ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, Robert Rodriguez's homage to Sergio Leone, topped the box office chart for the weekend ended Sept. 14, 2003. The Sony movie (with vfx by Hybride Technologies) scored with $23.4M. Ridley Scott's MATCHSTICK MEN, debuted in second (with vfx by Sony Pictures Imageworks), picking up a more modest $13M for Warner Bros. In third place, was another debut, the indie horror film CABIN FEVER (with vfx by K.N.B. EFX Group). The Lions Gate film collected $8.6M. Paramount's DICKIE ROBERTS: FORMER CHILD STAR, last week's number one entry, slipped to fourth, with $5M and a tally of $12.8M. Disney's PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL took hold of the fifth spot with $4.5M and a rich bounty of $287.8M (boasting vfx by Industrial Light & Magic, Boy Wonder, CIS, Digiscope, Gray Matter FX, Method and Pacific Title).

Disney's FREAKY FRIDAY nabbed sixth place with $4M on its way to $101.9M. UA's JEEPERS CREEPERS 2 dropped to seventh (featuring vfx by The Orphanage and Makeup and Monsters) with $3M and $31.8M to date. Universal's SEABISCUIT (bolstered by vfx from Pixel Playground Inc., Sony Pictures Imageworks and The Orphanage) held onto the eighth position with $2.75M and a cume of $113.6M. Sony's S.W.A.T. (with vfx by Pixel Magic) dipped to ninth place with $2.708M and a cume of $112.7M. Disney's OPEN RANGE (packed with vfx by Centropolis Effects LLC, Cinesite of Hollywood, Northern Effects and U & Co.) slowed to 10th place with $2.706M to carry the Kevin Costner western to $53.4M.

Meanwhile, Go Fish's MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, the highly touted anime from Satoshi Kon, debuted in six theaters nationally with $18,732 for a per-screen average of $3,122. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.