Movie magnate Harvey Weinstein is known for being a nice guy, as long as you are not one of his competitors, or someone forced to sit next to him on an airplane.
In 1999, Weinstein invoked the secret laws of mogul-dom by refusing to put out his cigar on a British Airways flight, then skipping his court appearance on the resulting summons.
So, like we said, nice guy. But Weinstein, having quit smoking a year ago, is now determined to make up for the untold numbers of gruesome deaths his secondhand smoke caused over the years. Last week, he announced that his film company would start placing antismoking ads in the previews of DVDs that feature smoking in them (the cool ones).
That means that the next time you sit down with some popcorn, a few guns, and some heroin to watch Pulp Fiction, you will first be subjected to a TRUTH-style ad about how Uma Thurman is killing herself slowly with every drag she took in the movie, no matter how sexy she may have looked.
The first ads will be placed on the upcoming DVD release of Clerks 2. Perhaps it can save a life, if someone decides to see it.
The value of Weinstein's move comes down to a utilitarian question: Which is worse, a lung cancer epidemic or more previews on DVDs?
Weinstein has done some good for his image, and maybe for public health. But we really just want to see the movie already.
PR Play Rating:
1. Clueless
2. Ill-advised
3. On The Right Track
4. Savvy
5. Ingenious
