Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Sweet (and Cool) Smell of Pop Art Revealed in Perfume Inspired by Andy Warhol



27 Feb 2008 11:20 Africa/Lagos


The Sweet (and Cool) Smell of Pop Art Revealed in Perfume Inspired by Andy Warhol

NEW YORK, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- "My favorite smell is the first smell of spring in New York," Andy Warhol once said.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080227/NYWFNS1 )


Warhol began painting and silk-screening colored flowers during the 1960s, and returned to the subject in 1970, when he developed a portfolio of vibrantly colored flower screenprints at the first of his two studios on Union Square.


Both the flowers and the location were the inspiration for Andy Warhol Union Square, the latest in Bond No. 9's series of limited edition collectible Warhol perfume ($195 for 100ml; $135 for 50ml).


"Working with Bond No. 9 represents a unique, unexpected, and exciting opportunity to introduce Warhol to an ever-widening audience," said Michael Hermann, director of licensing at The Andy Warhol Foundation.


The connection between the Warhol Foundation and Bond No. 9 is New York. If Andy Warhol was a mirror of his time, he also reflected the vitality and creativity of his adopted city.


Marking the junction of Broadway and Park Avenue South between 14th and 17th streets, Union Square and the park within it have a storied history as a choice location for outdoor public gatherings-notably union rallies in the early 20th century.


These days, Union Square is thriving, with a busy Greenmarket and a lively bar and restaurant scene, a far cry from its deteriorated state when Warhol arrived in 1968. He stayed put, despite an attempt on his life outside his studio later that year and remained in Union Square until 1984.


During the age of Warhol, Union Square was witness to the collision and subsequent uniting of uptown and downtown, especially when Warhol drew the likes of Mick Jagger, Truman Capote, and Diane von Furstenberg to his studio.


"With the Warhol collaboration, we're connecting his vision not just with a line of fragrances," Bond No. 9 President Laurice Rahme said, "but with another kind of artistry-that of the sense of smell, and to interpret the scents of the studios, the clubs, the streets of New York that Warhol frequented and made famous."


Rahme describes the green floral scent as "simultaneously cool and warm." It is housed in a flacon displaying Warhol's fuchsia, red and yellow flowers - like nothing found in nature -- and places his artistry in a new medium.


"They are like psychedelic paper cut-outs superimposed above the blades of grass, which have an outsized life of their own," Rahme said.


Bond No. 9 is offering a Portfolio of ten different bottles, which are meant to be viewed as one, just as Warhol intended for his Flowers, Rahme said ($1,500).


Andy Warhol Union Square will be available at Bond No. 9's four New York boutiques, www.bondno9.com, and at Saks Fifth Avenue nationwide.


Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080227/NYWFNS1
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Bond No. 9 New York

CONTACT: Alix Perez, +1-212-228-0842, ext. 15, for Bond No. 9 New York


Web site: http://www.bondno9.com/

Monday, February 25, 2008

Winners of the Oscars at the 80th Academy Awards


Daniel Day-Lewis accepts the Oscar for Best Actor for his great role in "There Will Be Blood".
View the Oscar Red Carpet Gallery




Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier BardemNo Country for Old Men

Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass

Best Animated Film
Ratatouille

Best Short Film (Live Action)
Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)

Best Short Film (Animated)
Peter & the Wolf

Best Costume Design
Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Best Make Up
La Vie en Rose

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Tilda SwintonMichael Clayton

Best Documentary Short
Freeheld

Best Documentary Feature
Taxi to the Dark Side

Best Art Direction
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Music (Score)
Atonement

Best Sound Mixing
The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Music (Song)
Once

Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Foreign Language Film
The Counterfeiters

Best Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Actor in Leading Role
Daniel Day-LewisThere Will Be Blood

Best Cinematography
There Will Be Blood

Best Actress in Leading Role
Marion CotillardLa Vie en Rose

Best Adapted Screenplay
No Country for Old Men

Best Original Screenplay
Juno

Best Directing
No Country for Old Men

Best PictureNo Country for Old Men

Saturday, February 23, 2008

80th Academy Awards - Nominations



80th Academy Awards - Nominations
LIVE Telecast: Sunday, February 24, 2008


Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" (Universal)
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Best animated feature film of the year
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
"Surf's Up" (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Achievement in art direction
"American Gangster" (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit

Achievement in costume design
"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood

Achievement in directing
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson

Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Best documentary short subject
"Freeheld" A Lieutenant Films Production: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
"La Corona (The Crown)" A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production: Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
"Salim Baba" A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production: Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
"Sari's Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley

