UPDATE: Redbox To Unveil Streaming Plan As It Raises DVD Rentals To $1.20 A Night

UPDATE, 3 PM: CEO Paul Davis says the Redbox price increase to $1.20 a night followed “several months of testing” and was designed to keep prices “as low as possible for consumers” as operating costs rise. The company says that the “vast majority” of transactions at its kiosks involve debit cards affected by the Durbin Amendment, as opposed to credit cards. Customers will still be able to rent for $1 a night through November if they reserve a DVD online and then pick it up at a kiosk. He added that the company plans to unveil a digital streaming plan by year’s end, calling it “a top priority for the company.” Davis says Redbox has seen business increase from consumers who felt “disenfranchised” by Netflix’s 60% price hike for its combo DVD rental and streaming service, but he can’t say how many people defected. On the studio side, Davis says Paramount just extended its agreement to provide DVDs to Redbox the same day they’re available in stores through 2014. The studio will receive 100,000 shares of restricted stock in Coinstar, and can collect an additional 100,000 shares if it exercises its two options that each would extend the agreement by a year. Redbox’s day-and-date agreement with Sony runs through September 2012, and one with Lionsgate goes through August 2014. It has similar deals with Summit and Anchor Bay. Not for nothing, but from the pattern in Coinstar trading it sure looks as though word of potentially upsetting news leaked out about an hour before the market close: Coinstar had been up all day but dropped on heavy volume around 3 ET to close down 2.3% — strange behavior on a day when the markets were up. Here’s one other possibility: Perhaps a lot of people were impressed by the blog item that BTIG’s Rich Greenfield posted around 2:30 calling on Warner Bros to make Redbox wait 60 days for DVDs. PREVIOUS, 1:28 PM: The announcement seems to have thrown investors for a loop, even though parent company Coinstar reported 3Q earnings well above expectations. Coinstar shares are down 12% in initial after-hours trading. The company said it had net earnings of $37.1M, up 90.3% vs the same period last year, on revenues of $465.6M, up 22.5%. Earnings from continuing operations at $1.18 a share handily beat the 88 cents Wall Street expected. “Our Redbox business alone passed $1B in revenue year to date and became the leading renter of DVDs by staying focused on delivering great value and convenience to our consumers,” CEO Paul Davis said. Still, he says that the company will increase DVD rental prices beginning October 31, although Blu-ray discs will remain $1.50 a night and video games will stay at $2. This marks the first price increase for a Redbox standard-definition DVD rental in eight years,” Davis says. “The change is primarily due to the increase in operating expenses, including the recent increase in debit card interchange fees as a result of the Durbin Amendment. The amendment to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 enabled the Federal Reserve to regulate debit card interchange fees. Coinstar says it expects to end 2011 reporting as much as $1.835B in revenues, down from three months ago, when it said that it might hit $1.85B. But earnings per share could hit $3.25, up from the maximum of $3.15 it had forecast.

Disney better risk than U.S. Treasury

By at least one measure, the Mouse House is a better credit risk than Uncle Sam. That measure is the credit default swap (CDS) "spread" -- the fee changed by investors who agree to pay the face value of a loan instrument in the event of a default. If you want to protect yourself against the unlikely event of the U.S. Treasury going bust, it'll cost you more than the same protection against the apparently less likely demise of Walt Disney Co. According to Strategas Research Partners, in early October, 17 U.S. corporations had lower CDS spreads than the five-year U.S. Treasury note. The only entertainment name on the list: Walt Disney. The buyer of Disney default protection would pay the seller 48.2 basis points (0.482%) of the underlying value of the loan every year. Should Disney default over the typical five-year term of the CDS, the buyer of the protection would get the face value of the defaulted loan. It's called a "swap" because the seller of the protection gets the busted loan and hopes to collect on it eventually. Buyers of CDS protection on the five-year Treasury note would have to pony up 51.25 basis points. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Areas of 'The Avengers' Shot with an apple iphone

