STATUE OR NOT, OSCAR BRINGS BIG REWARDS.

Byline: Russ Britt Daily News Staff Writer

And the winner is . . . any movie nominated for an Oscar.

A slate of nominations are breathing new life into such films as Paramount Pictures' "Braveheart," prompting a re-release of the 9-month-old film and heating up a campaign for its pending video. Meanwhile, others such as the makers of "Leaving Las Vegas" are left to wonder what might have been if their film had received the best picture nomination that critics expected.

Dan Marks, senior vice president at Entertainment Data Inc. in Los Angeles, said every nominated film benefits, and best picture winners go on to even greater success.

"On average, the best picture nomination that wins will get an extra $30 million from when it gets nominated to the end of its run," Marks said. "Even losers pick up an extra $6 million."

Announcements of Academy Award nominations come at a time when Hollywood can either squeeze a little more money from the box office for movies released early the previous year, or pour on the publicity for those put out later.

"Braveheart," which got more nominations than any other film with 10 on Tuesday, will be re-released for the third time in 800 theaters Friday. A 13th-century Scottish epic that stars Mel Gibson, "Braveheart" failed to break even in domestic box-office returns and already has been released and removed from circulation twice since it hit theaters in May.

After its third theatrical release, "Braveheart" then will head for video stores March 12 in what Paramount officials hope will be a lucrative rental. The video will be available as the envelopes are opened March 25.

"We believe it's ideally timed," said Nina Stern, vice president of publicity for Paramount Home Video. "We're going to do whatever we can to maximize the benefit of these nominations."

Many observers expected MGM/UA's "Leaving Las Vegas" to capture a best picture nomination, but it did not. The film still had nominees in all other major categories, including acting, directing and writing.

For that reason, the film's distributors plan few major changes in its release schedule, which hit its widest audience yet by going to 1,310 screens nationwide last weekend. MGM officials said it is unlikely there will be a wider release because the film, a dark examination of the last days of an alcoholic screenwriter, is not expected to win wide audience acceptance.

"The marketplace has to be prepared for a movie like this," said one source. "It'll never be a 3,000-screen release."

Some of the gains won by filmmakers, however, will be offset by their Oscar campaigns, which include ads in trade magazines and packets that feature videocassettes of the prospective nominees.

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