Achievement in film editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor

Best foreign language film of the year
"Beaufort" Israel
"The Counterfeiters" Austria
"Katyn" Poland
"Mongol" Kazakhstan
"12" Russia

Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Best motion picture of the year
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production) A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Best animated short film
"I Met the Walrus" A Kids & Explosions Production: Josh Raskin
"Madame Tutli-Putli" (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
"Même les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)" (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)" (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production Alexander Petrov
"Peter & the Wolf" (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best live action short film
"At Night" A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)" (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia Production: Andrea Jublin
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)" (Premium Films) A Karé Production: Philippe Pollet-Villard
"Tanghi Argentini" (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production: Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
"The Tonto Woman" A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production: Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

Achievement in sound editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Christopher Scarabosio and Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Achievement in sound mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Achievement in visual effects
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Adapted screenplay
"Atonement" (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her" (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Original screenplay
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins


YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO COVERAGE ON THE BOGGY WOGGY MOVIES TV BELOW.

Lindsay Lohan's Semi Nude Imitation of Marilyn Monroe Crashes New York Magazine's Website



Bert Stern's semi nude photographs of actress Lindsay Lohan's imitation of the late Marilyn Monroe have become so popular online that the New York Magazine's web site crashed, with over 20 million daily page views on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The average daily page view in January was 1.2 million.



The photographs were meant to copy "The Last Sitting" of Marilyn Monroe, before she died of drug overdose or even murdered in 1962.

Friday, February 22, 2008

The Nielsen Company's 2008 Guide to the Academy Awards

21 Feb 2008 19:50 Africa/Lagos


The Nielsen Company's 2008 Guide to the Academy Awards

NEW YORK, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ --

With the writers strike settled and the 80th Academy Awards confirmed for February 24 in Hollywood, California, The Nielsen Company today released its annual Guide to the Academy Awards, which showcases a wide range of consumer and media information illustrating the enormous impact the Academy Awards has in the U.S.


Among the findings:

-- TELEVISION: The Academy Awards telecast on ABC Network continues to be
one of the highest rated TV events of the year, with last year's award
show attracting more than 41 million U.S. viewers.

-- BOX OFFICE AND BOOK SALES: Box Office figures for most Best Picture
Nominees increased significantly after the Academy Awards nominations
were announced. Sales of books related to nominated movies also rose
after their nominations were announced.

-- MUSIC: Following last year's event, album sales and digital downloads
of songs performed during the Academy Awards telecast surged. Will
this year's nominees reap the same post-Oscars benefits?

-- ONLINE: Oscars buzz in the blogosphere peaked after the February 13
announcement that the show would go on as planned. But perhaps because
this year's event remained in doubt for several months, the Web sites
of nominated films received less traffic this year than in 2007.

-- ADVERTISING: The cost for a 30-second commercial edged up to an all-
time high in 2007, but total ad spending decreased slightly, from $80.7
million in 2006 to $79.9 million in 2007.

-- DEMOGRAPHICS OF ACADEMY AWARD VIEWERS: People in upper to upper-middle
income brackets are almost twice as likely to watch the Oscars
telecast. Of this group, a majority are women at least 35 years old,
college educated, and living in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, or
Pacific regions of the U.S.


TELEVISION VIEWERSHIP

In 2007, an average of 41 million Americans tuned in to the ABC Network to watch the Academy Awards, Nielsen Media Research reports. Last year, the event averaged a 23.6% household rating, up slightly from previous years.


The most-watched Academy Award broadcast in the last decade was in 1998 when Titanic was voted Best Picture. That telecast drew 55 million viewers for an average household rating of 34.9%. The lowest rated Oscars in recent years was in 2003 when Chicago was voted Best Picture: only 20% of U.S. homes tuned in for the telecast.


Among local U.S. markets, New York received the highest overall local rating for 2007 (35%), while the second largest local TV audience was in Los Angeles (32%). See Tables 1 and 2 for more details.


Table 1: Television Ratings for Academy Awards Telecasts

Academy Award Year Average Viewers on ABC Network
2007 41 million
2006 39 million
2005 42 million
2004 43 million
2003 33 million
2002 41 million
2001 42 million

Source: Nielsen Media Research


Table 2: Top 10 Local Market Ratings for 2007 Academy Awards Telecast

Market Rank Average Household
Local Market (size) Rating

San Francisco-
Oak-San Jose 6 37.7
Chicago 3 37.1
New York 1 35.3
Los Angeles 2 32
Boston 7 29.2
Washington, DC 9 29.2
Philadelphia 4 27
Atlanta 8 26.8
Houston 10 25.6
Dallas-Ft. Worth 5 24.5

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Note: local TV ratings include data for time-shifted viewing within one week of the awards telecast.


