How do you feel about commercials at movie theatres?

[cfc]

So, you've forked over your ten bucks for admission, ponied up another ten for popcorn and a drink, and settled into your seat for about twenty minutes of commercials--blurbs for TV shows, ads for big-box stores, and the obligatory CGI extravanganza where some dude fights a lava monster to become a U.S. Marine (boy, that basic training is tough). Then, after the fifteen minutes of previews, the picture finally starts--too bad that you've forgotten what you came to see.

 

How do you feel about this? Are you OK with being bombarded with pleas to buy Coke, Sony products, or a new Toyota? Or do you just want to hurl all over the screen (or on the person in front of you with the ringing cell phone)?

 

I'm not talking about previews of coming attractions here--but commercials ranging from those that masquerade as an "inside look" at a new TV show to blatant pleas for you to buy or join something.

 

Here's your chance to sound off.

[Nrthwnd]

The real pissoff at watching some of these on a big screen...

 

Is that some of these 'commercials' were not made for movie screens. Simple.

 

These were originally tv ads, BLOWN UP Real BIG now. What-ever.

 

Ptoooey. Hate'em.

Would rather see more previews of upcoming films.

[dougr]

Maybe if there was ONE commercial related to some kind of movie theme...but commercials for makeup and stuff that seem to be calculated to appeal to just ONE demographic-never mind the other gender and age groups...

The most expensive movie chain is the worst, too...

[coasterdude5]

Yeah, they're slowly adding commercials. Soon, there's gonna be more commercials than previews! Personally, I don't mid previews at all. But sometimes I have to think "is this a commercial or a preview".

[Luxo]

But sometimes I have to think "is this a commercial or a preview".

 

Ditto, the previews have become part of the movie theatre experiences! The commercials, as Nrthwnd said, these are just blown up tv commercials. Most of them weren't even made specifclly for the movies.

 

Who else just wants to rip up and burn those annoying Fandango paper bags?

[Blue0ctane]

I strongly support Ralph Nader's campaign against these ads. They are annoying, a waste of time, and pointless. Kinda like the PSP commercials.

[YoshiFan]

I don't like the commericals. Previews are bad enough. I mean, you are already sitting there for around 10 minutes watching previews and movies are so expensive to see and then you have to watch commercials as well? I try to get to the movie as late as possible (I never see movies when they first open so it's never a big problem about a show selling out), so I can miss the commercials.

[BelizeIt]

Personally, I dislike all of the advertisements we have to watch before the feature attraction. But, I also understand that theater owners don't really earn much income from new releases.

 

The majority of income from new releases goes directly to the movie studios, rather than the theaters where the movies are shown.

 

Theater owners make their income from advertisements,overpriced popcorn and softdrinks.

 

So for those people who complain about having to watch a Lexus Ad---To Bad For You!

 

You still get to watch a movie that may have cost 50+ million dollars to produce, for the cost of a $10 dollar movie ticket! A good deal, by most standards.

[smells_like_team_disney]

Personally, I can't stand commercials before a movie. But lately, the AMCs in the LA area have been showing commercials before the previews actually start, sort of like a "preshow" while people are still finding their seats. This doesn't bother me so much, and I understand that movie theatre owners do need to make money by other means.

[Damien666]

I don't really like them, there just ads you can see on TV!!!

 

Now the Regal Theaters have something called "The Twenty" It is a preshow that happens about 20 mins before they show the previews. The Twenty shows you whats happening in Music,TV, Movies etc. Thankfully these things are made for the big screen! One time they had a segment talking about Orlandos ROTM! I like the Twenty since it gives you something to watch and it's not annoying TV ads!

[Tömmioh]

I think the movie previews, trailers are ok, usually there are like 3-4 of them here, plus a few commercials, which actually I don't mind so much either. That's because usually the commercials are new, which you haven't seen in TV or will not ever see, and quite surprisingly some of them are good and different, and not the usual car, makeup, toothbrush, soft drink ones you've seen way too many times before.

 

Also, call me cheapbas***d if you want, but I never go and watch movies for 10 euro (11.87$), it's what they cost, if you go on weekends here. I rather go after school around 4pm, because it costs only 6-7 euros (7.1-8.3$). Well so far they haven't showed enough ads, commercials to annoy me, but it's getting worse.

