NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Possession’ takes early control at theaters

LOS ANGELES

The fright flick “The Possession” has scared up a No. 1 debut with $17.7 million from Friday to Sunday over the long Labor Day weekend.

The Lionsgate release led the last weekend of a fairly quiet season for Hollywood, with attendance down 4 percent from summer 2011, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

Opening in second-place with $9.7 million was the Weinstein Co. bootlegging drama “Lawless,” starring Shia LaBeouf.

“The Expendables 2” pulled in $8.8 million, falling to No. 3 after two weekends as the top draw at theaters.

Because of the holiday weekend, the list of the top-10 results from the box office will move today instead of Sunday.

Son says author Bach is improving

SEATTLE

Best-selling author Richard Bach remained in serious condition Sunday, recovering from injuries suffered when his small plane clipped power lines and crashed. But his son said he is making marked improvements.

Bach suffered a head injury and broken shoulder after his single-engine amphibious aircraft clipped power lines Friday about three miles west of Friday Harbor Airport in Washington state.

He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where a nursing supervisor on Sunday said Bach remained in serious condition.

Bach’s son, James Bach, said Sunday morning that his 76-year-old father hasn’t been able to say anything because he has a tube down his throat, but he is responding to doctors and people around him, and he has good cognitive function.

He said he didn’t know how long his father would remain in the hospital.

The elder Bach, an avid pilot, was flying alone on his way to visit a friend on San Juan Island when the plane went down Friday.

Spanish director wins YouTube online festival

VENICE, ITALY

Spanish filmmaker David Victori has won the inaugural edition of YouTube’s Your Film Festival for his short movie “The Guilt.”

The winner was announced Sunday on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival after selection by a jury that included director Ridley Scott and actor Michael Fassbender.

Victori, whose movie focuses on a man obsessed with revenge after his wife’s murder, will receive $500,000 for his next project, with Scott and Fassbender acting as executive producers — giving the filmmaker key insider guidance.

YouTube viewers chose the 10 finalists, who traveled to Venice for the final selection, after viewing the films on YouTube’s channel www.YouTube.com/yourfilmfestival.

Associated Press