Should you thought film was dead, you are most likely right. Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey has accepted he shot a minimum of some servings of 'The Avengers' on his apple iphone. "The good thing about photography or cinema is you make every choice in line with the content at hands," he told The Irish Film and tv Network. "On 'The Avengers,' Used to do a few shots around the apple iphone plus they are within the movie. Actually, they're within the trailer! I realize that sometimes there's no choice and you've got to choose the least expensive option, but when you're limited for choice, you are able to still make poignant choices which will effect the feel of the film." Obviously, this boosts the question: what shots were done utilizing an apple iphone? Watch a clip below and then leave your very best guesses within the comments. [IFTN via Slashfilm] [Photo: Vital] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

'Flowers of War' Trailer: Christian Bale Protects Girls From Invading Japanese in 1937 China (Video)

The trailer for Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, hit the Internet on Thursday.our editor recommendsChristian Bale Goes to ChinaChristian Bale to Star in Zhang Yimou Film The movie, which will be China's submission for the best foreign-language film Academy Award, is adapted by screenwriter Liu Heng from Yan Geling's historical novel 13 Flowers of Nanjing. PHOTOS: Toronto Film Festival: 13 Films to Know Flowers of War is set in Nanking in 1937 as the Japanese Imperial Army overruns China's capital city. Bale plays John Haufman, an American missionary who helped protect a group of schoolgirls and prostitutes from the invading army. In the movie, Bale takes on the guide of a priest as he looks to escape the soldiers. The trailer features a lot of gunfire and action. FilmNation Entertainment, which is handling international sales, previewed footage during the recent Toronto International Film Festival, and several U.S. buyers are currently circling the project. STORY: Top U.S. Buyers Get First Glimpse of Christian Bale's 'The Flowers of War' The film, with dialogue in both Mandarin and English, will be released in China in December. No U.S. release date is set, although the Oscar nomination will spur interest. Related Topics International Asia Christian Bale Zhang Yimou

How Come MPTFs Ousted Dr. David Tillman Returning Using The Mystery?

MPTFs Acute Care Deal With Providence Health & Services Does not Happen EXCLUSIVE: More not so great within the Film And Tv Fund. Family individuals are furious the man they blame for playing the central role in trying to shut the Wasserman Campus healthcare facilities for acute care, Dr. David Tillman, is coming back using the mystery. Tillman was ousted as Leader and Boss in the MPTF’s Film Hospital in February 2010. However he's been hired with the Partners In Care Foundation their First Chief Medical Officer. And basically who's Chairman in the Board of Partners In Care? Why Seth Ellis, the MPTF’s V . p . and COO who was simply Tillman’s longtime second in command. It’s a textbook situation of cronyism: Tillman and Ellis turned up together at theMPTF in 2000, and both made bitter competitors of family individuals who fought against from the MPTF’s try to shut the acute care hospital and aided living facilities.At one pointMSNBC’s Keith Olbermann named Tillman the”World’s Worst” person because of the imminent closures. It’s broadly felt that whenever the MPTF Board subcommittee left Tillman, it absolutely was a preliminary step to bring the MPTF back together with the Hollywood community, and particularly family individuals who’ve been most vocal relating to this acute care problem. This really is seen just like a giant step backwards, especially because it spotlights the questionable dual role which Ellis plays through getting large jobs with each partner in Care as well as the MPTF. Richard Stellar, a wide open activist for your film industry’s elder rights as well as the boy from the former resident in the Film Home, notifies me this about Tillman’s return: “In my estimation this is often a blatant conflict of curiosity that when more connects Dr. Tillman with MPTF senior management. Has he ever really gone away, or were we just introduced to consider he'd?” Inside the Partners In Care news release announcing Tillman’s hire, Seth Ellis, the COO in the Film Home, heaps praise on Tillman. That’s like adding fuel for the fire that skyrocketed over Tillman’s MPTF tenure which has taken a minimum of annually to begin to extinguish: Getting Dr. Tillman arrive at this time around inside our evolution, signals the dynamic growth and expansion options Partners is certainly going through. Partners is poised to produce elevated expertise for the area, broaden our impact, and shape the way ahead for health care. Both Tillman and Ellis were the designers in the try to dismantle lengthy-term acute healthcare within the MPTF campus. According to savingthelivesofourown.org, “Tillman’s goal, working quietly beneath the surface with Seth Ellis, for virtually 10 years, wound up being to shut the Wasserman Campus healthcare facilities, making work at home community care the primary focus of MPTF healthcare services. Tillman who acquired $600,000 a yearat the MPTFwas pressed to exit because of the pr nightmare that ensued inside the try to shutter the acute care hospital and extended-term senior citizens care facilities. Within the job, Tillman is always to provide oversight for patients shifting from hospitals to community care services. Immediately, it calls into question if Ellis might have Tillman and Partners In Carehelp MPTF transition out its acute care facilities. Now you now request , when the bigwig Hollywood people in the MPTF Board understood about and approved of Ellis’ employing of Tillman.

