LOS ANGELES (AP) — Spread 10 ways, the phrase “nominated for best picture” hasn’t had much of a box office effect. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences doubled the number of nominees this year in hopes of drawing more attention to more movies. But the revenue bump for this year’s crop is less than the one enjoyed by last year’s five best-picture hopefuls. And of that $135 million, all but about $24 million went to the one film in least need of an Oscar bump: the record-smashing “Avatar.” The figures were generated between the nominations Feb. 2 and the last weekend before Sunday’s awards. Last year’s best picture nominees pulled in $146 million over a comparable period, and most of that went to a film Oscar helped turn into a sensation: “Slumdog Millionaire.” Three of the five 2009 nominees at least doubled their take in that period, something no film in this year’s batch even came close to doing. “The bottom line is adding five more movies didn’t necessarily add two times the gross to the crop of films,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box office president for industry tracker Hollywood.com. One possible explanation is that a best-picture nod may be less valuable now with more films getting one, but several other factors lessened the honor’s financial impact. The awards ceremony this year is two weeks later, March 7 vs. Feb. 22 last year, so that the show wouldn’t compete with the Olympics, and the nominations came two weeks later as well. Generally, the longer a movie is in theaters, the less it brings in each week. Snowstorms along the East Coast also appeared to dampen enthusiasm to see Oscar-nominated films, said Bruce Goerlich, chief research officer for market researcher Rentrak Corp. In addition, five of this year’s nominees weren’t even in theaters by the time they were nominated: front-runner “The Hurt Locker,” “A Serious Man,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Up” and “District 9.” Last year, all five best picture contenders were still in theaters when nominations were announced. “Up” was released so long ago it has been out on DVD for 3 1/2 months. “The Hurt Locker” did return to the big screen, but only in about 100 theaters nationwide. “It used to be for years, the (nominated) pictures would be re-released at Oscar time,” said Tom Sherak, president of the Academy. “But it’s not viable to do that any more, so most studios don’t.” Sherak believes expanding the category to 10 has been successful because it means more people have seen the nominated films and are likely to be interested in Sunday’s broadcast. This year’s biggest Oscar bump, percentage-wise, might go to a movie out of the best picture race: “Crazy Heart.” Prior to Jeff Bridges’ best actor Oscar nomination, the film took in just $5.5 million. It has since added about $20 million, and its theater count looks to expand again, from 1,148 to around 1,300 this weekend. “We’re prepared to go even wider if the momentum is still there,” said Stephen Gilula, the president of Fox Searchlight, which is a niche film label owned by News Corp. Fox Searchlight followed the same pattern for “Slumdog Millionaire” last year, Gilula said. “Slumdog” cleaned up at the Oscars and the box office, making $81 million of its $125 million in ticket sales between the nominations and the week before the ceremony. This year’s smaller overall bounty may also be due to the “Avatar” effect. James Cameron’s 3-D epic has become such a juggernaut that it has collected $111 million of the $135 million in ticket sales generated by best picture nominees since the nominations. Given that “Avatar” has reaped $2.6 billion in ticket sales worldwide, its lift from Oscar acclaim was relatively small. But the action-packed eye candy of “Avatar” may have pulled attention away from other nominees, such as the gritty-till-the-end “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire.” Although “Precious” still powered through the awards season with growing ticket sales – making a healthy $47 million domestically on a $10 million production budget – its post-Oscar nomination bounce has been a measly $1.7 million. Of course, every year’s films are different and critical success translates commercially in unpredictable ways. Last year, “Slumdog” became a global party that audiences everywhere wanted to support. In contrast, “Precious” can be too raw for some audiences to bear. Sony Pictures Classics’ “An Education” did appear to get a small benefit from its best-picture nomination, going from $8.8 million to more than $12 million domestically. “I think 10 (nominees) is a good thing,” said studio co-president Michael Barker. “It causes more attention for more pictures. I’m not feeling a sense of dilution.” And a nomination lasts forever, whether a movie is in theaters or being offered on Netflix, so the full story of the benefits of the expanded category hasn’t been told yet. Studios make billions of dollars on DVD and Blu-ray disc sales, not to mention what they collect from pay TV outlets at home and abroad. Indeed, the revenue for “Up” from rentals, video-on-demand and disc sales had been declining before that movie’s nomination. On the second week after the nomination it jumped 23 percent, according to Rentrak. “If you’re selling the DVD and the box said on it, `Nominated for best picture of the year,’ I mean if you didn’t catch it, you’d be inclined to say, `You know, I never saw that movie, it must be fairly decent, right?’” said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros.
