And the celebrity connection doesn't hurt either, noted Tami Glenn, president of Hollywood International Placements . The value is in implied endorsements with famous people. Placement in films is a very inexpensive way of getting your product in the hands of famous people. AOL's Goldberg agreed that the value of having Hanks and Ryan associated with the company's services was important. But it's unlikely to be the last.
Online romance is in the air in Hollywood.
Sony Entertainment has created an online version of its popular TV show, The Dating Game , and Warner Bros. is similarly scanning its chat rooms for potential Love Connection contestants. The film is, in fact, a modernization of a 1940 Jimmy Stewart vehicle, The Shop Around the Corner . But it's hard to miss the irony of AOL, the largest Internet service in the world, acting as a benevolent, bridge-building force in a film that decries the effects of large franchises on small local businesses. Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved.