Commercial Alert criticizes movie-length ad targeted at kids

[Gary Ruskin]

Commercial Alert			May 7, 2001

Following is Commercial Alert's statement about FOODFIGHT!, a
movie-length ad targeted at children.
	
NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:		For More Information Contact:
Monday, May 7, 2001		Gary Ruskin (503) 295-6916

Commercial Alert Criticizes Movie-Length Ad Targeted at Kids

Commercial Alert gives "two thumbs down" to FOODFIGHT!, a movie-length
commercial for children, packed with branded products and characters,
including Twinkie the Kid, Wonderbread, Coke, Spam, M&M's, Skittles, Mr.
Pringle, Tootsie Pops, Mrs. Butterworth and Duncan Hines.  "FOODFIGHT!
isn't a movie – it's an ad," said Gary Ruskin, executive director of
Commercial Alert.

Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL), which is producing FOODFIGHT!,
boasts that it "incorporates thousands of products and character icons
from the familiar packages of products in a grocery store." 

"If you want your kids to nag you and throw tantrums for products, this
is the movie for you," Ruskin said. "But we suspect most parents will
think twice before spending their hard-earned money to have their
children bombarded with two hours of ads."

"FOODFIGHT! is a sick and pathetic effort to take advantage of young
children for monetary gain," Ruskin said. "It raises the commercial
assault on children to a new level of brazenness. Some people will stoop
to any level to make a buck, and sadly, FOODFIGHT! is an example."

"FOODFIGHT! looks like a two-hour parade of junk food at a time when we
have skyrocketing levels of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes,"
Ruskin said.

Commercial Alert and its international network of activists will
undertake a multifaceted effort against FOODFIGHT!  While FOODFIGHT! is
in production, Commercial Alert will (1) urge parents not to take their
children to see it, (2) alert movie reviewers that this so-called
"movie" is an advertisement and should be regarded as such, (3) ask
movie theater owners to play something else instead, and (4) ask
newspapers to list it under the category "advertisements" and not
"movies" or "films" or "cinema."

Threshold promises that FOODFIGHT! will be part of a sophisticated
marketing effort at children. "This intellectual property marks the
culmination of all we've been working towards; a huge film, web site,
animation, toys-all financed and produced by TDRL and our worldwide
partners," said Threshold chairman and CEO, Larry Kasanoff.
			
"If a movie-length ad is the culmination of Threshold's efforts, then it
shows just how low the movie industry has sunk," Ruskin said. "What
happened to the days when movies were art, not endless ads for Coke,
Twinkies and Spam?"

Threshold CEO Kasanoff is the producer of the Mortal Kombat franchise. 
"FOODFIGHT! is produced by the same corporate predators who brought your
kids the gratuitous violence of Mortal Kombat," Ruskin said.

Ralph Nader founded Commercial Alert in 1998 to keep the commercial
culture within its proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting
children and subverting the higher values of family, community,
environmental integrity and democracy.  

Commercial Alert's website is at <http://www.commercialalert.org>.

-30-
<------Commercial Alert release ends here------>
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
Please pass this email along to family, friends and colleagues who have
children.

BACKGROUND:
Following is Threshold's April 30 news release.

International Consumer Packaged Goods Sign on To Globally Produced
Digitally Animated Feature Film, 'FOODFIGHT!'; Threshold Digital
Research Labs Announces Participation Of Worldwide Brands, Animators and
Suppliers For Groundbreaking Supermarket Epic 

Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL), a subsidiary of intellectual
property management and multimedia giant Threshold Entertainment, today
announced the exclusive participation of the world's biggest consumer
brands in "FOODFIGHT!," the most complex digitally animated feature film
ever attempted.  The revolutionary project presents hundreds of
different sets and incorporates thousands of products and character
icons from the familiar packages of products in a grocery store. The
project brings together worldwide animators and suppliers and countless
international companies in a unique and unparalleled venture resulting
in a groundbreaking intellectual property of global scope and
magnitude.  

In an unprecedented move for any feature film, "FOODFIGHT!" has secured
the exclusive rights to use products and character icons in the film
from virtually all of the biggest consumer products companies in the
world including: 

-- Proctor & Gamble (Mr. Clean, Mr. Pringle)  
-- Interstate Food Brands (Dolly Madison, Twinkie the Kid, Wonderbread)  
-- Pepsi/Frito Lay (Chester Cheetah)  
-- Coca Cola Company (Coke)  
-- International Foods (Chefboyardee)  
-- Hormel (Hormel Chili, Dinty Moore, Spam, Lumberjack)  
-- MBW Foods/Aurora Foods (Mrs. Butterworth, Duncan Hines, Log Cabin)  
-- Starkist/Heinz (Charlie the Tuna)  
-- Post Cereals (Sugar Crisp, Alphabits, Raisin Bran)  
-- Lipton Foods (Imperial Margerine, Ragu, Cup-A-Soup, Lipton Tea Man,
Wishbone)  
-- Kal Kan (Pedigree, Whiskas)  
-- M&M Mars (M&Ms, Skittles)  
-- Uncle Ben's (Uncle Ben)  
-- Triarc Beverages (Snapple, RC Cola)  
-- Motts USA (Motts Applesauce)  
-- Tootsie Roll (Tootsie Roll Owl, Tootsie Pops) 