Box Office Sales


Do Academy Award nominations impact the distribution and ticket sales of nominated movies? Nielsen EDI compared the number of theatres showing each movie and ticket sales before and after the nominations were announced on January 22 and found significant increases in most cases (See Tables 3 and 4).


Table 3: Number of Theatres

Weekend Prior to Weekend After
Movie Nominations Nominations % Change

Michael Clayton 33 1,102 3239%
There Will Be Blood 389 885 128%
No Country for Old Men 818 1,107 35%
Atonement 1,291 1,400 8%
Juno 2,534 2,426 -4%

Source: Nielsen EDI


Table 4: Box Office Receipts

Movie Total 3 Total 3
Weekends Prior Weekends After
Nominations Nominations % Change

Michael Clayton $170,893 $5,454,040 3091%
There Will Be Blood $6,843,469 $13,501,867 97%
No Country for Old Men $4,571,298 $6,840,326 50%
Atonement $14,814,820 $8,935,793 -40%
Juno $41,439,508 $22,766,828 -45%

Source: Nielsen EDI



Impressive gross sales are not a requirement for a nominee in the top categories. For example, There Will Be Blood, in movie theaters for seven weeks, earned only $28 million at the U.S. box office through February 14, while fellow nominee Juno pulled in close to $119.5 million since its December 25 release (See Table 5).


Table 5: Cumulative Gross Box Office Sales

Open Date Nominated Movie Gross Box Office Sales

Best Picture

12/5/2007 Juno $119,464,789
11/9/2007 No Country for Old Men $59,042,924
10/5/2007 Michael Clayton $46,550,004
12/26/2007 There Will Be Blood $27,944,883
12/7/2007 Atonement $45,999,123

Best Actor
10/5/2007 Michael Clayton $46,550,004
12/26/2007 There Will Be Blood $27,944,883
12/21/2007 Sweeney Todd $52,127,564
9/14/2007 In the Valley of Elah $6,775,540
9/14/2007 Eastern Promises $17,181,265

Best Actress
10/12/2007 Elizabeth: The Golden Age $16,383,509
5/4/2007 Away From Her $4,571,521
6/8/2007 La Vie En Rose $10,072,300
11/28/2007 The Savages $5,380,756
12/5/2007 Juno $119,464,789

Best Director
12/5/2007 Juno $119,464,789
11/9/2007 No Country for Old Men $59,042,924
10/5/2007 Michael Clayton $46,550,004
12/26/2007 There Will Be Blood $27,944,883
11/30/2007 The Diving Bell and the
the Butterfly $4,488,924

Source: Nielsen EDI
*Includes sales data through Feb. 14, 2008.


BOOK SALES

Nielsen BookScan, which covers 75% of sales in the book industry, took a look at sales of books that are related to the nominated movies. Table 6 below compares total 2007 sales with book sales since the release of the movie related to each title. All data below includes sales for hard and paperback formats.


Table 6: Sales of Books Related to Nominated Movies

Book Sales
Year of 2007 U.S. Film Since Film
Title Author Original Sales Release Release
Publication (units) Date (units)*

Atonement Ian McEwan 2002 295,000 1/4/08 196,000
No Country
for Old Men Cormac McCarthy 2005 160,000 11/21/07 145,000
The Diving Bell
and the Jean-Dominique
Butterfly Bauby 1997 24,000 11/30/07 45,000
Oil! Upton Sinclair 1927 6,000 1/11/08 18,000

Source: Nielsen BookScan

Note: Nielsen BookScan does not track sales of books through WalMart, Sam's, BJ's, airports, or libraries.


*Includes sales data through Feb. 10, 2008.


MUSIC SALES

Billboard's Geoff Mayfield used data from Nielsen SoundScan to analyze sales of songs nominated for this year's Academy Awards. Of the current nominees for Best Original Song, three songs come from Walt Disney's Enchanted. That soundtrack album, released on November 20, 2007, had sold 195,000 copies in the U.S. as of February 10, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Enchanted's three nominated songs -- "Happy Working Song," "So Close," and "That's How You Know" -- have also sold a combined 177,000 digital downloads.


A surprise hit last year, the Once soundtrack -- nominated for "Falling Slowly" -- is also a notable contender this year. The album has sold 343,000 copies since it debuted on May 22, 2007, making it the tenth best-selling soundtrack of 2007. This year's fifth nominee, "Raise It Up," comes from the August Rush soundtrack, which has moved 103,000 copies since its release on November 13, 2007.


