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Coinstar Inc., the electronic kiosk company, raised its full-year outlook on Thursday after posting a big jump in sales at its DVD rental unit Redbox, sending its shares up more than 10 percent after the market’s close.
The Bellevue, Wash., company, which has courted controversy with Hollywood for Redbox’s $1 a night DVDs, said revenue at the unit rose 54 percent. Get the full story »
The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 used in the Goldfinger and Thunderball films is displayed prior to being featured in the "Automobiles of London" rare car auction in Battersea Park in London. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
For the discerning driver, it’s got an ejector seat, machine guns, and a world-class pedigree. Problem is, it’s going to cost a truckload of dough.
One of the world’s most famous James Bond cars — the specially-equipped Aston Martin first driven by Sean Connery in “Goldfinger” — will be auctioned in London on Wednesday evening, and it’s likely to fetch one of the highest prices ever paid for an automobile.
The unique car, which also has rotating license plates and other spy gear, is expected to go for more than 3.5 million pounds ($5.5 million).
The silver Aston Martin DB5 coupe was used by Connery to elude various villains in both “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball” — generally regarded as early classics in Hollywood’s longest running and most successful film franchise. Get the full story »
Todd Ricketts (Jose M. Osorio/Tribune)
By Phil Rosenthal | Todd Ricketts apparently got himself fired from a Chicago Cubs maintenance job when he attempted to secretly work for the ballclub his family owns for the CBS show “Undercover Boss.”
CBS, which announced Monday that it plans to air the Ricketts episode Nov. 7, said he fights for the chance to redeem himself after getting canned on his second day on the job.
Netflix Inc. on Wednesday said its third-quarter net income grew as the online movie rental company continued to attract subscribers, particularly to its Internet streaming service.
The company also raised its subscriber growth forecast for the current quarter, sending shares higher in after-hours trading.
A large group of Blockbuster Inc. shareholders is seeking a better offer for the bankrupt movie rental chain than the deal that would put billionaire Carl Icahn and a group of hedge funds in control.
Shareholder Greg Maggipinto said he and other investors who own up to 40 percent of the stock think Icahn’s deal, which would wipe out his holdings, undervalues the company. Get the full story »
Killer jellyfish, ghost towns and a cartoon weathergirl will be among the stars of a new 3-D television network under development by Discovery Communications Inc., Sony Corp. and Imax Corp., the companies said Monday. Get the full story »
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Oakbrook Terrace-based Redbox is adding video games to its $1 a night DVD-rental kiosks in Chicago this month as part of an expanded video game test pilot.
Kiosks will be stocked with games for Wii, Playstation and Xbox 360, the company said, in select markets in the West, Midwest and Atlantic coast regions and are available for $2 per night.
Get the full story »
Warner Bros. Pictures has canceled its planned 3-D release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I,” saying it’s run out of time to do the job right.
Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution at the studio, a unit of Time Warner Inc., told Dow Jones that it ran out of time to deliver the quality 2-D to 3-D conversion that “Harry Potter deserves.” The film was scheduled for release Nov. 19 in digital 3-D and Imax 3-D. Get the full story »
Pow! Wap! Goal!
The National Hockey League is teaming up with Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men and other iconic comic book heroes, to create a series of superheroes representing each of the 30 league cities and incorporating hockey elements as a way to market the sport. Get the full story »
Larry Hagman, the actor who played the villainous J.R. Ewing in 1980s TV show “Dallas,” became a victim of fraud and misconduct at the hands of Citigroup Inc., a FINRA arbitration panel ruled this week.
The total award includes $10 million in punitive damages that Citi must pay to charities selected by Hagman, $1.1 million in compensatory damages and nearly $440,000 in legal fees. Get the full story »
Tower Ticker | Glenn Beck plans to play the Chicago Theatre this spring on the eve of the deadline to file state and federal income tax returns.
By Chris Jones | A group of investors have purchased the Mercury Theatre at 3745 N. Southport Ave., and plan to reopen it for live entertainment. The theater has been closed since its owner suffered a serious stroke in January.
Toshiba Corp. believes it has a solution for television viewers who like 3-D but hate the glasses. The Tokyo-based company on Monday unveiled the world’s first high definition liquid crystal display 3-D television that does not require special glasses — one of the biggest consumer complaints about the technology.
Dish Network Corp. said on Friday that News Corp.’s Fox Networks has demanded a higher transmission fee and blocked its access to 19 regional sports networks and other programing.
Dish Network, the No. 2 U.S. satellite operator, said Fox was demanding a new contract with an “unprecedented rate increase of more than 50 percent.” Get the full story »
From The New York Times | Jeff Zucker, the chief executive of NBC Universal, announced Friday that he plans to leave the network after Comcast’s deal to take over NBC is complete.
