Okay went to see School of Rock last night, very good movie btw, movie showtime was 7:10, walked in 2 mins before got my seat etc.

Okay so for $16.50 for the two of us here's what I was treated to:

3 previews, yeah okay that's fine bring on the movie;
5 regular commercials
1 2 minute long featurette on how movie piracy is hurting the set painters

At this point I've already yelled out start the movie 6 times, once for each commercial and once for the painter. And I feel better because more than a few people are pissed off at this point.

Next, the 60 second ad for the movie theatre itself, I'm already here, I saw the popcorn and shit out in the lobby, show me what I just paid for.

Then, one more final preview before the actual movie starts, at 7:25. 15 full minutes of bullshit before a movie started. On the way out I asked the manager if they could publish the "real" movie start times along with the "marketing" start times so I would know when to show up.

Anyone else experience a similar situation lately? And I wonder why I wait til Tuesday and head to Best Buy and pickup all the new DVD's for $14.95, my sound system and home cinema is better and I can fast forward through the previews/commercials :)



Last edited by Toolz at Oct 7 2003, 06:58 AM

people still go to the movies?

:P

Yup. I feel your pain.

It depends upon the theater that you go to though - the chain. We went to a Signature theater chain awhile back and it was just as you described... almost 20 minutes of bullshit.

However, we now exclusively go to a Century theater a little further away. We saw School of Rock on Saturday... saw 4 previews, 1 regular commercial (for Fandango.com to pre-order tickets next time, which we will do as the lines were long) and that's it. Any info about the theater or snacks was shown via slide show before the lights dimmed. MUCH better IMHO.

But yeah... it's getting out of hand. Glad we missed the 2 minute deal about movie pirating... I would have been snoring before Jack Black ever appeared on the screen... <_<

Oh, you're missing a lot of shit there. Usually we have 5 or 6 previews at the Palace Theater, in addition to all the other shit you mentioned, then right before the movie starts, we get 4 different 15 second commercials about the digital or THX or whatever Sound System we're using.

Yeah, it's annoying as fuck.

Ah, the joys of a small town. B)

Our movies are $5 each, and while there may be a couple of previews/commercials - it's NOTHING like it is in the megaplexes near Atlanta.

True, there are only 2 screens, so movies only stay a week so they can get all of them shown, and there's no stadium seating and if you order cappuccino or nachos, you're going to be laughed at, but I prefer it. :okthumb:

I have been to about 3 or 4 movies in a theatre in the last 10 years. Absolutely hate movie theatres. I buy dvd's and videos at Walmart and they do that crap on the videos as well. The good part is you can hit the FF button and ignore it.

The Century Theaters around here do the same 15-20 minute bullshit.

The fuckers sell a small drink for $3.00 then feel that they need to make even more by selling comercial space?

I know - I always seem to be going to the movies without you. :(

There have been a few recently where the FF button wasn't allowed. Thankfully the kid is smarter than I am and went to the "scene selection" and got past it. :)

The Century Theaters around here do the same 15-20 minute bullshit.

The fuckers sell a small drink for $3.00 then feel that they need to make even more by selling comercial space?[/b][/quote]
This was a Goodrich theatre, they have a "value meal" menu for the shit. $7.00 for a coke and popcorn, lmfao, how is that a "value".

Its absurd that movie theaters can get away with selling their
concessions for the prices they charge.
But, people pay it, so they keep charging and raising prices.

Sometimes I just want to :headwall: because if people
would either stop going to the movies, or at least stop
buying the candy popcorn etc... for just a week, they
would be forece to lower their prices.

I dont goto the movies unless a super spactacular movie
comes out, for instance, the matrix reloaded.
Ticket prices are damn near reaching the price of
a dvd, so whats the point when a movie is released
Now and is on dvd next month.

Voodooman,

I picked up my weekly stack of movies from Best Buy today, all of them were probably less than 3 months out of being out of the theatre. Being a huge Jack Black fan I had to go check the movie out and it's great, if not for some of the language could have been a kids film. I'm waiting for Matrix Reloaded on DVD, the theatre's here idea of high fidelity sound doesn't match my 1980's boombox.

Luckily, I caught "School Of Rock", one of the best movies of the year, btw, and we were running about 15 minutes late and wouldn't you know it, we got there just as the movi was starting.........ahh, bliss ;-)

I've learned to deal with the outrageous concession prices (movie studios are paying out smaller percentages to theater chains, so they have to raise ticket and concession prices to compensate) and even trailers, but I, too, am annoyed at the anti-piracy commercials and freaking television commercials.

