The Daily Caveat wholeheartedly agrees that anyone who was coerced into seeing Vertical Limit or The Animal deserves to be made whole.

Via 10News.com:

Sony Agrees To Settle Class-Action Lawsuit, Lawsuit: Sony Used Phony Critic, Employees For Endorsements

POSTED: 8:44 am PDT August 2, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- A judge Tuesday will decide whether to finalize a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed against Sony Pictures Entertainment by moviegoers who saw films allegedly endorsed by a fake critic.

Sony Pictures Entertainment allegedly advertised movies using quotes attributed to "David Manning" of The Ridgefield (Conn.) Press and endorsements by people who were actually Sony employees, attorneys for the plaintiffs said in a legal notice concerning the settlement.

Sony has admitted no liability but agreed to settle the action by paying the plaintiffs up to $1.5 million to avoid the cost and uncertainty of litigation, according to the court-ordered legal notice.

In return, the members of the class will release their claims against Sony.

The settlement class includes anyone who, between Aug. 3, 2000, and Oct. 31, 2001, purchased a ticket to "Hollow Man," "Vertical Limit," "A Knight's Tale," "The Animal" or "The Patriot" in the United States.

Original story appears here.

-- MDT