Last year, songs from Dreamgirls -- "Listen," "Love You I Do," and "Patience" -- also locked up three out of five nominations in the Best Original Song category. None of the Dreamgirls songs won the Oscar, however. That honor went to Melissa Etheridge's "I Need To Wake Up" from the soundtrack for An Inconvenient Truth.


Despite losing to Etheridge's song, Dreamgirls sales rose 19% after last year's Academy Awards telecast. The album shifted 45,000 copies in the week immediately following the event and finished 2007 as the sixth best-selling soundtrack of the year, according to Nielsen SoundScan. To date, it has sold 1.1 million units in the U.S.


The three nominated songs from Dreamgirls also saw handsome gains in their download sales following last year's Academy Awards. "Love You I Do" sold 6,000 downloads in the first week after the event (a 100% increase), "Patience" downloads increased by 53%, and "Listen" increased downloads jumped by 73%.


Meanwhile, last year's winner, Etheridge's "I Need to Wake Up," experienced a 295% gain in downloads in the week of the Academy Awards, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Perhaps viewers, moved by Etheridge's win, rushed to their computers to download her song immediately after the telecast.


ONLINE USAGE


In 2007, traffic to the three major Oscar Web sites (oscars.movies.yahoo.com, oscar.com, and oscars.org) reached 1.8 million unique visitors on the day of the awards ceremony, according to Nielsen Online. On the day after the telecast, combined Web traffic to these sites increased 81% to 3.3 million unique visitors. Traffic to these three Web sites grew 183% during the week of the Academy Awards, from 905,000 unique visitors in the previous week to 2.6 million unique visitors in the days leading up to the ceremony.


Last year, Oscar.com grew 88% year over year, from an Oscars week unique audience of 720,000 to 1.4 million.


This year, the writers' strike left the Academy Awards ceremony in doubt for several months, perhaps resulting in less Web traffic to the sites of nominated films. Web sites for this year's Oscar contenders received just 831,000 unique visitors during January 2008 -- compared with 993,000 in January 2007.


BLOGOSPHERE Buzz


Drawing on its database of approximately 70 million blogs, Nielsen Online monitors consumer-generated content on the Internet before, during, and after the Academy Awards to provide advertisers with both quantitative and qualitative insight into virality and the popularity of the event and the nominees.


Table 7 shows the percentage of blog buzz related to this year's Best Actor and Actress nominees. With 32.24% buzz volume, Johnny Depp dominated Academy Awards discussion on blogs. Depp far outpaced George Clooney, who claimed second place, with 13.74% of the blog buzz. Laura Linney was least buzzworthy.


Table 7: Blog Buzz Online

% of Internet Buzz Related to Oscars Among
All Best Actor Candidates
Best Actor Nominees (Last 90 Days)*

Johnny Depp 32.24%
George Clooney 13.74%
Ellen Page 10.84%
Daniel Day-Lewis 9.56%
Cate Blanchett 9.27%
Tommy Lee Jones 6.56%
Viggo Mortensen 5.29%
Julie Christie 4.74%
Marion Cotillard 4.40%
Laura Linney 3.36%
100.00%
Source: Nielsen Online
*Includes data from Nov. 17, 2007 - Feb. 14, 2008.


CONSUMER BUZZ

The members of The Nielsen Company's new consumer-driven opinion network, Hey! Nielsen (www.heynielsen.com), who recently rated ads during the Super Bowl, are now making predictions on who will win Oscar gold. The predictions in eight major categories reveal a few clear front-runners: Daniel Day-Lewis, Javier Bardem, and Ratatouille, to name a few. There are also several tight races heading into Oscars night. In the Best Actress category, newcomer Ellen Page holds a slim lead over double-nominee Cate Blanchett, while Blanchett and Ruby Dee are tied in the Best Supporting Actress contest. The full results are compiled in Table 8 below.


Table 8: Hey! Nielsen Academy Award Winner Predictions

Category Leading Nominees % of Votes

Best Picture No Country for Old Men 35%
Best Actor Daniel Day Lewis
(There Will Be Blood) 46%
Best Supporting Actor Javier Bardem
(No Country for Old Men) 42%
Best Actress Ellen Page (Juno) 33%
Best Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There) 26%
Ruby Dee (American Gangster) 26%
Best Director Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
(No Country for Old Men) 44%
Best Animated Film Ratatouille 81%
Best Documentary Sicko 37%

Source: Hey! Nielsen
*Includes data collected from Feb. 5 - Feb. 19, 2008


Advertising Trends

Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the competitive advertising intelligence service of The Nielsen Company, analyzed advertising for the 2007 Academy Awards telecast and found:


-- Movies nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best
Director spent more than $102 million on advertising during 2007.
-- The last year's event had a total of 24 commercial minutes during the 3
hour and 10 minute televised broadcast on ABC Network, down slightly
from 24 1/2 minutes of advertising in 2006.
-- The cost for a 30-second ad rose slightly from $1.65 million in 2006 to
$1.67 million in 2007.
-- Twenty-seven unique brands aired a total of 38 national advertisements
in the 2007 broadcast.