I have to deal with it, because being the movie geek I am, there are just some movies you have to see in a theater with a group of people. I think it added to movies like "Freddy Vs. Jason" and "Cabin Fever" (has it been a good year for horror movies or what?).

Toolz,

I feel your pain. The last movie I went to was very similar. Same set painters BS and everything. Hell if movies were a bit cheaper to go to the piracy might not be as bad!! And the cost of food is utterly ridiculous. It is to the point where for the most part I would rather stay home with a bag of microwave popcorn and watch the DVD.
I still like to see special effects movies on the huge screen, but anything else I think it is better to just wait and purchase the movie for less than it costs to go see it.

I think I will go see a movie in the next couple of days. I intend to bring my video camera and make a pirated copy of their anti-piracy ad.

I wonder if I can sell that on eBay?

Nice :biglaugh:

Yuppers Toolz, same shit here in Ohio.

I'm going to go out and see Cabin Fever and Texas Chainsaw though, even though I know they are fucking me on the way in and on the way out.

;)

Seriously, don't miss "Cabin Fever" in the theaters...a damn good movie and a lot of fun to watch with a couple hundred strangers......

Voodooman,

I picked up my weekly stack of movies from Best Buy today, all of them were probably less than 3 months out of being out of the theatre. Being a huge Jack Black fan I had to go check the movie out and it's great, if not for some of the language could have been a kids film. I'm waiting for Matrix Reloaded on DVD, the theatre's here idea of high fidelity sound doesn't match my 1980's boombox.[/b][/quote]
hahahahah lol @ boom box.


:lol:

Sure,

Its done all the time, but, the problem is most are put up on
0 day sites, and not ebay.

:D

I remember hearing about a lawsuit aimed at some big movie theatre chains a few months ago because of these extra commercials.

Not sure what happened with that, but they were saying they shouldn't have to see the regular style non trailer ads because they were paying for their admission.

http://www.nomovieads.com/

Nice, thanks for the link. It helps me to look less crazy.

:)

I totally feel your pain! the movies here cost me $9 a person to get into. Then, 15 minutes of commericials, previews and theatre advertisements. I HATE going to the movies, but sometimes I end up going with the family and have to grin and bear it. So, my solution has been, (assuming it's not a sold out show) if the movie starts at 7:15, I get into the theatre at 7:20. If it's gonna be a sold out show, or close to it, I just have to occupy myself for the next 15-20 minutes of crap. You know, file the nails, polish, repeat.

http://www.nomovieads.com/[/b][/quote]
Thanks Peaches used that in my formal complaint to the movie theatre, referenced the class-action lawsuit, hopefully they'll send me a book of tickets to shut me up :)

Dang Peaches... I didn't know you had gotten so high fallootin up there in the hills that you now have fancy indoor movies. I figured you would be over at the Blue Ridge Drive In steaming up the windshield and putting butt prints on the back glass....

*sigh* Drive-in movies.... those were the days. If there ever were any previews or commercials we didn't see 'em. We were too busy fighting over the good seat in the back of the station wagon or complaining to mom that somebody was breathing on us or touching our popcorn in the grocery store bag that we brought from home... the stuff we washed down with the big jug of homemade Kool-Aid that mom brought along too!

Now THAT was a bargain! :rokk:

Went to the drive in last week, $30 to get in, 2 adults one child. Good thing is, bring in your own snacks and you dont' have to hear people yelling "start the movie" (Toolz rofl) b/c when the bullshit previews are on you can talk and listen to the radio. :)

I don't know if its the same in the US but certain studio's releasing films on DVD have it so you can't scene jump or fast forward through the piracy warning or the previews of upcoming films that are being released by that studio...

Sometimes I'd rather be in the cinema watching it because I can at least throw shit at strangers when I get bored :ph34r:

Go to "Scene Selection" and go straight to the beginning of the movie. :okthumb:

What???

No National Anthem before the movie???

Shit. I went to see The Rundown and the fuckers did not play the anti-piracy clip. BUT....I did get the Fandango ad.

Place your bids now.

Go to "Scene Selection" and go straight to the beginning of the movie. :okthumb:[/b][/quote]
Big thanks :D

I was just going to wait until my baby is born and let he/she show dear old dad how to use it :yowsa:

Big thanks :D

I was just going to wait until my baby is born and let he/she show dear old dad how to use it :yowsa:[/b][/quote]
Smartass. :P

I'm too embarrassed to tell you how many "forced" previews I watched before the kid pointed the scene selection out. <_<

Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe the commercials are cross sells? ;-)))

I knew what this thread was about before I opened it. Now that says something.