Wiliam Rast-Sponsored IndyCar Driver Dan Wheldon Killed In Crash

First Published: October 17, 2011 11:04 AM EDT Credit: Getty Images Caption Dan Wheldon, driver of the #98 William Rast-Curb/Big Machine Dallara Honda gestures to photographers during the 95th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Trophy Presentation at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 30, 2011 LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Dan Wheldon, who moved to the United States from his native England with hopes of winning the Indianapolis 500 and went on to twice prevail at his sports most famed race, died Sunday after a massive, fiery wreck at the Las Vegas Indy 300. One of the most well-liked drivers in the paddock, Wheldon whose car was sponsored by Justin Timberlakes William Rast clothing line was 33. He called the Indy 500 the biggest sporting event in the world, and his second and final win there came in a most unexpected fashion. Trailing rookie JR Hildebrand with only one turn remaining, Wheldon was resigned to finishing second for the third straight year. Then Hildebrand brushed the wall just seconds away from what seemed like certain victory, giving Wheldon one of the luckiest breaks ever at the Brickyard. He crossed the line in front, making the final lap the only one he led in the entire race. Wheldon returned to the track the next morning for the traditional photo session with the winner, kissing the bricks as his 2-year-old son Sebastian sat on the asphalt alongside him, and his wife, Susie, held their then-2-month-old son Oliver. Thats Indianapolis, Wheldon said after this years Indy win. Thats why its the greatest spectacle in racing. You never know whats going to happen. Such was the case again Sunday at Las Vegas. Wheldon started last in the 34-car field and was up to 24th quickly, but still well behind the first wave of cars that got into trouble on the fateful lap. Still, he had no way to avoid the wrecks in front of him. There was no time to brake or steer out of trouble. His car sailed into the fence extending high over the track barrier, and about two hours later, his death was announced. Wheldon began driving go-karts as a 4-year-old, and racing was a constant in his life as he attended school in England as a child, winning eight British national titles along the way. He moved to the U.S. in 1999, trying to find sponsor money to fund his dream, and by 2002 - after stints in some lower-profile open-wheel series, such as the F2000 championship, Toyota Atlantic Series and IndyLights - he was on the IndyCar grid for the first time. Wheldon was a fast study. He got his first IndyCar Series ride in 2002, competing twice with Panther Racing, then replaced Michael Andretti when Andretti retired the next season and won Rookie of the Year. His first victory came the next season, in Japan, and he finished second in the championship standings behind Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan. The next year, he was the series champion. NASCAR teams talked to him about changing series. So did Formula One organizations. In the end, he decided IndyCar was his calling. The biggest thing for me is the Indianapolis 500, Wheldon said in 2005, not long after becoming the first Englishman since Graham Hill in 1966 to win the race. It would be really difficult to leave this series because of that race. A star was born at that 2005 Indy 500 - and it wasnt necessarily Wheldon, the winner. Danica Patrick was a rookie at Indy that year, and not only did she steal the show, she nearly took the biggest prize as well. Wheldon passed Patrick with less than 10 laps to go and held on for the victory, and that wasnt the last time those two would share a spotlight. At Milwaukee in 2007, Wheldon and Patrick brushed cars during the race, then brushed bodies on pit road after the race in a relatively heated exchange. He good-naturedly poked fun at what was fast known as Danicamania following the 2005 race, famously posing in a T-shirt afterward with the words Actually Won The Indy 500 emblazoned on the front. Wheldon got his share of fame as well after that 05 win, of course, throwing out the first pitch at a Yankees game and appearing on CBS Late Show with David Letterman. On Sunday, Patrick, making her last IndyCar start before moving to NASCAR, was clearly emotional after drivers were told of Wheldons death. Wheldon would have taken over for Patrick in IndyCar for the 2012 season. Andretti Autosport, the team with which Wheldon won the 2005 Indy 500, had agreed to a contract early Sunday for Wheldon to return to the team, and the actual deal was supposed to be signed after the race. Even with his resume - two Indy wins, 16 race victories on the circuit overall - Wheldon found it difficult just to stay in the series, at least in 2011. He finished among the top 10 in IndyCar points annually from 2004 through 2010, but Sunday was only Wheldons third start of the 2011 campaign. Lacking the financial backing to secure a full-time ride for himself this season, Wheldon kept busy by working as a commentator for some races and testing prototype cars that the IndyCar series will be using in the future. IndyCar will have new cars in 2012, much of the changes done with a nod to safety. It had been a passion of Wheldons in recent months, and he once quipped that he was a test dummy for the new cars by working with engineers as often as he was. We need to make sure that the product that the IndyCar Series puts out toward the end of this year, beginning of 2012, is something that primarily the fans get very excited about, but also the teams and drivers, Wheldon said this summer. And obviously we want to make sure that the product we put out is incredibly safe. Wheldon, his wife and their children lived in St. Petersburg, Fla., and he often said that he believed fatherhood made him a better driver. Wheldon said the 2011 Indy victory was a Cinderella story, and lauded his wife for helping him deal with all that came with not having a full-time driving gig this season. He did not personally need money - his winnings already ensured his family would be set for life, he said - but rather the lack of sponsorship funds is what kept him from regularly racing this year. At times, he said it was difficult, and Wheldon credited his wife for helping him through the emotional lows. Theres times where you do doubt yourself a little bit, Wheldon said after this years Indy win. Through all of this, shes been incredibly supportive and she understands that this is all Ive ever done. Racing is all Ive ever done. She knows that racing creates the personality in me that she loves. So she was desperate to get me back out the house and in a race car. Its good to deliver for her, my two boys, my family back home, too. Off the track, Wheldon had varied interests, some of which had almost nothing to do with his driving. He raised money for several charities, was a spokesman for the National Guard and its education-awareness programs, and most recently tried to raise money for Alzheimers research. His mother was diagnosed with an early onset form of that disease in 2009. He visited Lake Placid, N.Y., in 2010 for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Challenge, taking a run down the icy chute - and getting ejected from the back of a two-man sled in a crash. Wheldon was unhurt, and even hopped to his feet quickly, taking a bow. Us IndyCar drivers, we like to go fast, Wheldon said that day. Later that year, he released a photo book he called Lionheart, a coffee table book that he described as almost like a photo biography from my career in IndyCars up until this point. He spent years editing the book, which included dozens of photos of his life away from the track, including images from his wedding. I wanted it to have a lot of my input, Wheldon said last year. Obviously, its a reflection of me. He also wanted that book to provide his fans with a glimpse of his life that they would never have known otherwise. Theres a lot of my wedding in there, Wheldon said. I wanted there to be a lot of photos of my wife. She was the most beautiful bride on her wedding day the world had ever seen. Copyright 2011 by Associated Press and NBCUniversal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Gener8 Lands Financing For 3D Conversion

