WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

“Lethal Weapon,” viewed by some critics as an upscale “Dirty Harry” movie, edged the slasher fantasy “Nightmare on Elm Street 3” to take the top spot on the weekend movie box-office chart. “Lethal Weapon,” starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, grossed $6.8 million in 1256 theaters, while “Nightmare” took in $6.7 million from 1378 theaters. Alan Parker’s occult thriller “Angel Heart,” fueled by the controversy surrounding its original X rating, had a strong $3.6 million opening at 815 theaters. “Some Kind of Wonderful” managed to avoid a second week fall-off with a new ad campaign. The John Hughes comedy took in $3.2 million, nearly matching its opening weekend total. “The Stepfather,” rereleased in a 180-seat Westwood theater after a disastrous wide regional run, did a strong $8,260 and may branch out into other theaters later in March.