Ads in front of movies..... (MERGED THREAD) (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Reynolds]

Seth, you nailed it. A company is hired to do a study for someone. Obviously, the person who comissions the study has a hand in wording the study question and setting the paramaters.

In other words, the company endeavors to support the answer that they've been comissioned to find.

For an example of how easy it is to design a leading question, all we have to do is look at HTF's own DVD Audio survey:


The use of the word "exciting" in the original question is a big giveaway that someone is trying to swing the vote. A more neutral statement would simply lay out the facts in a way that people can understand without explicitly judging your response before you make it.

Any article that mentions "a study shows" without naming the person or company who paid for the study is either a) lazy journalism, simply copied from some company's press release, giving them free publicity for their cause, or b) deliberate, paid-in-full advertorial content.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

(Sorry, bad studies are a major pet peeve of mine, and lazy reporting of bad studies is an even bigger one.)

 

[Dome Vongvises]

So help me God if I find Grandpa and Grandma making out in front of me I will leave the theater. No seriously, I'm not putting up with that crap.

 

[Richard Travale]

I don't mind them as long as they keep them down to one or two and that they are rendered for the big screen.

 

[Dan Lindley]

I don't mind the ads too much, but I wish they were special for the movies, made in an artsy/funny way to exploit the situation.

As Ross mentioned, I recall the 'seances' in France, and I didn't mind, but the commercials seemed more interesting (perhaps b/c I was abroad and anything would be interesting and an oppty to listen to the language).

The ads shouldn't be too loud and preclude conversation. I wonder if they could show anything like some DVD 'extras' without also spoiling whatever film the extra was about? Maybe about some of the classics?

Dan

 

[JakeMcM]

is it just me or is there a lot of anti-teenage to mid twenties sentiment around here. There are a lot of people in that age group that behave themselves in the theater, I was at a showing of the two towers on midnight of the first day...98% of the audience was in the younger demographic (me included, I'm 20). It was the most behaved group of attendees I've ever seen-minus the fight before the film-but during the showing, not one cell phone call, no one was talking, I don't think anyone even got up to go to the bathroom...one thing that you older guys have going against you though is the whole "nose breathing" thing, I would rather put up with stupid juvenile jokes, laser pointers, making out or whatever than sit next to some older person whose nose whistles after every breath.

 

[Eric Peterson]

I absolutely hate commercials before movies. I didn't pay to be inundated with mundane ads that tell me to drive a Toyota or drink Coke. I do my best to avoid any product that I see advertised in a theater.

From now on, I will be filing a complaint card upon every theater visit until this practice stops or is greatly changed.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

The guy who whipped out his phone during the opening montage of Apocalypse Now Redux, dialed and then didn't stop talking until Willard broke the mirror (despite being asked to be quiet and then having popcorn thrown at him) was in his late 30s. Another reason why I am continually improving my home theatre.

 

[GrantM]

I absolutely hate them. if they want to show commercials BEFORE the sceduled start time of the movie, that would be fine. it would be better than that stupid "movie tunes" program at some theaters that play the absolutely crapiest songs in existence.

 

[todd s]

I understand theaters need another source of income. But, it is getting ridiculous. I went to see a movie last weekend and sat through 7 commercials. I think if the theaters need more income. They should demand more of a share from the studios. I wouldn't mind one or two. But, seven is outrageous.

 

[Bill Williams]

I agree, it's getting pretty bad when they hawk all sorts of products from soft drinks to the US Army to sneakers at the heads of films, before all of the film promos. This reminds me of the first time I saw "Top Gun" on VHS, they had a Pepsi promo at the head of the tape, and when that happened, a lot of people screamed "Bloody murder!" over it.

Conversely, the only film I've been to in my entire life without any of those annoying ads, or even trailers, has been "The Passion of the Christ". I'm sure it had to do with the film's intense subject matter that the local theater I went to deferred all of the typical promos and ads in favor of just jumping into the film directly.

It makes me wonder just how much longer it'll be before we'll see movies interrupting our commercials - or are we already there?

 

[KDHM]

This was one of the hardest things about going to the movies in Germany when I first moved here. The ads last at least a half hour before the previews start. But since the theater that I mostly go to (Sony Center with all in english) you get to choose your seat when you buy your ticket, I go have a beer in the bar in the theater lobby and then go sit down after most of the adds have finished. sometimes I have to ask someone to move out of my seat but this is never a problem since the seat number is on my ticket.
kd

 

[LanieParker]

Yeah I HATE commercials on tv, which is why I rarely watch. Now at the movies!?! This drives me nuts.

 

[WilliamG]

Ok- you've touched a nerve.
I am normally the type who busts it to get to the theater early because I love the previews. But it's gotten so bad that if a listing says a movie starts at 7:00, the COMMERCIALS start and go for 18 minutes before the feature actually rolls. So, I just don't worry about going early anymore.

(I can see this about to turn into another "why-I-like-my-home-theater-better" threads, so I'll shut up now and go on!)

 

[Shawn_KE]

I pay to see a movie, not nike or car commercials. I could stay home and see that junk for free.

 

[AaronMK]

You have to wait for the movie to start anyway, so I never felt cheated by silent ads that would be projected before the starting time.

Now the adds are played so loudly that you have a hard time chatting with the people you came with to see the movie, and then when the movie starts it is not loud enough to be heard over even really soft talking. Really iritating and the reason I go to the theaters less and avoid buying the products advertised.

It is the forced trailers on DVD that really irritate me. Especially the Universal screen that says "You may fast foward through the previews." as if they are a parent telling a kid that they can stay up for another 1/2 hour. How about not having the previews shoved in my face at all, even those that let you hit the menu button. This isn't a movie theater where I would have to wait anyway.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

Go to Regal or United Artist theatres and you don't have to put up with that. The trailers start right at the ticket time. All other ads and promos are bundled into the "20wenty" and at all of the showings I've seen it played on, it was never loud. No worse that the music that plays at other theatres. It would be nice if they change it up a bit though.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

It used to bug the shit out of me, but I find the ads gives me time to chat with buddies about upcoming previews and how the movie'll turn out.

 

[Malcolm R]

I don't really mind as long as they're shown prior to the advertised feature start time and don't delay the film. I went to Regal on a trip a while ago and didn't really mind the "twenty" or whatever it is. At least they start it 20 minutes before the feature time so the movie still starts on schedule.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I agree that the "20" is a good compromise. Saw another thread about it recently and there were dissenting opinions, but I think it works well. The theaters get to run their beloved ads but they don't cut into the showtime at all...