As the debate over the value of 3D goes on, conversion company Gener8 Digital Media received a stamp of approval today, announcing a $1.5 million round of financing. Its proprietary technology turns 2D film into 3D in postproduction. Post conversion is a process some have said produces inferior results to shooting in native 3D. Here’s the release: VANCOUVER – October 13, 2011 – Gener8 Digital Media Corp., a rapidly growing 3D production company, has raised $1.5M in private financing with investors Macquarie Private Wealth Inc., Haywood Securities Inc., Raymond James Ltd., and Leede Financial Markets. The funding will allow Gener8 to pursue new projects and will further development of the company’s proprietary 3D technology, which provides filmmakers with an entirely unique method for creating movies in stereoscopic 3D. Gener8 is the only company that creates a true 3D world in post-production. After geometrically recreating a 2D scene in 3D, Gener8 projects the film onto the 3D world, giving filmmakers ultimate control to adjust, enhance, and refine all aspects of the viewing experience. A cost-effective, high quality alternative to native 3D filming, this proprietary process is unlike any other 3D production method available to Hollywood today. Gener8 was founded in January by former Electronic Arts Canada and Radical Entertainment executives. “With our collective pedigree in film, 3D software, and video games, we approach 3D filmmaking in a unique way,” says Gener8′s CEO Rory Armes. “We’re excited to be working with investors who share our vision and look forward to their support and collaboration as Gener8 continues to grow.” As a west coast company with roots in Vancouver’s celebrated technology sector, Gener8′s services are convenient for Hollywood filmmakers and in some cases provide the benefit of Canadian tax incentives. Recent projects include the critically acclaimed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and the animated short film Luna. Gener8′s current focus is the upcoming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, for which they are handling the film’s 3D conversion in its entirety.