March 4, 2010 | Posted in
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PARIS (AP) — Alexander McQueen’s namesake label will continue despite the death of the designer, the parent company PPR SA said Thursday. Robert Polet, chief of the Gucci Group subsidiary, said the collection McQueen was working on before his death will be shown at Paris fashion week next month. A week after the designer’s death, found hanged in his wardrobe, PPR CEO Francois-Henri Pinault and Polet paid homage to McQueen. Pinault called him a genius, a poet and a friend. The designer rose to fame in the 1990s, and was known for his daring and edgy style and skillful tailoring. He is credited with helping to revive the once-moribund British fashion industry. McQueen’s label belongs to PPR’s Gucci Group subsidiary, which comprises luxury fashion and leather brands. Robert Polet, who heads the group, said he spoke with McQueen a few weeks ago when the two men decided that “we have transitioned from being the name of a designer to putting in place the building blocks of a brand.” “That means that will be my legacy,” McQueen had said, according to Polet. “That’s something I will always leave behind.” The Gucci group will use its combined resources to ensure the label continues, he said. “Lee is of course irreplaceable,” Polet said, referring to McQueen’s first name, dropped from his professional moniker. He said the team that had been preparing the collection with McQueen would unveil it during the Paris fashion week on March 3-11. A British coroner’s inquest said Wednesday that the fashion designer, grieving from the death of his mother, died by asphyxiation and hanging, leaving a note behind. He was 40. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, which came just ahead of the funeral of McQueen’s mother, who died Feb. 2. McQueen’s death has cast a shadow over London Fashion Week, which opens on Friday. A tribute to the designer was to be held. McQueen was named British Designer of the Year four times and awarded the title of CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire – by Queen Elizabeth II. His stunning pieces never sold in great numbers, but he became one of fashion’s best-known brands.
February 18, 2010 | Posted in
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ONLY ON WINK: Red light camera still not fixed Hours after light was supposed to be fixed, still flashing uncontrollably By Renee Stoll Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 10:37 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 11:49 PM EST COLLIER COUNTY, FL. – A red light camera in Collier County that was supposed to be fixed doesn’t appear to be. Since Monday night WINK News has caught the red light camera at the intersection of Immokalee Road and Airport-Pulling Road taking pictures when it’s not supposed to, but some drivers say it and others have been broken even longer. “For about a week, down there too, it just keeps flashing,” Joe Rios tells me while waiting at a red light Tuesday night. Many times throughout the night, you can clearly see the flash go off while cars go through a green light. According to American Traffic Solutions, the company in charge of the cameras, they told WINK News at 5 p.m. Tuesday the problem was fixed. Hours later, it’s obviously not. Many drivers express the same concern Rios does, “I hope they don’t give me a ticket, the light’s green. Hopefully they can tell the light’s green when I go through it.” The company tells WINK News the extra flashes won’t mean extra tickets, but some drivers, like Margaret Jackson, say it is very distracting, “I thought am I doing something wrong, am I over the line? It kept going crazy.” American Traffic Solutions say they are working to adjust the camera but it may not be fixed immediately. Previous article Wallaby death update Next article Foreclosures drop to start 2010 in Lee County
February 3, 2010 | Posted in
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ONLY ON WINK: Red light camera still not fixed Hours after light was supposed to be fixed, still flashing uncontrollably By Renee Stoll Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 10:37 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 11:49 PM EST COLLIER COUNTY, FL. – A red light camera in Collier County that was supposed to be fixed doesn’t appear to be. Since Monday night WINK News has caught the red light camera at the intersection of Immokalee Road and Airport-Pulling Road taking pictures when it’s not supposed to, but some drivers say it and others have been broken even longer. “For about a week, down there too, it just keeps flashing,” Joe Rios tells me