Products and brands specific to various countries will be alternated in
order to customize the film for a worldwide audience.  Deals for toys,
games, video games and merchandise are in the works. "FOODFIGHT!" shows
us what really happens in the supermarket at night when the lights go
out and all the people leave.  Product icons come alive in a "wild city"
and head towards the hottest club in town, the Copabanana.  All's well
until Brand X moves into town.  The film follows the epic adventures of
hundreds of internationally branded characters from the familiar
packages of products including Mr. Clean, Twinkie the Kid, Charlie the
Tuna, Mrs. Butterworth and new characters like Dex Detective from
Cinnamon Sleuth Cereal and Daredevil Dan as they battle the evil Brand X
for control of the store.  

Threshold chairman and CEO, Larry Kasanoff announced the production,
adding, "This intellectual property marks the culmination of all we've
been working towards; a huge film, web site, animation, toys-all
financed and produced by TDRL and our worldwide partners.  This is the
first movie made by a worldwide team, for a worldwide audience and
customized for each country."
  
Threshold has raised equity financing for the $50 million CG movie with
an infusion of investment capital from Korean animation company Natural
Image. TDRL is heading up the 3D digital production from its Los Angeles
headquarters using its global network of animators.  Other animators
from numerous countries are linked to this network.  This worldwide
virtual studio enables TDRL to erase the vast distances that once
separated Hollywood from amazing talent around the globe and cuts costs
at the same time.  The deal further positions TDRL as a premiere
worldwide animation studio.
  
In another unprecedented move by any production company or studio,
Threshold has also started production of a 3D animated prequel series,
"FOODFIGHT!: THE ADVENTURES OF DEX DETECTIVE."  The 22 webisodes will
run online approximately eight months prior to the film's release.  
         
The Lawrence Kasanoff/Threshold Digital Research Labs production in
association with Natural Image will be executive produced by Joshua
Wexler and George Johnsen, co-executive produced by Daniel Suh and
Gregory Cascante, produced Larry Kasanoff and Alison Savitch, directed
by Kasanoff and written by Brent V. Friedman and Rebecca Swanson from a
story by Kasanoff and Wexler. Jim George is the Animation Director on
the project.  
         
Natural Image is backed by Korean companies Filmtree, Hahnshin
Corporation, Bixel Media and Colorbank.  Peter Choi, head of Koran
public animation company Hahnshin, is President of Natural Image. "This
is the most complex digitally animated film ever undertaken, with
thousands of different characters and hundreds of sets.  We've searched
the world for the best talent and have found extraordinary 3D animation
talent in a number of different countries," continued Kasanoff.
  
The production of "FOODFIGHT!" also comes with the participation of top
technology firms worldwide.  The IBM Corporation's Intellistation
division is supplying Z Pro workstations for the creation of
groundbreaking animation. Done in full digital 3D, the animation will be
the next step in the marriage of computer and the animation arts.  IBM
will also supply new generation scalable rendering hardware -- the key
technology that makes a feature film of this scope possible.  Rendering
will be facilitated through a combination of IBM's high capacity
Netfinity(R) 4000R server line and the Intellistation Z Pro and M Pro
products.  Over 200 workstations will be deployed for the project.  TDRL
will use its partnership with Sprint to provide access to its remote
artists on its worldwide network using a suite of communications tools. 

Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL) is a groundbreaking digital asset
production studio that produces 100% digital visual effects and
animation for all forms of media including movies, TV and websites.  The
company has created and produced digital visual effects for movies such
as "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer," "The Faculty," and "Dogma;"
for TV commercials such as "Korbel Champagne;" and for TV series like
"Mortal Kombat: Conquest."  

Threshold Entertainment is the leading innovator in Intellectual
Property Management specializing in Digital Media and representing some
of the best-known entertainment properties in the world.  The company
develops brands for production and publication in film and television
and on the Internet, retaining ownership of the digital assets.  

Larry Kasanoff is chairman and CEO of Threshold Entertainment and
producer of the $5 billion Mortal Kombat franchise.  Formerly president
and co-founder with James Cameron of Lightstorm Entertainment, he
supervised production of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and executive
produced "True Lies."  

Alison Savitch, President of TDRL, is one of the best visual effects
supervisors in the motion picture industry.  Her credits include
"Terminator 2," "Dracula," "The Shadow" and "The Last Action Hero." 
Savitch is Associate Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor for the
movie "Mortal Kombat," and Executive Producer of Threshold's feature
films "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" and "Beowulf."  Her skill at
combining technology with entertainment, as evidenced in Threshold's
cutting edge animated video "Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins," is
virtually unparalleled. 

Press information: Hanna Schmieder, 310-452-8899.

<------Threshold release ends here-----> 

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-- 
Gary Ruskin | gary@essential.org
Commercial Alert | Congressional Accountability Project
http://www.commercialalert.org | http://www.congressproject.org
phone: 202.296.2787 or 503.295.6916