Matt's Self-help guide to Wednesday TV: An Excellent Dark evening for Guest Stars

T.R. Dark evening Say it ain't so, George. T.R. Dark evening, not such a long time ago the beatific Closest friend of all the Grey's Anatomy gals, is week's guest rapist on Law & Order: SVU? He can't accept it either, too as with this week's episode (NBC, 10/9c), which gives new cast people Kelli Giddish and Danny Pino utilizing their best showcase yet, Dark evening is totally convincing just like a family guy who never stops protesting his innocence, even though evidence is damning. Told that DNA doesn't lie, he sputters, "Neither am i going to!In . while he literally sweats out this ordeal. But remember that is SVU, recognized for the outlandish twist, when the DA declares, "You need to be kidding me!" inside a critical juncture, you question if she's ever seen this show. Bravo to Dark evening for his bravura work here. He's been missed. Another always welcome talent, Megan Mullally, takes a break from playing among Parks and Recreation's Tammys - and not the renowned one any more - to appear on ABC's Happy Being (9:31/8:31c) as Penny's perky mother Dana, a nomadic cabaret singer so upbeat "she even makes Columbus Day appear awesome." She's a delight, even though episode strains for laughs even as part of your before, with running gags about couples improv (never funny even when they think of it as to be unfunny) and fake tour-guiding, among other dead-finish subplots too silly being amusing. However, if Mullally and Casey Wilson perform together, sooner or later singing their feelings so that they will not confront more uncomfortable details, they can make you believe happy being are possible. Want more fall TV news? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now! Other site visitors of note: The Practice's Emmy-winning Camryn Manheim returns to David E. Kelley territory just like a DA on NBC's Harry's Law (9/8c). She squares off against Kathy Bates' Harry inside the topical situation from the teenage "snark full" cyberbully charged with negligent homicide when among her targets, a closeted lesbian, commits suicide. ... Inside the reality circus arena, the Kardashian brothers and sisters (Kim, Khloe, Kourtney) attend a runway challenge marketing their fashion line round the CW's America's Next Top Model All-Stars (9/8c). Then things get ghoulish since the models pose as various incarnations of Michael Jackson for just about any photo shoot, beneath the supervision of shame-free guest judge LaToya Jackson. Really the only factor on tv tonight that might be creepier can be a new "Home Invasion" episode of FX's nutsy-cuckoo American Horror Story (10/9c), which finds Vivien and Crimson in danger when left alone, as Ben goes back to Boston to handle some uncomfortable personal business. ... An infinitely more unnerving evil reaches be employed in the next episode of BBC America's unhinged Luther (9/8c), where a new menace is terrorizing London, his actions determined having a gamble. Luther is about the problem, though distracted with the thugs that are threatening youthful Jenny and possess the copper "around the barrel," doing their investing in an offer at the risk of his job and also the colleagues' trust. How fitting the 2nd-season premiere of Bravo's stimulating reality competition Factor of beauty: The Next Great Artist (9/8c) challenges the eclectic new cast - including one which passes the title "The Sucklord" - to alter items of cringeworthy kitsch into gallery-ready art. Not unlike how Factor of beauty itself handles to boost this frequently schlocky genre into an entertaining celebration of the whole process of creation, having a couple of startling and visionary (and every once in awhile disturbing) pieces produced under intense pressure. While you contestant memorably puts it: "I have not been this nervous since i have have examined for STD's." Expect when eventually eventually ends up around the canvas eventually. Just what else is on? ... Fox's The X Factor (8/7c) gets into the "judges' houses" a part of your competitors, while using top 32 functions now split in four groups, each designated to a different judge/mentor. This twist has motivated Fox to develop tonight's and many types of successive episodes in this round to two several hours. ... I am unable to promise this week's episode of ABC's The Middle (8/7c) will probably be on componen while using last amusing outing - through which Frankie's terrible encounter with Axl's clipped toenails sent her crying on her behalf own mother. But Poor Sue Heck (the brilliant Eden Sher) is trying out for cheerleading, which we can not suppose ending well. ... Round the enjoyable demonstrate that follows, Suburgatory (8:30/7:30c), Tessa's father George joins the PTA, rendering him a lot a lot more like catnip for the school's mother brigade. ... Profiling Britain's favorite sister act, E!'s THS: Kate and Pippa (10/9c) compares the lives in the commoner whose royal wedding transfixed the nation taken, and her youthful spitfire from the sister. Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Kirsten Dunst on Lars Von Triergate: 'I Was the Only One... to Get Him to Stop'

