By MCN Editor editor@moviecitynews.com

Sheetz Plays Key Role in Selling Naming Rights for Hometown Altoona as Part of Major Motion Picture Release

Posted Thursday, April 14th, 2011 - Comments Off on Sheetz Plays Key Role in Selling Naming Rights for Hometown Altoona as Part of Major Motion Picture Release
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Convenience Retailer to Host Movie Screening for Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, Sony Pictures Classics, Movie Sponsors and Employees

ALTOONA, Pa., April 14, 2011 — Sheetz is helping change the name of its birthplace to the title of a new documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock.  The director of “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” purchased the naming rights for Altoona, PA – the hometown of Sheetz.

The city officially will change its name during a proclamation ceremony on Wednesday, April 27 and will keep the name for a period of 60 days.  Sheetz and Spurlock last night lobbied the city with a resolution that was unanimously approved by Altoona City Council. Sheetz will also host a red carpet event and screening of the film along with Altoona city officials after the proclamation.  All money used to purchase the naming rights will be used to support the City of Altoona Police Department.

The movie takes a satirical look at the world of advertising and product placement in the film industry, while being entirely funded by product placement and advertising.  As a top sponsor of the film, Sheetz and its executives have had tongues firmly planted in cheek the whole way through this experience.

“We didn’t really know quite what to expect when we first started this thing. We took a chance getting involved in this project,” says Stan Sheetz, president and CEO, Sheetz, Inc., “We could look like total idiots or complete geniuses when it’s all said and done… so far it’s working out in our favor.”

The film shows that companies pay millions of dollars to have their goods strategically placed in movies.  If the price is right, just about everything can be sold, including a small town in Central Pennsylvania.

“Practically everything in America is for sale these days,” quips Altoona mayor Bob Schirf.  “Sporting events, stadium names, they all have a price tag, so we thought, ‘why wouldn’t we market our town the same way?’  It’s all in good fun.”

“POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” is set to be released in theaters April 22.

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
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