, has little to say, was clearly filmed over one day, and so on. Yet he’s star billed and his picture is used in the posters and advertising.

Blogger Sean Burns wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: “I found myself envying Bruce Willis, who didn’t have to be around for any of this. Not even the scenes that he’s in.”

Willis seems so unaware of what movies he’s in and what their substance that he’s actually scheduled to be in one called “Bandits” having forgotten that he starred in a really good Barry Levinson movie back in 2001 called “Bandits” with Cate Blanchett and Billy Bob Thornton. Maybe he thinks it’s a remake of that one.

Here’s the trailer for “Switchgrass,” in which Willis barely speaks, or appears:

Who doesn’t want to hear Frances McDormand exclaim, “Out damn spot!”

She’s playing Lady Macbeth and Denzel Washington is her put upon husband in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” The movie, directed by McDormand’s husband Joel, is opening the New York Film Festival on September 24th.

McDormand now has three Oscars, the third of which came this past April with “Nomadland.” Can she make it four? It seems certain she’ll at least get a nomination. Denzel has two Oscars and is in the hunt for the third. If he comes to the premier, he’ll be bringing his large contingent of bodyguards, I’m sure. (I’ll never forget the opening of “Flight,” very amusing.)

This film, from Apple and A24, is a change of pace for Coen. He adapted Shakespeare’s Scottish play without his brother, Ethan, a rarity for sure. There are few other ‘name’ actors in the cast except for Brendan Gleeson and Corey Hawkins, who plays MacDuff.

Some things do remain the same: the great Carter Burwell composed the score.

A press release says: “Though it echoes the forbidding visual designs—and aspect ratios—of Laurence Olivier’s classic 1940s Shakespeare adaptations, as well as the bloody medieval madness of Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, Coen’s tale of sound and fury is entirely his own—and undoubtedly one for our moment, a frightening depiction of amoral political power-grabbing that, like its hero, ruthlessly barrels ahead into the inferno.”

So set the Oscars countdown clock, and let’s get ready for the return of the NY Film Festival to Alice Tully Hall.