“Well yeah, you could see my face. I was choking, because I’m watching a friend having a meltdown. And what he’s saying is horrendous in a roomful of press. He was asked an inappropriate question [about his family] and his response was to make a joke about it. But no one laughed and he just kept unravelling.” Kirsten Dunst told her side of the Lars von Trier Cannes controversy to The Guardian recently, wondering why none of her fellow Melancholia co-stars stepped in to stop their director from shoving his foot squarely into his own mouth. “That’s what I don’t understand,” Dunst continued to The Guardian. “There were a lot of us sitting there. There was Stellan [Skarsgrd], John [Hurt], Charlotte [Gainsbourg]. And no one said something. No one wanted to help. I was the only one to lean in to Lars and get him to stop.” Granted, the look on Dunst’s face was a comic highlight of the proceedings last May, when von Trier made one of the most poorly-conceived jokes ever spoken at a press junket. (The upside: It yielded months and months of amusing press coverage!) Before I send you to the full Guardian interview for more of Dunsts’s musings, there’s also this gem of a quote from Dunst on Melancholia co-star Charlotte Gainsbourg and her other von Trier movie Antichrist, which perhaps unintentionally leads to quite a vivid mental picture: “That kind of film is harder for someone like me to get away with. I’m more in the public eye than Charlotte.” She pauses to reconsider. “It’s something about Charlotte’s body, too. You couldn’t have someone like me, with big breasts, in that film. Charlotte’s thin and her breasts are small and that’s easier to watch somehow. For someone like me to do that film — it would almost be ridiculously shocking.” And thus, Kirsten Dunst breaks her silence over the Nazi kerfuffle with boobs. A master of deflection, this one. I think this calls for an Antichrist-Melancholia double feature! For research purposes, of course. Kirsten Dunst: after the apocalypse [The Guardian]

Universal's '2 Guns' loading Kormakur, Wahlberg

KormakurWahlbergUniversal must like what it sees in its upcoming thriller "Contraband," as the studio is in negotiations to reteam helmer Baltasar Kormakur with the pic's star Mark Wahlberg on the action pic "2 Guns."Pic follows a DEA agent and an undercover naval intelligence officer who unwittingly investigate each other as each steals mob money.David O. Russell rewrote a script penned by Blake Masters, who adapted Steven Grant's graphic novel.Marc Platt is producing with Boom!'s Andrew Cosby and Ross Richie.The first trailer for "Contraband," set for a Jan. 13 bow, was just released and has generated good buzz in the blogosphere.Decision to lock down another pic for Kormakur now makes sense, given that his rising profile. Besides "2 Guns," Kormakur had been eyeing the U/Working Title pic "Everest" and is also in line to direct the epic "Viking" for Working Title."Contraband" also stars Kate Beckinsale and Giovanni Ribisi.Kormakur is repped by WME and Nelson Davis Wetzstein. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

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