Advertising Spending

In 2007, movies nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor/Actress, and Best Director spent more than $102 million on advertising in the U.S. Michael Clayton, which was nominated in three of the four categories, spent $27.6 million-more than any other movie, while There Will Be Blood, also nominated in three categories, spent the least: $404,618 (See Table 9).


Spending on movies nominated in the Best Actor category reached $59.4 million in 2007, accounting for almost 60% of total advertising expenditures. In comparison, the movies in the Best Actress category spent only $26.1 million on advertising. Movies nominated for Best Director and Best Picture spent just over $45 million each on advertising.


Table 9: Advertising Spending

Jan. 2007 -
Movie Nominee Nov. 2007 $

Best Picture
Michael Clayton n/a $27,566,058
No Country for Old Men n/a $15,803,659
Atonement n/a $1,069,970
Juno n/a $695,846
There Will Be Blood n/a $404,618

Best Actor
Michael Clayton George Clooney $27,566,058
Eastern Promises Viggo Mortensen $15,193,993
In the Valley of Elah Tommy Lee Jones $11,823,644
Sweeney Todd Johnny Depp $4,422,039
There Will Be Blood Daniel Day-Lewis $404,618

Best Actress
Elizabeth: The Golden Age Cate Blanchett $20,908,766
La Vie En Rose Marion Cotillard $2,104,227
Away From Her Julie Christie $1,392,853
The Savages Laura Linney $970,855
Juno Ellen Page $695,846

Best Director
Michael Clayton Tony Gilroy $27,566,058
No Country for Old Men Joel Coen and
Ethan Coen $15,803,659
Juno Jason Reitman $695,846
The Diving Bell and
the Butterfly Julian Schnabel $531,715
There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson $404,618

Source: Nielsen Monitor-Plus


Commercial Minutes

Over the past five years, the number of commercial minutes in the Academy Awards telecasts ballooned from 24 minutes in 2003 to a high of 27 1/2 minutes in 2005 (See Table 10). By 2007, that number had shrunk back to 24 minutes -- the same commercial duration as in 2003.


Table 10: Commercial Minutes

Year Commercial Duration (Minutes:Seconds)
2007 24:00
2006 24:30
2005 27:30
2004 27:00
2003 24:00

Source: Nielsen Monitor-Plus
Note: Commercial Minutes exclude promotional announcements


Average Cost for a 30-Second Commercial

The average cost for a 30-second commercial has increased 23% over the past five years-from $1.35 million in 2003 to $1.67 million in 2007 (See Table 11). Total advertising expenditures decreased slightly last year, from $80.7 million in 2006 to $79.9 million in 2007.


Table 11: Average Cost Per 30-Second Commercial

Academy Award Average Cost Per
Year 30-Second Commercial Best Picture Winner

2007 $1,665,800 The Departed
2006 $1,646,800 Crash
2005 $1,503,000 Million Dollar Baby
2004 $1,503,100 Lord of the Rings:
Return of the King
2003 $1,345,800 Chicago
2002 $1,290,000 A Beautiful Mind
2001 $1,450,000 Gladiator
2000 $1,305,000 American Beauty
1999 $1,000,000 Shakespeare in Love
1998 $950,000 Titanic
1997 $850,000 The English Patient
1996 $795,000 Braveheart
1995 $700,000 Forrest Gump
1994 $643,500 Schindler's List
1993 $607,800 Unforgiven

Source: Nielsen Monitor-Plus


Top Advertisers During the 2007 Telecast

For the second consecutive year, General Motors was the top advertiser, with 3 1/2 minutes of commercial time -- 30 seconds less than it aired when it claimed the top advertising slot during the 2006 Academy Awards telecast. Coca-Cola, L'Oreal, and J.C. Penney rounded out the top four advertisers for the 2007 telecast (See Table 12).


These four companies have held the top Oscars advertising slots since 2006. Coca-Cola replaced Pepsi-Cola as the leading soft drink advertiser beginning in 2006, and L'Oreal became a major Academy Awards advertiser in 2005.