while waiting at a red light Tuesday night. Many times throughout the night, you can clearly see the flash go off while cars go through a green light. According to American Traffic Solutions, the company in charge of the cameras, they told WINK News at 5 p.m. Tuesday the problem was fixed. Hours later, it’s obviously not. Many drivers express the same concern Rios does, “I hope they don’t give me a ticket, the light’s green. Hopefully they can tell the light’s green when I go through it.” The company tells WINK News the extra flashes won’t mean extra tickets, but some drivers, like Margaret Jackson, say it is very distracting, “I thought am I doing something wrong, am I over the line? It kept going crazy.” American Traffic Solutions say they are working to adjust the camera but it may not be fixed immediately. Previous article Wallaby death update Next article Foreclosures drop to start 2010 in Lee County
February 3, 2010 | Posted in
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Foreclosures drop to start 2010 in Lee County By Jeremiah Jacobsen Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 10:32 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 10:32 PM EST LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Foreclosures are down in Lee County to start the new year. 1,321 foreclosure filings were reported for the month of January, down from 1,616 in December, and down significantly from the 2,074 foreclosure filings in January 2009. While a drop in foreclosures is good news, it’s coming at a time when competition is heating up for less-expensive homes, particularly with the influx of seasonal visitors in southwest Florida. “We’ve been kind of caught up in a bidding war and I think we’ve probably lost the one we wanted,” said Elizabeth Mosher. She and her husband Michael have been staying with relatives since August while they search for a home in southwest Florida. They’ve found every time, there have been plenty of others looking for the same dream deal. “The demand for this has remained constant,” said realtor Marc Joseph. “We’re eating up as much inventory as we’re listing.” Joseph helped make buying foreclosures fashionable with his foreclosure bus tours, gaining national and international attention in the process. “So the northern end of Cape Coral, as well as Lehigh Acres, were the two hotbeds for foreclosures,” Joseph said. . He says bank-owned properties and short sales made up nearly three-quarters of the home sales in December. Not only are buyers facing competition from investors for these less expensive homes, visitors from up north have joined the mix now too. “Buyers are returning, January through April, because that’s our season, and they’re here to buy. They’re done with waiting,” Joseph said. “With the low interest rates, with inventory of the houses down here. With the lifestyle, you can’t beat it,” said first-time buyer Tom Auer from Ohio. He put in his first offer Tuesday, considering southwest Florida the perfect place to get a lot of home a little money. “Compared to other markets, (where) $80,000 isn’t going to get you a lot,” Auer said. Foreclosure-driven sales sent home sales soaring to new heights in 2009. The Fort Myers Association of Realtors counted about 16,000 sales in 2009, more than 2007 and 2008 combined. Previous article ONLY ON WINK: Red light camera still not fixed Next article Woman stabs man on Fort Myers Beach
February 3, 2010 | Posted in
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Wallaby death update FWC responds to woman’s claims about animal investigation By WINK News Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 10:46 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 10:46 PM EST COLLIER COUNTY, FL. – New details on a story we brought you Monday night. Florida Fish and Wildlife says they’re investigating the poisoning deaths of a dozen wallabies at a Collier County home. A woman who breeds the exotic pets told WINK News Monday she didn’t feel FWC was working to find out who poisoned 12 of her wallabies with street drugs. The agency tells us Tuesday, they are conducting an active investigation into the killings. Officers will visit the property Wednesday. FWC also tells us the owner was sited two weeks ago for unsanitary conditions, having to do with a wallaby living inside the house. The owner of the animals is offering a $500 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest in her wallabies’ deaths. Next article ONLY ON WINK: Red light camera still not fixed
February 3, 2010 | Posted in
