CHRIS ROCK, HOLD THAT VOICE. LIL' PENNY MOVIE IN THE WORKS?

     The role of motion pictures as advertising vehicles is
examined by Luisa Kroll in FORBES under the header, "Whether in a
movie house, in print or on the boob tube, it's getting harder to
know where the story ends and the product pitch begins."  It used
to be where Hollywood "delivered" entertainment and Madison
Avenue "sold" products.  Now movies are "packed with none-so-
subtle" product pitches and commercials have "become
entertainment," pitching products by "indirection."  Kroll notes
Warner Bros.' upcoming "Space Jam" is a movie based on
commercials starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny.  Space Jam is
even directed by commercial director Joe Pytka.  According to
Kroll, like the  ads, "the real point of the movie is to sell,
sell, sell."  Warner Bros. is "looking to hawk" up to $1B in
toys, clothing books and sports gear based on the film.  Kroll
also writes a movie based on Nike's Lil' Penny is reportedly
being bid on by "several" studios (FORBES, 11/4 issue).