FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Arthur Taussig, 949-645-3825, [log in to unmask] FILMVALUES.COM ANNOUNCES TOP TEN FAMILY-FRIENDLY FILMS FOR 2000 Costa Mesa, CA - Congratulations to all the studios, directors, writers, producers and the hundreds of others who this year made the best family-friendly films. Below is a list of the winners: the Top 10 Family-Friendly Films from America's fastest growing parenting website www.FilmValues.com. "Picking ten films was tough," says Taussig the driving force behind FilmValues.com,. "Unlike what most film critics say about Hollywood, there were a large number of films with good messages for children. Of course, these often have to be weighed against bad messages. The films were selected by balancing the good and the bad, the overall entertainment value, and the breadth of the age group that could watch the films. While we consider artistic merit, it is not of prime importance." The pickings were so good, in fact, that Taussig has posted a Top 20 list on his website, www.FilmValues.com. Rest assured that Dr. Taussig has identified the messages these films send to children, despite the rather eclectic nature of the list. Dr. H. Arthur Taussig, Ph.D., invites parents to read the complete reviews on his website. "I realize parents are busy," he says, "so the reviews are short and easy to read, with lots of the information about sexuality, violence, language, blood, etc., in easy-to-read tables." On his popular (over 2 million visits), multiple award winning website, www.FilmValues.com, Taussig offers almost 1000 evaluations of current and classic films appearing on the big screen, network TV, cable, and video rental. The reviews are without political, religious or social bias. With this information parents can now make sensible decisions about what their kids should and should not be watching. Parents will find films for kids of all ages from Barney, Pippi, and Thomas all they way to Pulp Fiction, Matrix, and There's Something About Mary. Dr. H. Arthur Taussig, Ph.D., personally evaluates each film in over twenty content categories of concern to parents including: Age Recommendations, Plot Summary, Substance Use, Violence/Scariness, Morals, Issues & Values, Crimes (and whether they are punished or not), Sexuality and Gender Issues, Alternate Film Recommendations, Nudity, Sexuality, Physical Violence, Emotional Stress, Blood or Gore, Language and Profanity, Immorality, Degree of Parental Guidance, Watchability for Adults, and an overall Rating for Kids of the Appropriate Age. Films from books are marked to encourage kids to read. He also distinguishes between profanity and vulgarity. With this information, according to Dr. Taussig, parents can decide with confidence what is appropriate for their children. "Each family is different and, as every parent knows, so is every child," says Taussig, "thus the usual G, PG and PG-13 ratings are not very helpful. Rather than depending on some outside organization, parents can now get the information they need to make decisions for their own families." These reviews do not replace newspaper and magazine reviews, but supplement them. "Everyone should read both," says Taussig. "Newspaper and magazine reviews deal with a film's artistic merits while I point out the messages - good and bad - kids get from films. Parents need to know about both before deciding what to see." In addition to the excellent reviews, www.FilmValues.com offers many unique features: · Taussig focuses on what most popular reviewers avoid: moral and ethical issues, gender issues, religious messages, means of conflict resolution, and other messages parents really care about. · His reviews contain "spoilers," that is, twists and surprise endings, because these often contain issues that are of great concern to parents. · Since kids see more films on TV than on the big screen, the site contains hundreds of films playing on cable and TV. There is even a handy daily TV movie guide of reviewed films with often 50 to 60 listings per day. · The website contains many reviews of Made-for-TV and Direct-to-Video films. In addition, Taussig is one of the few reviewers who evaluates Anime - the often violent and sex-filled Japanese animation so popular with teens and college students. · To help parents decide on video rentals, Taussig is particularly proud of what he calls a "negative search engine." "Parents often ask if I know which films have the least violence or sex, or whatever. Now, with www.FilmValues.com, parents can choose the type of film they are looking for, fill in the age of their child and then indicate what they want the LEAST of in a film - sex, violence, language, immorality, etc. - and get several useful recommendations." Parents can also request specific children's films to be reviewed. · FilmValues.com takes no advertising since today almost every potential advertiser is somehow connected to the movie business. Free subscriptions deliver