Table 12: 2007 Top Advertisers

Advertiser Commercial Time (Seconds)

General Motors Corp. 210
Coca-Cola Company 180
L'Oreal 180
J.C. Penney 150

Source: Nielsen Monitor-Plus


2007 Advertisers: Old and New

Beyond last year's top four, McDonald's, which aired two commercials during the 2007 event, and American Express, which aired a 120-second spot that was the longest running commercial of the telecast, hold the distinction of being the only two companies that have advertised during the last 14 Academy Awards telecasts.


There were also several notable, new advertisers last year. Apple previewed its iPhone with three 30-second spots, and Unilever aired a 60- second Dove Cream Body Wash spot created by the winner of a contest that asked women to create commercials for Unilever's new Dove product.


Viewing the Commercials


To view full-motion commercials, storyboards, and ratings from past Academy Awards telecasts, visit Nielsen's Monitor-Plus website at https://www.nielsenmedia.com/monitorplus/specialevents.


Commercials from this year's Academy Awards will be posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2008.


THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF AN ACADEMY AWARD VIEWER


According to data from Spectra, a Nielsen marketing service that measures lifestyle behaviors of American consumers, almost 60% of Academy Awards viewers are women. Among this group, most were at least 35 years old, college educated with incomes of at least $75,000 per year, and living in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, or Pacific regions of the U.S.


In general, these viewers live in upscale suburban areas or major urban centers (40%) and are either live in large families with older children (age 6 and older), or are older couples (age 35 and older) with no children. Academy Award viewers also tend to be health conscious consumers of wine, nuts, pretzels, yogurt, liquor, health bars, trail mix, coffee, pudding and popcorn.


Additional data from Claritas, Nielsen's marketing research unit, indicates that Academy Awards viewers are predominantly in upper to upper- middle income brackets. These "upper crust" viewers are twice as likely to watch the show. Conversely, people in lower to lower-middle income categories-for examples, downscale retirees-are half as likely to watch the Oscars telecast.


About The Nielsen Company


The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more that 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.


Source: The Nielsen Company

CONTACT: Nielsen EDI: Anne Saini, +1-646-654-8691; Nielsen Online: Suzy
Bausch +1-408-941-2965, or Sandra Parrelli, +1-646-654-7772; Nielsen Monitor-
Plus: Jamillah Wright, +1-646-654-8357; Nielsen SoundScan: Anna Loynes,
+1-213-639-6167; Nielsen BookScan: Whitney Jacoby, +1-914-684-5505; Nielsen
Media Research: Anne Saini, +1-646-654-8691; Claritas: Steve Moore,
+1-858-677-9634; Spectra: Jennifer Frighetto, +1-847-605-5686


Web site: http://www.nielsen.com/
http://www.heynielsen.com/
http://wwww.oscars.movies.yahoo.com/
http://www.oscar.com/
http://www.oscar.org/
https://www.nielsenmedia.com/monitorplus/specialevents

Monday, February 18, 2008

Trope de Elite Wins Berlin's Golden Bear





Jose Padilha's anti-corruption film Elite Squad (Trope de Elite) won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival last Saturday.
More details.

Hot Entertainment News

Have Lunch With Entertainment Icon Patti LaBelle...and Yes, You CAN Have Marmalade!
'Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert' in 3-D Enabled by AccessIT Technology and Deployment
'Soldier Boy' Turns 50: The Shirelles Celebrate 50th Anniversary in Music
Gap Partners With Emerging Artists to Create Original Music and Videos Inspired by Colors
A-list Celebrity Jordan Matthews Embraces Causes Close to the Heart, Crucial to Humanity
Borat's Sacha Baron Cohen and Simon Cowell are the Ballsiest Entertainment Figures; Tom Cruise and Zac Efron are the Most In-Need According to IFC's 'Who's Got 'Em' Survey
Jordin Sparks Tapped as the Opening Act for the Alicia Keys 'As I Am' Tour

Jordin Sparks Tapped as the Opening Act for the Alicia Keys 'As I Am' Tour


Jordin Sparks

15 Feb 2008 12:00 Africa/Lagos


Jordin Sparks Tapped as the Opening Act for the Alicia Keys 'As I Am' Tour

Sparks Wins Outstanding New Artist at the NAACP Image Awards

NEW YORK, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- 19 Entertainment/Jive Records artist, Jordin Sparks, who recently performed the national anthem to an audience of nearly 100 million viewers at Super Bowl XLII, announces that she will be the opening act on the upcoming and highly anticipated Alicia Keys "As I Am" tour. The 18-year old star, who just won the Outstanding New Artist award at the 39th NAACP Image Awards, will help kick-off the tour on April 19th in Hampton, VA.


