Orange County Register

Stride gum will give out free gum coupons if you sign a petition to fight poorly done movies based on video games. Specifically, movies by director Uwe Boll, who credits include clunkers such as Bloodrayne, Alone in the Dark and House of the Dead.

(I thought this was a joke but it’s true, confirms Kathy Beyer, manager of corporate communication for Stride’s parent Cadbury Adams.)

Apparently, Boll told FearNet, a horror movie site, that if 1 million people sign the petition, he’ll stop making such video-game adaptions. Back then, the April 4 interview mentioned that 18,000 people had signed the petition. Now, the Stop Uwe Boll site has gathered 239,686 signatures.

Stride gum, ‘the ridiculously long lasting gum,’ is doing this because, says Gary Osifchin, Stride North American marketing director, gamers are its people.

“Since gamers are one of our most supportive groups, we’ve been looking for ways to return the favor. And what better way is there to get gamers’ backs than by helping them rescue their cherished video games from the clutches of Uwe Boll?” Osifchin said.

The free-gum catch: Stride won’t pay up unless the petition reaches 1 million signatures by next Wednesday, May 14, 5 p.m. eastern time. If the goal is reached, each signer will receive a digital coupon for a pack of gum.

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