[EftelingGal]

the20wenty is now called

First Look!

[coasterguy618]

The only commercial that I ever see is the Fandango commercial, which dosn't bother me.

[cfc]

^I found "The Twenty" to be particularly annoying as a title--a rather lame attempt to make this mass of commercials seem "cool." What cracked me up was when they interrupted "The Twenty" with even-more-obvious commercials: "We now interrupt our commercial presentation with this commercial presentation."

[Meteornotes]

The Twenty or First Look or whatever the current name is really annoying. Actually, any of these "pre-show entertainment" offerings are annoying. Does AMC still pollute the theater with Movie Tunes before the show? Yuck.

 

We rarely go to the movies any more. Between all the commercials, out of focus picture, sound from a system that might have come from a dumpster behind WalMart, and all the annoying jackasses that cannot shut up when a movie is on, I'd rather stay at home. Plus the popcorn is cheaper...

 

dt

[Rugged One]

I don't mind the Twenty/First Look thing too much. It at least keeps you mildly entertained if you show up early.

 

What pisses me off is being bombarded with those "You wouldn't steal a dvd?" anti-piracy ads. They preach to you about not being a thief, after the fact that you just paid good money to sit there and see a movie. Yeesh!

[davidmorton]

Hi - I actually have something to do with this....(well in the UK anyway).

 

I helped design/build/install the software that the people use to schedule the ads onto the various screens around the country, from which the reels are built then shipped out to the cinemas to show the next week. Interesting stuff.

 

Anyway, in the ads defence I'd point out....(in the UK at least...)

 

+ the cinemas often make more money on the ads than they do from admissions.

 

+ therefore no ads => higher admission prices.

 

In the US (I did a lot of research a while back for this) - you don't have as many ads as in the UK (but it seems the situation is changing), but other forms of in-cinema advertising is prevalent - for example many cinemas get free soda from Coke etc, in turn for advertising in the cinema / on the popcorn cartons etc.

 

 

I have to thank cinema advertising for keeping me gainfully employed for at least 3 out of the last 6 years!

 

 

Dave.

[Hattuchili]

Mostly I like the commercials at the cinemas! Because they are showing some good commercials here in Germany you will mostly not find on the TV!

 

--Sören

[cfc]

^^It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it, eh?

[DerekRx]

I don't care for them. If the ad is special in a way, that'd be one thing (kinda like how SuperBowl ads are usually a little longer than they will be after the big game). But with the same exact ads as found on TV, its really pointless and just wastes my time. (like 20 minutes of previews isn't bad enough!) Thats probably one of the reasons why I don't go to movies too often, I'll just wait until it comes out on DVD.

[Homer]

Pisses me off, but at my AMC, before the show they would show just still cards of various local businesses or a TV show on a crappy network (like The WB). Then the trailers usually have 1 to 2 ads.

[cfc]

The theatre in my hometown of Patterson, Calif., used to run a slideshow of cheesy Christmas greetings from local businesses in December: "Happy Holidays from Fink and Sons Plumbers!" "Feliz Navidad from Klein's Super Save!" Actually kind of liked that.

[WillMontu]

I'm not that fond of commercials, and I generally find them mildly annoying. One commercial I do remember (and support) is one for Cingular. It starts out like a movie, and is interrupted by a cell phone, followed by a message to turn off cell phones.

 

Personally, I think they should add in a bathroom break somewhere during the movie, especially long ones (plus it brings people to the snack bar to buy rediculously expensive popcorn and soft drinks)

[coasterguy618]

About the Twenty, that annoys me sometimes. The only time it didn't was last year when they had a sneak peak of the Mummy's Revenge at Universal Hollywood. That was cool.

[man]

well its kind of 6 bucks to get in we sneak in soda and candy and see two movies so really we pay 3 bucks a movie sometimes 2. Anyways the only thing that annoys me is fandango. My bro got tickets to star wars 3 at one of the 12:00 shows a day early. Everyone was cheering for the movie previews. Fandango comes on the theater was shaking from the people moaning. I really don't care either way the theaters can do what they want.