Alicia Keys

Since the release of her critically-acclaimed eponymous debut, Jordin's first single, "Tattoo," shot up the charts and has resided in the Top 10 of Billboard's Pop 100 Airplay singles chart for close to two months; currently the single is holding on to the #7 slot for it's second week in a row. Her second single "No Air" a smash duet with label mate Chris Brown is getting major radio support across the country and is already in the Top 20 on Billboard's Pop 100, Pop 100 Airplay and Hot Digital singles charts. The video for "No Air" recently wrapped and was shot by famed director Chris Robinson.


In support of her self-titled debut Jordin will open for Alicia Keys through-out the entire 30-date tour, which is scheduled to wrap in New York on June 18th.


On-sale dates will be announced locally in each market and show dates are as follows:


DATE CITY VENUE
April-19 Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
April-20 Philadelphia,PA Liacouras Center
April-22 Pittsburgh, PA Petersen Events Center
April-24 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
April-26 Columbus, OH Value City Arena at Schottenstein Ctr
April-27 St Louis, MO Scottrade Center
April-30 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
May-1 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
May-5 Los Angeles, CA TBA
May-7 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena
May-9 Las Vegas, NV MGM Garden Arena
May-10 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose
May-12 Phoenix, AZ Jobing.com Arena
May-14 Dallas, TX Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie
May-18 Houston, TX Toyota Center
May-22 New Orleans New Orleans Arena
May-24 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
May-25 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
May-28 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
May-30 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
May-31 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
Jun-3 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
Jun-5 Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center at Cleveland State
Jun-6 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Jun-8 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Jun-11 Boston, MA TD Bank North Garden
Jun-13 Washington D.C. Verizon Center
Jun-15 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Jun-17 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Jun-18 New York, NY Madison Square Garden



Currently, Jordin Sparks is scheduled to perform at the upcoming NBA All-Star Game on February 15th.


Source: 19 Entertainment/Jive Records

CONTACT: Wendy Washington, +1-212-833-6886,
wendy.washington@sonybmg.com; or Tice Merriweather, +1-212-833-6479,
Ticeman.merriweather@sonybmg.com, both of 19 Entertainment/Jive Records


Web site: http://www.jiverecords.com/

Thursday, February 14, 2008

St. Valentine's Day Wishes: Perfume? Jewelry? Labiaplasty?

14 Feb 2008 11:15 Africa/Lagos


St. Valentine's Day Wishes: Perfume? Jewelry? Labiaplasty?

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ --

St. Valentines Day has always conjured up images of eager boyfriends and husbands rushing to buy that perfect gift that says, "I Love You." Over the decades, women have become better able to communicate more specific wish lists to their significant others rather than simply accepting generic and, sometimes, short lived gifts such as flowers.


Such was the case for Carl and Kristina of suburban Chicago. After twelve years of marriage and five very large children, sex for Kristina had become, physically and emotionally, a mind numbing experience. Her anatomy had changed and sensation had disappeared during sexual relations. The vulvar appearance no longer looked "trim and youthful," said Kristina. "I was so embarrassed; I no longer wanted him near me without the lights off." That's when the Chicago couple began their internet research. Kristina was going to get the ultimate gynecologic cosmetic makeover for St. Valentine's Day.


The couple discovered the website for the Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Michigan and phone consulted with the director, board certified gynecologic surgeon Dr. Joseph Berenholz. When queried whether she had spoken with her gynecologist, Kristina explained that, "She said it was all a normal consequence of childbirth, not to worry and just keep doing my kegel exercises. I was so disappointed. I had been doing kegels for two years with no results!" The couple booked their flight for Michigan and arranged a date for surgery.


The consultation took place at the Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Michigan. During the exam, Dr. Berenholz realized that Kristina was also suffering from stress incontinence, a condition where women lose urine when they laugh, sneeze, cough, jump or run. The surgery was scheduled for the following day. Kristina had a Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation to tighten her vagina. She also had a Laser Labiaplasty and a sling procedure to cure her incontinence. The procedure took two hours. The couple spent the night at a local hotel and then saw Dr. Berenholz in the morning. After being given final medical approval, the couple returned to Chicago happy and hopeful.


"I took a mirror and looked down below," said Kristina. "I was so surprised how wonderfully normal I looked. It was as though I had gone back in time prior to having my children!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I was so ashamed to discuss my problem with nearly anyone. Dr. Berenholz just made it all so comfortable." Carl just smiled, happy to see the joy in Kristina's face.


