The five Academy Award� Best Picture nominees this weekend received the traditional post-Oscar�-announcement boost in earnings. But only MOULIN ROUGE did so without the benefit of a wide theatrical release. Instead, consumer demand for the DVD and VHS of director Baz Luhrmann's acclaimed musical soared by an astronomical 1400 percent, based on retail orders. Actual sales to consumers nationwide marked a 160 percent uptick from the previous week and rentals increased more than 40 percent for the same time period. Supported by MOULIN ROUGE's Best Picture, Best Actress and six other Oscar nods, the film's widely-hailed two-disc DVD, which Luhrmann personally produced, soared off the shelves at retail outlets across the nation. MOULIN ROUGE's eight Academy Award nominations, announced last Tuesday, are the film's latest honors (including three Golden Globes, plus awards from the National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics, and Broadcast Film Critics), which have helped propel its spectacular performance in the home entertainment market. Released on December 18, 2001, the DVD and VHS of MOULIN ROUGE have generated more than $70 million in consumer spending in the U.S. alone. MOULIN ROUGE opened in theaters nationwide on June 1st, before rolling out internationally in the fall. The film thus far has grossed over $170 million worldwide.