FOUND BY AUDIENCES 'LOST IN TRANSLATION' GETS LIFT FROM BEST-PICTURE NOMINATION.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

The ads say, ``Watch it in theaters; own it on DVD today.''

This week's home video release of Oscar-nominated ``Lost In Translation'' comes after the critically acclaimed film surged by 196.5 percent at the box office last weekend with $2.1 million in ticket sales. Meanwhile, ``Translation'' is already the top-selling DVD title on Amazon.com, according to the online retailer's sales charts Wednesday.

Distributor Focus Features claims to be thrilled with this unusual overlap of home video release and theatrical run for a film that earned four Academy Award nominations. It is up for best picture and best actor (Bill Murray) while Sofia Coppola has earned directing and screenwriting nods.

``I prefer people see it in the theaters, then get a DVD,'' Coppola said amid a crush of well-wishers Tuesday night at the DVD premiere party held at Koi Restaurant in Los Angeles.

``Translation'' bowed in theaters back in September and was not expected to still be much of a force at the box office. But several Golden Globe Award wins in January and four Oscar nominations last week led to Focus upping the films' screen count to 632 locations.

``This is a truly new territory for all of us, and it's a very bold move,'' said James Schamus, co-president of Focus Films. ``It's working out exactly as we had hoped. With the Oscar nominations, people want to see this movie in theaters and at the same time, now is the perfect time for people who want to own it, to have it.''

While Schamus said the overlap is part of a planned strategy, some wonder if the studio may be wishing privately that the Universal Studios Home Video release had been set for after the Feb. 29 Academy Awards.

``Nobody wants to be stepping on a theatrical window,'' said Kurt Indivk, editor-in-chief of Video Store, a trade publication. ``You have to let a film have its day.''

Anthony Kusich, a box office analyst with ReelSource.com, said the movie still has plenty of box office traction.

``It would probably help them if they held it off for a month or so because there is still interest and a certain group of people who won't see a movie unless it gets an Oscar nomination,'' Kusich said. ``Since it was the smallest of the (best picture) nominees, now is the time when a lot of people would be seeing it.''

Such an overlap is not unprecedented. A year ago, the home video release of the romantic comedy ``My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' came as that sleeper hit was still playing strong in 1,000-plus theaters after an unheard-of eight months.

``Greek,'' which had benefited from repeat customers, was an instant smash on DVD and VHS as fans of the film began doing their repeat viewings at home. Within weeks, the film went from 15th place to virtually out of theaters.

```Greek Wedding' was one of those freak films that kept playing and doing extremely well and playing for months and months,'' Indivk said. ``They set these street dates quite a ways back.''

While ``Greek'' wrapped with a domestic gross of more than $200 million, ``Translation'' may have a better chance at box office survival until the Oscars because it has been largely unseen by the masses, grossing a modest $37.4 million to date.

Greg Hernandez, [phone]

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com

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4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Bill Murray plays a has-been actor who visits Tokyo to do a commercial.

(2) In ``Lost in Translation,'' Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson portray two improbable travel companions visiting Japan.

(3 -- 4 -- color) ``Lost in Translation,'' starring Matthew Minami, left, and Bill Murray, has become a top-selling DVD while still running in theaters. Sofia Coppola, right, said she would like fans to see her film first in theaters and then buy the home video.

Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage