The Santa Monica film and TV studio, producer of the Tyler Perry movies and 'Mad Men' TV series, reported net income of $31.7 million for the quarter ending Sept. 30, compared with a net loss of $51.8 million for the same period in 2008. Total revenue for the company increased 3 percent to $393.7 million. It was the second consecutive quarter of financial recovery for Lions Gate, following a net loss last year from the poor performance of the studio's movies and a charge taken for distribution of certain DVD titles. In the most recent quarter, Lions Gate said that motion picture revenue fell 11 percent to $277.1 million as the result of releasing only two films -- 'Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself' and 'Gamer' -- in the period compared with four in the year-ago period. Having fewer releases, however, helped the studio lower marketing costs by 66 percent. Television production revenue jumped 30 percent to $88.9 million, thanks to new episodes from TV series 'Weeds,' 'Mad Men' and 'Crash,' along with much higher contributions from international TV sales and its Debmar-Mercury syndication unit. Home entertainment revenue was a drag on the company, plunging 25 percent. Lions Gate blamed the decline on the weak box-office performances behind its new DVD releases, including 'Crank: High Voltage' and 'The Haunting in Connecticut.' The weak results in movies and home entertainment, however, were offset by strong contributions from television and investments in TV Guide Network and TVguide.com. Jon Feltheimer, chief executive of Lions Gate, said the company is on track to 'meet our financial targets for the year.' Although the studio's sixth installment of its 'Saw' movie series was not released in the quarter, it was a box-office miss and is sure to ding Lions Gate's next quarterly results. However, the company's latest big-screen release, 'Precious,' a drama about the brutal home life of a teenage girl from Harlem, could be a positive contributor. The film grossed $1.8 million in its debut this past weekend in 18 theaters and is being positioned as strong contender in the coming awards season. Wanting to capitalize on the film's strong word of mouth, Lions Gate plans to expand into more theaters beginning Friday and throughout November. If the movie, based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire, continues to draw audiences, Lions Gate could make a nice profit given that it paid a relatively modest $5.5 million for worldwide rights to the picture. In after-hours trading following the release of its earnings, Lions Gate stock rose nearly 6 percent to $5.71. 