How stupid can some people get?!?! I mean really! Are all the studio heads total morons?!?! Are they deliberately trying to drive people away from the theatres?!? This is total lunacy! So what am I bitching about? Take a look at this little bit of news from UPI:
National CineMedia has cut deals with 20th Century Fox, Universal and Sony studios that will mean more ads on U.S. movie screens.
National CineMedia is a joint venture that will provide movie theaters with 20 minutes of previews from the three studios as well as commercial advertising before the feature begins, Variety reported Wednesday. With a disappointing summer box office and flat ticket and concessions sales, studios are seeing the ad concept as a fast path to increased revenue, Variety said.
Film distributors, however, have voiced concern the ads will turn off the “captive audience,” Variety said. The 20-minute package will consist of 2 1/2 minute film previews and interviews book-ended by 30 second commercials.
Are they completely brain dead?!?! So let me get this straight… not as many people are going to the movies these days… so to fix the problem we’re going to piss off the audience even more with longer ad times? That’s their big master plan for bringing people back to the theatres?!?! Those fricking IDIOTS!
Look, I try not to get too worked up over stuff here on The Movie Blog. But this stroke of idiocy is just too much. Yeah, let’s fix the problem of people not coming to the theatres by driving more of them away… that should fix everything. How stupid can some people be?!?! I mean really?
You fix the problem by investing in it… not trying to rape it more. LOWER the prices… REDUCE the amount of ad times. Yes, it will hurt financially a bit now… but in the long run it will bring some of the people BACK to the movies instead of driving them out. Get a clue and wise up you fricken commandos of the moron brigade.
well i don’t know bout the us, but here in the uk, we easily get 20mins+ of ads before most films, with more trailers behind the opening week films. i’m sure its the same in any of the chains here, which easily have a 95%+ share of the market. with the rest being arthouse.
it usually doesnt bother me though, and i look forward to the trailers. much better thn watching on the pc. i do believe that films on a late showing, or end of run don’t hve any ads and just cut straight to the film, but that is very rare, and possibly nonexistant now with all the mergers.
at the end of the day, if it pays for the cimema to be able to show the films, its a necessary evil, although how well tolerated it will be with ticket prices getting higher, and dvd prices dropping, remins to be seen. (eg £6.80 for an adult ticket for me at vue, versus getting a dvd for ~£9 via the interweb)
to jump on the the 20wenty bashing, i hate how it’s spelled, “the 20wenty”. does that make any sense?
I hate the 20 with every inch of my living soul.
I see always one usually two movies a week, this means I have to endure Sony giving me the fucking honor of watching a shitty Legend of Zorro trailer every time. And if I come in late to skip the twwenty, I’m plagued with bad seats.
“I try with all my will to avoid AMC theatres because it’s insane the number of commercials I saw before the film.”
So funny you should say that, because in the Toronto area, the only major theatre chain that is (relatively) easy on the ads is AMC. They are the quietest and classiest theatre chain…No VIDEO game lobbies, no fast-food franchise located on the premises and only 2-3 commercials (+ trailers, which i don’t mind, and rather enjoy!) prior to showtime.
Cineplex-Odeon and Famous Players (who recently merged) do “The 20” and it is beyond tedious. I had boycotted Famous players for 4 years because of this practice, and the last time I was at a cineplex, i noticed that they had started doing it too…so that leaves just the AMC and reperptory/indy cinemas (who show NO ADS!) for my moviegoing dollars…
Hey Cathie – I’m right there with you about the “The 20” though it’s a less bothersome than going to an AMC theater. At least the Regal Cinemas where they use “The 20” the lights are still on and people are moving around. I see many people (myself included) bring a book, writing jounral, play games on their phone or Gameboy.
My daughter and I will go early for a good seat (when it’s an opening night) lay our sweatshirts down and go get any snacks or what not. When we come back we goof around till it’s movie time. After that there usually aren’t any commericals.
