Theater Chains Sued for Running Too Many Commercials (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

I personally would pay an extra dollar for a trailerless, commercialless showing

The prices are already too high for me to pay an extra dollar.

 

[Holadem]

How would you feel if the people who groaned at the trailers decided to sue because the trailers made it so the movie didn't start on time? IMHO, commercials and trailers are both advertisements. This group sues because they don't like commercials (with their "legal" reason being late start times) and then another group sues because the trailers that they are "forced" to sit through do not let the movie start on time. Where does it end?

I hadn't thougth about this aspect of things. Interesting... and true. My ex hated trailers, she just wanted the goddamn movie. I suspect a lot of casual moviegoers feel the same way. Their often positive reactions to trailers means nothing, they react the same way to original or funny commercial. That doesn't mean they enjoy watching commercials any more than trailers.

I now agree that the suit is ridiculous.

--
Holadem

 

[Ken Chan]

But trailers are a long-established part of the movie experience. And they are clearly about movies.

Commercials are neither. (Not all slopes are slippery.)

//Ken

 

[Steve Kuester]

Holadem, you just made my day.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Their often positive reactions to trailers means nothing, they react the same way to original or funny commercial

But you can see the same commercials for years at a time. Trailers are in theaters for maybe a few months.

 

[Steve Kuester]

Morgan, if the plaintiffs win this suit, and the theaters then stop showing commercials and are required to pay patrons for their time that was lost, do you think your ticket prices will go down?

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

But trailers are a long-established part of the movie experience. And they are clearly about movies.
Commercials are neither. (Not all slopes are slippery.)

Commercials have been running regularly in many US theatres since the late 1970s. The amount has gone up over the past few years (as well as the amount of trailers), which is why they are *now* being noticed.

 

[BrentPollard]

STAND UP AND START BOOING LOUDLY. that's what I do, the down side being that my kids won't go to movies with me anymore unless I promise not to embarrass them.:b

 

[Morgan Jolley]

STAND UP AND START BOOING LOUDLY. that's what I do, the down side being that my kids won't go to movies with me anymore unless I promise not to embarrass them

Our dad does that too. We try to keep him quiet or won't go with him. Luckily, he doesn't like to go to movies much anyway.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

I didn't notice commercials at all before a few years ago. There have been slides with ads that they ran before movies, and even some movie related ads, but those don't bother people most of the time. It's when you see a commercial for an SUV or a soft drink (that isn't even sold at the theater) that it gets annoying.

The theatre I worked at ran 35mm commercials for Revlon, Foster Grant sunglasses, Omni Magazine, Bic Lighters and other products beginning in 1979...

You are right - there are still too many screens out there. They need to close down some of those dumpy Clearview multiplexes in New Jersey (which will be happening soon since they can't sell the whole chain at the price they want). Ticket prices will never go down, though. Even though they don't do it outright (which is illegal), the studios basically set the price because of the terms they demand for the films.

 

[Malcolm R]

You are right - there are still too many screens out there.

Hoyts closed another theater nearby this week. I believe they once owned 7 theaters around here. Now they have 2. Though I think Hoyts as a company is in trouble. They supposedly just sold 54 of their 95 theaters to Regal.

On the upside, we got a nice new 8-screen, locally-owned theater that opened in October 2001, and a brand new 10-screen is due to open this fall. And a couple of the Hoyts theaters have also been taken over by local, independent owners. So while Hoyts monopolistic hold is being broken, we aren't really losing that many viewing options.

 

[BrettB]

If you can be techincal about the meaning of "show time," then you can be technical, as well, about the meaning of the question, "When does the movie start?" That would mean that the question is asking when the movie starts, not the ads before it.

Well, this is a lawsuit we're discussing here so the "technical" is to be expected. I don't believe the plaintiffs lawyer(s) will acheive a "Perry Mason" moment by asking theater employees and/or theater patrons what their response would be to the question "What do you tell a person when they ask you 'When does the movie start?'".

 

[Benson R]

Am I the only one that appreciates the delicate situation theaters are in? I know part of it is their own fault but the fact is studios demand a much larger percentage of the initial b.o. and when you couple that with how front loaded the b.o. take of todays blockbusters revenue is way down. If they raise ticket prices too much people will stop going so they have to find other sources of income. I'm not condoning their practices. I'm just pointing out that their between a rock and a hard place.

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm just pointing out that their [sic] between a rock and a hard place.

Well, if they had any resolve they'd get together and demand a better cut from the studios. If every major theater were to go along, the studios would have no option other than direct-to-video. And while the video market is pretty lucrative, I don't believe the studios are ready to forego the tens of millions that can be reaped from the theatrical box office. Not to mention the movie industry essentially becoming the "longform television" industry with the only outlet for the "artistic" work of the directors and cinematographers being Joe & Jane's 19" Sanyo with mono speaker.

 

[Malcolm R]

They now have a web site.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

All that will happen is that theaters will start staying "Complete shows, including promotional & commercial films, begin at 7:30," without a defined start time for the film. Nobody will want to risk coming in late or not getting a good seat, so the majority of the audience will still be in place for the commercials.

Because we don't currently run ads, other than one coming attraction, we have customers at our theaters who get upset because the film has already started when they get to the theater 10 minutes after the posted start time of the film.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Two lawsuits have been filed in the Chicago area claiming moviegoers are being defrauded by having to sit through up to ten minutes of commercials prior to films. Plaintiffs are asking for damages of up to $75 per patron. Seems kinda frivolous, but I agree the pre-show commercials are getting a little out of hand.

No longer satisfied with the overpriced snacks, imitation butter extra, They're taking a page out of the streaming services manual, LOL!! How do you cook a frog? toss him in a cold pot, and then slowly ramp up the heat!! If I wanted to sit through 20 mins of commercials I'd stay home and watch them on my TV!!
And @ $14-$19 a ticket, then have to indure commercials and trailers for the next Transfomer fanchise...I feel your pain!!!

 

[Capt D McMars]

They now have a web site.

unsecure and has Chinese links on it...not for me Chief!!!

 

[Capt D McMars]

It seems that evertime you get lawyers invovled, everyone walks away unhappy...exept the lawyers, right? We all have a more powerful tool in our Batman utility belts...our wallets!!! There's no one holdiing a gun to our head, no one twisting our arm or threatening our family. Either set up picketlines out in front of your local movie house, for those that love pickets...or JUST DON'T SUPPORT IT!!!

 

[Colin Jacobson]

No longer satisfied with the overpriced snacks, imitation butter extra, They're taking a page out of the streaming services manual, LOL!! How do you cook a frog? toss him in a cold pot, and then slowly ramp up the heat!! If I wanted to sit through 20 mins of commercials I'd stay home and watch them on my TV!!
And @ $14-$19 a ticket, then have to indure commercials and trailers for the next Transfomer fanchise...I feel your pain!!!

You know this thread is almost 20 years old, right?