Dr. Berenholz was the first Gynecologic surgeon in the Midwest to offer Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation. He trained in Beverly Hills with Dr. David Matlock, the originator of the technique and a regular appearing physician on "Dr. 90210." Asked why he thought patients come to him from the entire Midwest including Michigan, Dr. Berenholz simply replied, "People want experience. This is the most delicate part of the female anatomy and is tied in very closely to the female psyche." Dr. Berenholz is still amazed at how women tell him of the dismissive attitude of their Gynecologists. When asked if he found it humorous that a woman would ask for this type of surgery for St. Valentine's Day, Dr. Berenholz laughed and said, "It beats getting a box of chocolate."


Contact: Dr. Joseph Berenholz +1-248-593-8780, +1-888-593-8780
jberenholz@jberenholz.com

http://www.drberenholz.com/

Source: Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Michigan

CONTACT: Dr. Joseph Berenholz of the Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation
Institute of Michigan, +1-248-593-8780, or 1-888-593-8780


Web site: http://www.drberenholz.com/

2008 OSCARS: Students Poll Thousands During 80th Annual Academy Awards

14 Feb 2008 19:14 Africa/Lagos


2008 OSCARS: Students Poll Thousands During 80th Annual Academy Awards

- Simultaneous voting from Facebook, the iPhone, and the website VoteOscars.com -

EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ --

Using a technology called MIMIEO, students at Northwestern University will poll thousands of people during the February 24th ABC broadcast of the 80th Annual Academy Awards.


Participants will be asked to rate each Oscar nominated movie ad, as well as rate how likely they are to go see the movie. Graduate student Rohit Bhat feels, "MIMIEO will provide insight into measuring both the entertainment value of the ads, and the viewer's preference for going to see the movie".


On Oscar night, a panel of graduate students will analyze the data from the polls and publish a report on the findings.


The students previously conducted research during Super Bowl XLII and released a report called the EnMark Survey. The survey evaluated Super Bowl advertisements on two key dimensions: entertainment value and marketing value. The entertainment score reflected the degree to which viewers liked the advertisement. In contrast, the marketing score reflected the extent to which the ad influenced the viewers' perceptions of the advertised brand.


Key findings from the study revealed some advertisers, such as Pepsi with their Justin Timberlake ad, ranked high in entertainment score, but lower in marketing score. Alternatively, advertisers such as Coke with their Charlie Brown ad, ranked higher in marketing score, but lower in entertainment score. Graduate student Bryan Tabiadon indicated, "Viewers found the Pepsi ads to be entertaining, but when it came down to the ads ability to influence preference for a brand, more people preferred Coke!"


The survey methodology was created in collaboration with students and faculty from Northwestern University. The students are enrolled in the Master of Science in Information Technology program. Based in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, courses are taught by tenured faculty from the McCormick School and the Kellogg School of Management.


Additional details regarding the research can be found on the student website http://www.mimieo.com/.


Source: MIMIEO

CONTACT: Glenn Allison of MIMIEO, +1-847-456-8726,
glenn.allison@mimieo.com


Web site: http://www.mimieo.com/

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Dear Writers of Saturday Night Live

12 Feb 2008 18:35 Africa/Lagos


Dear Writers of Saturday Night Live

NEW YORK, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The following letter was sent to the Writers of Saturday Night Live:


Dear Writers of Saturday Night Live,


Congratulations on your victory! Saturday Night Live fans could not be happier, myself included, and we're all looking forward to new hilarious episodes.


After so many weeks off the job, Barc (www.getbarc.com) knows that many of you have given up shaving and grown a "strike beard." While we know the strike was a big pain, at Barc we believe shaving should be as painless as possible! Our products work especially well on men with sensitive skin!


That's why we are offering Saturday Night Live staff writers a free supply of Barc shaving cream plus a free shave.


Now you have even more reason to celebrate!

Yours truly,
Christopher Hayes
CEO, Barc

Source: Barc

CONTACT: Mara Siegler of Mark Allen & Company for Barc, +1-646-775-6325,
mara@markallenco.com


Web site: http://www.getbarc.com/

Monday, February 11, 2008

Amy Winehouse Wins 5 Grammys!



Amy Winehouse won 5 Grammys Sunday, but she was not there in person to receive them as she joined the 50th Grammy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles by satellite from London. She won the Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance for "Rehab," a track from Back to Black, which was named Best Pop Vocal Album and the Grammy for the Best New Artist.

Carrie Underwood said Amy Winehouse deserved the awards.

© Orikinla Osinachi, 2008.
Photo credit: Mishca Richter



See the news video below.

Monday, February 04, 2008

New Bond Girl Gemma Arterton is Still Paying Off



New James Bond star Gemma Arterton is struggling to pay off her student debts - despite looking set to earn millions from her latest role in the superspy franchise.
Continue reading....