I try with all my will to avoid AMC theaters because it’s insane the number of commercials I saw before the film.
Hey there anonymouse,
Hey man, thanks for your comments… but it pays the bills. Someone suggested that I accept donations instead… so I tried that for a week a few months ago… got 1 donation.
Seriously… I’m not being sarcastic when i say this… “I’m open to suggestions”.
Cheers!
Speaking of “being forced to watch ads”. Cant themovieblog do banner ads or anything less annoying that popups? These things just keep jacking around with firefox and it makes the site feel really tacky. I know its a free site but i thought id complain anyway.
I rarely go to the theaters anymore. Its just not the experience it used to be. You pay $10 so you can listen to people talk, have kids kick your chair, watch commercials and then be lectured “don’t pirate movies” even though you just spend $30 for a movie that shouldve gone straight to DVD.
All i know is that i understand why people watch current movies on low quality copies in the comfort of their living rooms. You get peace and quiet and the pirates are kind enough to not subject you to pepsi ads.
The technology to watch new releases at home better come quick because theyre just pushing people out of the theatres.
My local theater has what they call “the 20” twenty minutes of commercials and crap for TV progams, video games, behind the scene looks at movies and COMMERCIALS! It’s pure crap I hate having to sit through any of it. I leave my TV to get away from commercials, why should I pay and HAVE to watch them. I LOVE trailers though, give me the trailers before the movie, then give me my movie. That’s what it should be Trailers, Movie, nothing more. Down with anything else!
FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’d advise you guys to check this website out:
http://www.shinybluegrasshopper.com/nomovieads/
It’s got a list of theaters that don’t show ads in addition to things you can do to speak out against theaters that do. While I certainly hate ads in the movie theater as much as anybody else, I think the biggest thing people can do to stop the ads is start going to movies at theaters again. A good part of the reason they show them in the first place is the fact that ticket sales are down and they’re trying to bring in money to replace the losses. I’m not saying that it’s all the consumer’s fault: why spend twenty bucks for tickets, cokes and candy when I can wait four or five months and buy it on DVD? I think it’s just kind of a red flag to how bad the situation in the RTF industry has gotten.
My local movie theatre (in Australia) did reduce their prices for cheap Tuesday (which didn’t use to be that cheap). Of course I immediately started seeing two movies every time I could make it on Tuesday, instead of one, and buying more popcorn: enough for two sessions with a very late final finish. Reducing prices works.
While I was waiting for the movies to start, of course I also saw more ads, even though there were no more ads per movie.
And, trailers for movies I might like are fine.
The only slight flaw in this almost-perfect system is that they tend to show the same ads and movie trailers repeatedly, regardless of what I’m seeing. If you’re showing me a trailer for what looks like a complete dog two or four times instead of once or twice, you’re not increasing the chance I’ll see it, you’re just being annoying. I’d welcome a trailer or two for some of those independent films that invariably a friend tells you you’ve got to see, just before the last session in town, when it’s too late to make time to see it.
It’s all about the money, with the industry….never about consumer/viewer ENJOYMENT. It’s things like this that make me appreciate such gifts to fans, like Mel Brooks’ “Spaceballs” and Alex Winters “Freaked”.
Kit Kat commercials, Pepsi/Cola, even Tampax…the companies that make these products are in no means of poverty, we all KNOW they make huge coin, so why are they cutting into our film time? That’s what TV is for. While one commercial takes only a minute, it still cuts into the films running time. By not advertising their product, I highly doubt these companies are losing sales. I wonder what the future will bring to cinema? Especially the converting to digital film….
Oh now there’s some incentive to go see ‘Stealth’ this weekend..
The only movies I want to see for the next few months are Broken Flowers, Syriana, and Everything Is Illuminated, none of which are overproduced crap that that will even be in major theatres.
Maybe they think a billion advertisements will make up for the money lost in ticket sales…