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Serial vandal wreaking havoc at Zion Lutheran Church By Haley Hinds, WINK News Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 5:38 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 6:16 PM EST FORT MYERS, Fla – A serial vandal is coming to the right place, but doing all the wrong things. Instead of asking for forgiveness, they’re wreaking havoc. Pastor Steve Hess of the Zion Lutheran Church in south Fort Myers has seen the aftermath of a fire extinguisher used in the hallway. “A couple of times they’ve put soap suds in the fountain,” Hess said. They’ve rearranged letters on church signs in some not-so-holy ways, and just yesterday, they struck the memorial garden, a final resting place for families to pour their loved ones’ ashes. The vandal or vandals went into the garden, grabbed a clay pot and threw it at a Jesus statue. While most of the pieces have been picked up, you can still see the remaining sand on the ground. The total value of the pot is $50, but Pastor Hess sees this as an opportunity to instill new values in someone who may need them. “We understand that if it’s kids then it’s just kids being kids, and if it’s somebody who really has a problem, it’s hard to look past the act and really care for the person, and I think that’s what we need to do as best we can,” Hess said. Previous article Local Doctor back from Haiti Next article Bomb sniffing dogs to protect Super Bowl
February 3, 2010 | Posted in
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Woman stabs man on Fort Myers Beach By Christina Hernandez, WINK News Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 7:10 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 7:10 PM EST FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. – Deputies are still searching for a woman accused of stabbing a man on Fort Myers Beach Tuesday afternoon. Deputies said the female stabbed the man, the fled – possibly to a nearby McDonald’s. A 911 call was made from there and an employee told WINK News she saw a woman run into the bathroom, then run out the back door. Minutes later, deputies were on scene. The male victim was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital. Deputies are still searching for the female suspect who they say lives on the beach and works in the shrimping business. If you have any information about this crime, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS. Next article Local Doctor back from Haiti
February 3, 2010 | Posted in
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Local Doctor back from Haiti By WINK News Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 6:25 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 6:25 PM EST After five days of performing amputations- setting bones- and disinfecting wounds- a Naples doctor is back from Haiti. Dr. David Perlmutter traveled to Haiti in late January with Hope for Haiti. He treated hundreds of injured Haitians, young and old, for infections and gave them pain medicine. He says despite some of the desperate violence seen on television the Haitians he treated were kind, considerate, and helpful. Dr. Perlmutter says, “The part about them looking up and saying “merci” to you when you are working with them, that’s the hardest part in a strange way- you’d think it would make you feel good- and it does- but then you ask the question- why are they going through this.” The doctor says the trip was life changing and the next chance he gets, he’ll be on a flight back to Haiti. Previous article Woman stabs man on Fort Myers Beach Next article Serial vandal wreaking havoc at Zion Lutheran Church
February 3, 2010 | Posted in
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Bomb sniffing dogs to protect Super Bowl By WINK News, AP Story Created: Feb 2, 2010 at 2:32 PM EST Story Updated: Feb 2, 2010 at 2:32 PM EST MIAMI – Several dozen bomb-sniffing dogs, robots that defuse explosives safely and police bomb squads are being deployed to protect the Super Bowl. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives showed reporters Tuesday how the dogs can detect even minute amounts of bomb compounds. Four dogs easily found a small amount of residue hidden in a closed car trunk. Miami ATF chief Hugo Barrera says the dogs can smell 19,000 different bomb components. The ATF puts them through a 16-week training course before they’re ready for duty. Some of the ATF dogs deployed for the Super Bowl are veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Dogs are also on duty for Sunday’s game from the Miami-Dade Police Department and Broward Sheriff’s Office Next article Local man helping to re-build Haiti
February 2, 2010 | Posted in
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