new reviews by e-mail. The author, Dr. H. Arthur Taussig, PhD, prepares each review. A recognized expert on the psychology and sociology of popular film, he has had over 200 articles published internationally. Dr. Taussig is Professor of Film and Photography and Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA; teaches for the University of California, Irvine; and is Adjunct Curator of Film at the Orange County Museum of Art. He holds degrees from UC Berkeley and UCLA. He has taught contemporary film for over twenty years and conducted many film workshops for parents. He is the author of the highly acclaimed "Film Values/Family Values - A Parents' Guide to Children's Films." This year's list (in order of age range, not quality) is: CHICKEN RUN (* * * * *) 5 and up. Animated Adventure. GOOD: Spectacular animation. Parable for the importance of personal freedom and self-reliance. Shows the best qualities of human beings. BAD: The film becomes rather dark at times. (Aardman Animations, Allied Filmmakers, Dream Works SKG, Written & Directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park, Produced by Jake Eberts, Michael Rose, and Jeffrey Katzenberg.) DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (* * * *) 5 and up. Christmas Fantasy. GOOD: Anti-materialism, spirituality of Christmas, family cooperation, non-violent problem solving. BAD: The Grinch might occasionally scare the very young. (Imagine Entertainment, MCA/Universal Pictures, Directed by Ron Howard, Written by Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman, Produced by Brian Grazer, Todd Hallowell, and Ron Howard.) FANTASIA 2000 (* * * *) 5 and up. Musical Animation. GOOD: Beautiful animation and music. Overcoming physical handicaps. Great entertainment. BAD: Donald Duck in a bible story. (Walt Disney Pictures, Directed by James Algar, Gaëtan Brizzi, Paul Brizzi, Hendel Butoy, Francis Glebas, Eric Goldberg, Don Hahn, and Pixote Hunt, Written by Han Christian Andersen, Carl Fallberg, Irene Mecchi, Perce Pearce, and David Reynolds, Produced by Roy Edward Disney and Donald W. Ernst.) THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE (* * * *) 5 and up. Animated Adventure Comedy. GOOD: Friendship and self-sacrifice are rewarded. Egotism can be overcome. Very entertaining. BAD: Meso-American locale but no Meso-American culture. (Walt Disney Pictures, Directed by Mark Dindal, Written by Roger Allers, Mark Dindal, Matthew Jacobs, David Reynolds, Chris Williams, Produced by Randy Fullmer and Don Hahn.) FLINTSTONES IN VIVA ROCK VEGAS, THE (* * * *) 5 and up. Comedy Fantasy. GOOD: A loving relation as a life goal; generosity to others; strong friendships. Great fantasy. BAD: Momentary addiction to gambling. Senility used for laughs. FAERIES (* * * *) 5 to 10. Animated Fantasy. GOOD: Honesty, duty, responsibility and friendship solve problems; visually inventive; traditional fairy tale ideas. BAD: Kidnapping as part of the solution. (Walt Disney Pictures, DINOSAUR (* * * *) 6 and up. Animated adventure. GOOD: Adoption. Cooperation among young and old emphasized over survival of the fittest. Promotes racial tolerance, compassion, perseverance, and forgiveness BAD: Intense but short fights. Realistic disaster. Racial intolerance (of carnivores). Directed by Eric Leighton and Ralph Zondag, Written by Walon Green, Thom Enriquez, John Harrison, Robert Nelson Jacobs, Ralph Zondag, and Rob Gibbs, Produced by Baker Bloodworth and Pam Marsden.) MY DOG SKIP (* * * *) 8 and up. Animal Drama. GOOD: Boy learns self-confidence and responsibility. Learning to be an adult. BAD: The dog dies. (Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros., Directed by Jay Russell, Written by Willie Morris and Gail Gilchriest, Produced by Marty P. Ewing and Jay Russell.) FREQUENCY (* * * *) 13 and up. Science Fiction Drama. GOOD: Healing of father/son relations. One can better one's life. Father quits smoking and lives longer. Altruistic police, nurses, and firemen. BAD: Death of parents. Several intense violent confrontations. (New Line Cinema, Directed by Gregory Hoblit, Written by Toby Emmerich, Produced by Richard Saperstein and Robert Shaye). MEN OF HONOR (* * * *) 15 and up. Drama/Biography. GOOD: Overcoming handicaps and racism. Achieving goals. Shows importance of education, persistence and honor. Problem solving without violence. BAD: Considerable bad language. A man's leg is amputated. Military leaders are prejudiced. R-rating. (Fox 2000 Pictures, Directed by George Tillman Jr., Written by Scott Marshall Smith, Produced by Bill Cosby and Stan Robertson.) Here are the runners-up: Remember The Titans, Pay it Forward, Rugrats In Paris, Thomas And The Magic Railroad, 28 Days, Almost Famous, Bicentennial Man, Disney's The Kid, Erin Brockovich, The Tigger Movie. For details, check out www.FilmValues.com. ---- To sign off Screen-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF Screen-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]